WATCH: In today's Daily Vertical, Brian Whitmore talks about a highly consequential sideshow to the Ukraine conflict that appears to be developing in the South Caucasus.
WATCH: Protesters gathered in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on February 22 to burn an effigy of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The protest took place as demonstrations were under way in other Ukrainian cities to mark the first anniversary of the overthrow of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. (Video by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
German Gov't 'Extremely Worried' No Full Ukraine Ceasefire Yet
BERLIN, Feb 23 (Reuters) -- The German government is very concerned that there is still no comprehensive ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, more than a week after it should have taken effect, and urged Moscow anew on Monday to use its influence over pro-Russian separatists.
"When you look at the situation as a whole since leaders met in Minsk, it is clear the implementation of the agreed measures is not satisfactory," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
"What is decisive is a comprehensive cease fire. It is worrying for the German government that we haven't seen anything like this yet," he said.
A spokesman for the German foreign ministry urged Russia to free Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, who has been on hunger strike since last December and was visited by German doctors.
From RFE/RL's News Desk:
A third person has died as a result of a bombing in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
The Kharkiv city council's press service said on February 23 that a 15-year-old boy has also died from the injuries he received in the blast.
Two people -- a policeman and an activist -- were killed by the bombing on February 22, which occurred during a march in Kharkiv marking the Maidan antigovernment protests in Kyiv one year ago that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.
Those events in Kyiv helped spark the conflict that is currently raging in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, parliament member Dmytro Tymchuk said Russian-backed separatist forces are concentrating near the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.
Tymchuk posted a message on his Facebook page on February 23 saying that some 350 additional rebel fighters and about 20 armored vehicles -- including six tanks -- had arrived since February 22 to reinforce separatist units in the nearby Bezimenne district.