Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has explained how much Ukraine may lose after Russia imposes its food embargo on January 1.
"Ukraine estimated losses from the introduction of a trade embargo by the Russian Federation. In 2016 Ukraine it will lose about $600 million worth of exports to the Russian Federation," he said.
Russia will introduce a food embargo on Ukraine starting from January 1, Russian Economic Development Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev said on Rossia 24 state TV channel.
"Since Ukraine joined sanctions against the Russian Federation -- economic and financial -- we decided to introduce...safeguard measures in the form of a food embargo. This decision simply has a deferred nature. It is deferred until January 1," he said.
According to Ulyukayev, it is probable that Russia "will have to unilaterally protect its market from uncontrolled access of goods through Ukraine’s customs territory, goods from third countries, and especially from the European Union."
A Russian court in Donetsk has ordered a closed-door hearing in the questioning of Luhansk separatist leader Igor Plotnitsky in the case of Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko. The prosecution says Plotnitsky is afraid for his life. Spectators have been ordered to leave the courtroom.
The court also forbade Savchenko’s lawyers to "retell his testimony word for word," Mark Feygin, one of the lawyers, tweeted.
A few minutes later he tweeted a photo of Plotnitsky in court.
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Happening in Kyiv: