Here's an update from RFE/RL's news desk:
Germany's foreign minister says he and his counterparts from Ukraine, Russia, and France will meet on January 21 in Berlin in a bid to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement that "the chief aim now is to prevent a further deterioration of the military conflict and a renewed political escalation between Kyiv and Moscow. This is worth every effort."
He will host his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Ukraine's Pavlo Klimkin, and Laurent Fabius of France. The group last met in Berlin on January 12.
Fighting intensified in recent days as Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatist fighters have been battling for control of Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military claims its troops have retaken almost all the areas of the ruined airport lost to separatists in recent weeks.
But a separatist leader, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, said that "all the Ukrainian Army's attempts to take the airport...have failed."
Klimkin said on January 20 that pro-Russian separatists had seized more than 500 square kilometers of territory from Ukrainian forces since a cease-fire agreement was signed in Minsk in September.
He said at a news conference in Kyiv that the rebels, backed by Russian arms and soldiers, had taken "advantage of the fact that our forces complied with the cease-fire."
Klimkin said Ukraine would demand that rebels return to the Minsk "separation line" at future meetings of a so-called "contact group" that includes separatist leaders from Donetsk and Luhansk.
Russia, for its part, on January 20 denied new accusations by Kyiv that Moscow sent troops into eastern Ukraine.
A Defense Ministry spokesman said that Kyiv's claim that some 700 Russian troops had crossed into eastern Ukraine was "absolute nonsense."
Also on January 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the country must strengthen its armed forces to protect its sovereignty against the "challenge" posed by other countries that might threaten Moscow.
And the Russian Foreign Ministry the same day accused the European Union of maintaining an "unfriendly course" towards Moscow after Brussels said it would keep in place economic sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller said in a meeting that Kyiv still owes Russia some $2.44 billion for previous gas shipments and that it must settle its debt.
Miller also announced that, beginning on April 1, Ukraine would have to revert to paying a higher price for natural gas.
Ukraine paid some $378 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in the last quarter of 2014 and is paying $365 per 1,000 cubic meters from January 1 until March 31.
Kyiv is expected to have to pay more than $100 extra per 1,000 cubic meters on April 1, putting a further strain on Ukraine's nearly bankrupt economy.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Pretty dramatic footage here from Donetsk. Facebook newswire describes it as follows:
UKRAINE: Several journalists from the Russia-24 news channel came under fire in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk on January 20. According to reports, there were multiple television crews on Kiev Avenue covering an earlier attack that left one person dead when the incident occurred.
German, French, Russian, and Ukrainian ministers to meet in Berlin tomorrow:
Germany's foreign minister says he and his counterparts from Ukraine, Russia, and France are set to meet on January 21 in Berlin in a bid to de-escalate the Ukraine conflict.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement: "The chief aim now is to prevent a further deterioration of the military conflict and a renewed political escalation between Kyiv and Moscow. This is worth every effort."
He will host his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Ukraine's Pavlo Klimkin, and Laurent Fabius of France. The group last met in Berlin on January 12.
Fighting intensified in recent days as Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatist fighters have been battling for the control of the Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine.
Russia on January 20 denied new accusations by Kyiv that Moscow sent troops into eastern Ukraine.
A Defense Ministry spokesman said that Kyiv's claim that some 700 Russian troops had crossed into eastern Ukraine was "absolute nonsense."
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimit Putin said on January 20 that Russia must strengthen its armed forces to protect its sovereignty against the "challenge" posed by other countries that might threaten Moscow. (Reuters and AFP)
Gazprom says Ukraine to pay full gas price:
The chief of Russian gas giant Gazprom says Ukraine's discount "winter price" for natural gas will end on April 1.
Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller said in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on January 20 that the gas price on April 1 for Kyiv would be set in accordance with a long-standing contract.
He did not specify a price, but Gazprom previously charged Ukraine $485 per 1,000 cubic meters under a 2009 contract that Kyiv has long sought to change.
Russia lowered the price from that level late in 2013 as part of a reward to Kyiv for scrapping a landmark pact with the EU, then raised again after he outster of Viktor Yanukovych as president in February 2014.
On October 30, Russia and Ukraine agreeed to a an EU-brokered deal under which Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Kyiv would pay Gazprom $378 per 1,000 cubic meters until the end of 2014 and $365 per 1,000 cubic meters in the first quarter of 2015.
Miller also said that Ukraine's debt to Russia for previous gas shipments is $2.44 billion. (Interfax and Bloomberg)
Moscow is denying sending troops into Ukraine:
Russia has denied new accusations by Kyiv that Moscow sent troops into eastern Ukraine.
Interfax quoted a Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying on January 20 that Kyiv's claim was "absolute nonsense."
"Yesterday's statement from Kyiv about the alleged transfer of units of the Russian armed forces across the Russian-Ukrainian border does not stand up to criticism," the news agency quoted Konashenkov as saying.
The Ukrainian military said some 700 Russian troops had crossed into the country in the morning of January 19 to support pro-Russian separatists.
Fighting intensified in recent days as Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatist fighters have been battling for the control of the Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military claimed on January 19 that Ukrainian troops had retaken almost all parts of the ruined airport lost to separatists in recent weeks.
Separatists said the Ukrainian army's attempt to take the airport "have failed." (Interfax and Reuters)