Latest from our news desk:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has awarded the country's highest national honor to pilot Nadia Savchenko.
Savchenko was captured by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine in June and taken to Russia, where she was charged with involvement in a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists.
In a statement on March 2, Poroshenko said: "Nadia is a symbol of unbroken Ukrainian spirit and heroism, a symbol of the way one should defend and love Ukraine, a symbol of our victory."
Savchenko, who was awarded the “Gold Star of Hero of Ukraine” by Poroshenko, has been on hunger strike for 80 days.
She denies the charges against her, saying she was kidnapped and brought to Russia illegally.
Savchenko's sister, Vira, said on March 1 that her sister was "in fact in a very bad state.”
So Honcharenko has definitely returned to Ukraine:
A lawyer for Oleksiy Honcharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker who was detained in Moscow on March 1, says his client has returned to Ukraine.
Lawyer Mark Feigin said March 2 that his client was freed after police dropped claims against Honcharenko.
Honcharenko was detained ahead of a march in memory of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on February 27.
Honcharenko said he was beaten and spent five hours in police custody before being released.
He had been ordered to appear in court on March 2 for a hearing on suspicion of refusing to comply with police demands before his release.
The Russian Investigative Committee said Honcharenko was being questioned about what Russian authorities said was his alleged involvement in a deadly fire that broke out in his home city, Odesa, during rival demonstrations by Ukrainians and pro-Russian separatists.
BREAKING: Kerry says after talks in Geneva with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the cease-fire agreement for eastern Ukraine must be implemented rather than being "a road to disappointment, potential deception, and further violence."
BREAKING: U.S. Secretary of John Kerry says the United States hopes the Ukraine cease-fire agreement will be implemented fully "in the next hours, certainly not more than days."
By RFE/RL
A lawyer for Oleksiy Honcharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker who was detained in Moscow on March 1, says that a court hearing for his client has been canceled and he will return to Ukraine as soon as possible.
Lawyer Mark Feigin said on March 2 that his client would leave for Kyiv "on the first available flight."
Honcharenko was detained ahead of a march in memory of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on February 27.
Honcharenko says he was beaten and spent five hours in police custody before release.
He had been ordered to appear in court on March 2 for a hearing on suspicion of refusing to comply with police demands, but Moscow police said earlier in the day that they had "no claims" against him.
The Russian Investigative Committee had said Honcharenko was being questioned about what Russian authorities say was his alleged involvement in a deadly fire that broke out in his home city, Odesa, during rival demonstrations by Ukrainians and pro-Russian separatists.
Here is today's situation map of eastern Ukraine by the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
