From our news desk:
The Russian state-controlled energy company Gazprom says it has received a $15-million advance payment for gas from Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, sufficient funds to provide Ukraine with one more day of gas supplies.
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov confirmed on February 17 that "today at 9:20 a.m. Gazprom received a $15-million payment from Naftogaz Ukrainy. At the current level of shipments, this prepayment is enough for only about one day."
Kupriyanov said the amount of gas Ukraine has now paid for should be sufficient to last until March 2 when the energy ministers of Russia and Ukraine are due to meet in Brussels with officials from the European Union in an attempt to reach a new gas agreement.
Gazprom had threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine at the end of this month claiming Ukraine had used all the gas it paid for in advance.
Under a deal brokered in October by the EU, Ukraine would continue to receive Russian gas but must pay in advance.
(TASS, Reuters)
An interesting tweet on Putin's soaring approval level (86 percent):
An Anti-Maidan protest outside RFE/RL's Moscow offices today. Judging from the picture, there almost seems to be more journalists there than demonstrators. It will be interesting to see how the demo looks on TV:
Some worrying Savchenko news now from RFE/RL's news desk:
A member of the Kremlin's human rights council has said that jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko "could die within days."
Yelena Masyuk said on February 27 that she had visited Savchenko in jail the previous evening and the captive pilot's health had seriously deteriorated.
Savchenko has been on a hunger strike for nearly 80 days protesting what she calls her illegal detention and false charges brought against her.
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.
Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service issued a statement later on February 27 rejecting the claims by "journalist" Masyuk and claiming that Savchenko was being constantly monitored and was in no danger of dying.
The penitentiary service also questioned whether Masyuk had medical training that would allow her to comment on health issues.
(AFP, Interfax, TASS)