Here's an item from our news desk about events at Donetsk airport:
Pro-Russian separatists say they have captured the airport terminal in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk amid heavy fighting with the Ukrainian military.
The rebels announced on January 15 that they had taken control of the terminal's ruins, and an AP reporter saw a separatist flag raised above the building on the same day amid continuing hostilities.
The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, said it was maintaining its positions at the airport.
Although separatists control most of the city of Donetsk, Ukrainian government forces have held on to positions at the airport for months.
Many buildings in and around the sprawling facility have been destroyed by fighting there.
The U.S. State Department said on January 14 that the intense fighting around the airport was among the "latest egregious violations of the commitments made by the Russian-backed separatists."
(AP, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Here's an update from RFE/RL's Brussels correspondent, Rikard Jozwiak:
BRUSSELS - The office of the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has outlined possible steps to "induce a policy change from Russia" over the conflict in Ukraine -- including possible engagement with the Eurasian Economic Union.
A document on the proposals, seen by RFE/RL, is to be discussed by EU foreign ministers on January 19.
In addition to an internal study on how to engage with the Eurasian Economic Union, suggestions also include more foreign policy cooperation on Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Libya.
The suggestions also include resuming negotiations on a visa deal with Moscow, a new political agreement between the EU and Russia, and ending the suspension of student exchanges.
The document says the proposals "would not mean business as usual" and would be closely linked to full implementation of a September cease-fire deal aimed at ending the conflict between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.