Donetsk Separatists Celebrate WWII Liberation

Separatists in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, celebrated the 71st anniversary of the city's liberation from German forces in 1943 on September 8. Speakers told a crowd of several hundred the battle against ''fascism'' was continuing, referring to the current conflict against Ukrainian government forces. A cease-fire which came into force on September 5 has been holding, despite some sporadic fighting. The cease-fire is part of a 12-point plan that calls on Kyiv to grant special status to Donetsk and Luhansk, but separatist leaders insisted at the rally they would achieve full independence. (RFE/RL's Moldova Service)