Contact Group On Ukraine Assembles In Minsk
Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the OSCE, and separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine have arrived in Minsk for a meeting of the so-called Contact Group.
Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, OSCE special representative Heidi Tagliavini, and the authorized representatives from the two separatist regions -- Denis Pushilin from Donetsk and Vladislav Deinego from Luhansk, were all in the Belarusian capital for the February 10 meeting.
The Contact Group is the mechanism for talks between representatives of Ukraine, the pro-Russian rebels, Russia, and the OSCE, which produced a September 5 agreement on a cease-fire that failed to end the violence in east Ukraine.
The Contact Group representatives were meeting on the eve of a proposed summit of the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine, which is tentatively planned in Minsk on February 11.
Based on reporting by Interfax and Reuters
Kyiv's ambassador to the United Nations:
Reuters video from the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, where dozens were killed or injured today when missiles hit a residential area and the military headquarters. The victims included both civilians and soldiers. Damage from the missiles could be seen at a local school and apartment blocks. (Caution: GRAPHIC CONTENT)
Reminder of one of our top stories today:
From our newsroom:
Ukraine's parliament has voted to endorse President Petro Poroshenko's nominee for prosecutor-general.
At the February 10 session of parliament 318 of the 382 deputies present voted to approve Poroshenko's nomination of Viktor Shokin to become Ukraine's next top prosecutor.
Poroshenko accepted the resignation of previous prosecutor-general, Vitaliy Yarema, on February 9.
There were reports that the parliamentary committee on fighting corruption was preparing a motion of no confidence in Yarema and intended to request his dismissal.
When Poroshenko nominated Yarema for the post in June he said Yarema would be a key figure in the fight against corruption.
Western governments trying to help Ukraine have repeatedly stressed the need for Kyiv to tackle corruption.
With additional reporting by UNIAN and Interfax
Here is our updated map of the conflict in eastern Ukraine:
