More on the weapons withdrawal:
The Ukrainian military said it was starting to withdraw heavy weapons from the front line in its conflict with Russian-backed rebels on February 26 after reporting that there were no combat fatalities for a second straight 24-hour period.
The announcements raise hopes that a European-brokered cease-fire agreement reached in Minsk could be taking hold, after the rebels initially ignored the truce and seized the strategic town of Debaltseve in a major offensive.
"Implementing the agreements reached in Minsk on February 12, Ukraine is beginning the withdrawal of 100-mm guns from the line of
contact today," the military said in a statement. "This is the first step in the pull-back of heavy weapons."
Kyiv had been unwilling to begin its withdrawal because of what it said were persistent rebel attacks.
The conflict has killed more than 5,600 people in eastern Ukraine since April.
Latest: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia should withdraw some 1,000 items of military equipment from Ukraine. He also said that any attempt by pro-Russian separatists to expand the territory they hold in eastern Ukraine would be "unacceptable."
More on Russian gas deliveries to Ukraine.
Russian gas giant Gazprom says it is willing to discuss alterations to the current gas agreement with Kyiv but also warns time is running out for Ukraine to order further shipments.
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov suggested on February 26 that the company was "ready" to exclude gas supplies to the separatist-held areas of eastern Ukraine from Kyiv's gas bill.
Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz said this week Gazprom had not supplied all the gas Ukraine already paid for, only to learn Gazprom considered gas sent to areas held by rebels as being part of the gas shipped to Ukraine.
Naftogaz said it would not make an advance payment for more gas until Ukraine received all the gas from its last payment.
Gazprom's Kupriyanov said Ukraine should have enough gas to last until the end of this week, but Kyiv has not prepaid for any more shipments after that.
By RFE/RL
The European Union and the United States have issued fresh calls on Russia to release hunger-striking Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko.
The statements came after a Moscow court upheld a ruling extending the pretrial detention period for Savchenko, who has been on a hunger strike for 76 days, until May 13.
A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Maja Kocijancic, condemned the decision in a February 26 statement and said that "Russia bears a responsibility for [Savchenko's] very fragile health."
She called for Savchenko's urgent release "on humanitarian grounds" and said it would be in line with commitments to release detainees under a peace deal for the conflict between government forces and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.
In a statement on February 25, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also cited those commitments and said the United States "deplores [Savchenko's] ill-treatment and is deeply oconcerned about her deteriorating health."
Savchenko says she was captured by rebels in June and taken to Russia, which has charged her with involvement in a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists.
Savchenko denies the charges and says Russia has no right to hold or prosecute her.
From our newsroom:
The OSCE representative on freedom of the media says recent measures limiting Russian journalists from fulfilling their professional activities in Ukraine are “excessive.”
Dunja Mijatovic said in a February 26 statement that the lack of transparency is "troubling."
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada revoked the accreditation on February 12 of some 100 Russian media outlets at Ukrainian public institutions, including the parliament.
The list of the media outlets affected and the reasons for the move were not provided.
Mijatovic called on Ukrainian authorities to "fully disclose their reasoning for these steps" and provide a complete list of the media outlets that are banned.
Mijatovic also cited reports saying Ukrainian authorities detained and deported on February 25 journalists from two Russian television channels for disseminating anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
They were also banned from entering Ukraine for five years.
The same day, another Russian TV journalist was reportedly denied entry into Ukraine.