Kyiv Protesters Demand Release Of Ukrainian Officer Held In Russia

Activists staged a rally in central Kyiv on July 11 demanding the immediate release of Nadiya Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot held in Russia. Savchenko was seized by pro-Russian separatists in June near Luhansk, eastern Ukraine. She was turned over to authorities in Russia, where she faces charges of complicity in the June 17 killing of two Russian journalists who died in the fighting near Luhansk. The protesters in Kyiv held up banners that read, "Ukraine Needs Nadiya," which also translates as "Ukraine Needs Hope." (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)