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Ten-year-old Sasha stands in a bomb shelter in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
Ten-year-old Sasha stands in a bomb shelter in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Live Blog: Ukraine In Crisis (Archive)

Follow all of the latest developments as they happen.

Final News Summary For September 29

-- We have started a new Ukraine Live Blog. Find it here.

-- Ukraine is marking 75 years since the World War II massacre of 33,771 Jews on the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Kyiv.

-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stabilize a fragile cease-fire in Ukraine and do all he could to improve what Merkel called a "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Syria.

-- Russia's Supreme Court has upheld a decision by a Moscow-backed Crimean court to ban the Mejlis, the self-governing body of Crimean Tatars in the occupied Ukrainian territory.

* NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv (GMT/UTC +3)

14:49 2.3.2016

14:25 2.3.2016

Here's a rundown of the latest diplomatic dealings over the Minsk accord:

Lavrov Going To Paris For Talks On Minsk Accord Implementation

The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend a meeting in Paris on March 3 to discuss the implementation a peace plan for Ukraine under the Minsk accords of February 2015.

The meeting was also expected to be attended by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Ukraine.

The Minsk peace accord of February 2015 was intended to put an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists.

Kyiv claims Russia is violating the Minsk agreement by sending troops and weapons to back up pro-Russia separatists in the east.

But Ukraine has so far failed in its pledge to enact reforms that would increase autonomy for Ukraine's eastern regions and allow local elections there.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on February 23 that infighting among political parties in Ukraine's governing coalition cannot be allowed to prevent Kyiv from carrying out its reform obligations under the Minsk accords.

Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax
14:21 2.3.2016

14:19 2.3.2016

14:18 2.3.2016

14:14 2.3.2016

14:11 2.3.2016

14:07 2.3.2016

13:58 2.3.2016

13:19 2.3.2016

Here's an item that's been sent to us by RFE/RL's correspondent in Brussels:

EU Diplomats Agree To Extend Sanctions On Yanukovych, Associates

Former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych (file photo)
Former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych (file photo)

BRUSSELS -- European Union ambassadors have decided to extend an asset freeze against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and 15 of his close associates for at least one additional year.

The restrictive measures were first put in place in March 2014 after Yanukovych fled Ukraine during the Euromaidan protests against his government.

Other prominent figures on the EU blacklist for the alleged misappropriation of Ukrainian state funds include two former prime ministers, Mykola Azarov and Serhiy Arbuzov, and the former head of Yanukovych's presidential administration, Andriy Kliuiev.

EU officials say Ukraine's former Health Minister Raisa Bohatyriova was removed from the blacklist because she has returned stolen assets to the Ukrainian authorities.

EU ministers meeting in Brussels on March 4 are expected to approve the extension of the sanctions at a meeting in Brussels.

If approved, the extension would become official when it is published in the EU's official journal on March 5.

Based on reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels

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