That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Thursday, December 1, 2016. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage. Thanks for reading and take care.
Investigative Chief Alleges Ukrainian Lawmaker May Have Spied For Russia
The head of investigations in Ukraine's Security Services (SBU) has charged that Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Onyshchenko may have been spying for Russia.
Hryhoriy Ostafiychuk, head of the SBU's Main Investigative Directorate, told reporters in Kyiv on December 1 that the SBU has obtained evidence that suggests treasonous activities by Onyshchenko.
Ostafiychuk alleged that Onyshchenko obtained a Russian passport from Russian authorities in exchange for assisting Russian secret services to destabilize Ukraine.
Ostafiychuk also said that Onyshchenko has been preparing "a mass information attack" against Ukraine.
Onyshchenko left Ukraine for a European country in July after the legislature stripped him of his parliamentary immunity in the wake of an investigation into his alleged involvement in illegal natural-gas sales.
Onyshchenko rejected Ostafiychuk's allegations -- denying that he had Russian citizenship and suggesting he was facing a backlash from authorities because he gave evidence to U.S. intelligence officials on November 29 about what he described as illegal activities by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Based on reporting by UNIAN and pravda.com.ua