Here's an item from our news desk on another fatalilty in eastern Ukraine:
A Ukrainian soldier has been killed and two wounded in restive eastern regions despite a cease-fire deal with separatist rebels.
The truce has been largely holding since the start of September, allowing the two sides to extend a pullback of weapons.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said the attack took place on October 13 when separatists fired grenade launchers at Ukrainian forces near Avdiivka, a government-controlled town just north of the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk.
Poltorak said details were still sketchy and suggested a rogue group not controlled by rebel leaders could be behind the attack.
The withdrawal of weapons from the front line was agreed on condition that both sides fully respect the cease-fire.
Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions has killed more than 7,900 people since April 2014. (AFP, Reuters)
A number of nationalist groups, including Right Sector are holding a rally in Kyiv today to mark the 73rd anniversary of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has this live feed of proceedings (natural sound, no subtitles):
Quite a poignant memorial unveiled in Kyiv, commemorating heavy Ukrainian losses at the Battle of Ilovaisk (kind of reminiscent of the U.S. flag at Fort McHenry):
Here's another item from our news desk, this time on the thorny issue of Ukraine's $3 billion debt to Russia:
President Vladimir Putin has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to lend an additional $3 billion to Ukraine so it can pay its debt to Russia.
"It would seem simpler to proceed this way: provide Ukraine with these $3 billion so it can pay and that everyone is happy," Putin said October 13.
Russia has been blocking the IMF's $17.5 billion rescue plan for Ukraine, restricting Kyiv's ability to restructure billions of dollars in debt including the $3 billion owed to Moscow.
Moscow remains adamant that Kyiv should repay the debt by a December deadline. Ukraine issued the debt under Russian-backed President Viktor Yanukovych before he was ousted in February 2014.
Russia has said it will pursue court remedies and other measures if Ukraine defaults.
The IMF rescue funds are needed to keep Ukraine's pro-Western government afloat and cushion the economic blow from a war with pro-Russian separatists in the east.
Putin warned the IMF against bending the rules "for a country destroying the system" and noted that Moscow, as a member of the IMF, was contributing to the fund's aid for Ukraine. (AFP, Reuters)
The head of the so-called People’s Council of “DPR” Denis Pushilin dodged a question about the MH17 report from Dutch journalist Rudy Bouma. Pushilin did however, find time to take a selfie with an admirer.
Bouma was in Donetsk when Russia and the Netherlands presented their reports on the MH17 tragedy on October 13.