The article by Mr Carl Bildt ‘Ukraine has fended off Russia and the EU deserves credit’ (Irish Examiner, April 24) not only presents events in Ukraine in a misleading way, but contains a great number of factual errors as well.

Willian has backed Brazil team-mate Fred to be a major success at Manchester United and said he is moving to “one of the best teams in the world.”

Roma striker Edin Dzeko is hoping his side can catch Champions League opponents Shakhtar Donetsk cold in their quarter-final tie tonight.

Toure has featured little this season but has been impressed by the performances of his team-mates.

Huddersfield 1 Man City 2: Pep Guardiola was delighted after watching his Manchester City side beat Huddersfield 2-1 to extend their winning streak to 18 games but he knows the run will not last forever.

Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine have said they are taking over scores of factories and mines in the region, many of them belonging to a tycoon whose foundation has been the largest provider of humanitarian aid to the war-battered population.

Europe’s fear of IS and the US’s election uncertainty have diverted attention from Vladimir Putin’s ambitions, writes Agnia Grigas

A Ukrainian pilot charged over the deaths of two Russian journalists has denounced her trial as a farce.

Violence as MPs back plan giving autonomy to rebel-held areas.

A prisoner exchange has taken place between government forces and pro-Russia rebel fighters in Ukraine.

Ceasefire under threat as Independence Day imminent

Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists yesterday fought their first serious battles in months and Ukraine’s defence minister said an attempt by rebels to take the eastern town of Maryinka had been thwarted.

A fragile ceasefire between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists came under renewed pressure yesterday with the Ukrainian military reporting a serviceman had been killed and seven others wounded in rebel attacks.

Ukraine’s government has approved a list of debt that should be restructured under an IMF programme to save the nation $15.3bn (€13.94bn), including $3bn in Eurobonds sold to Russia.

An explosion ripped through a coal mine before dawn in war-torn eastern Ukraine, killing one miner and trapping more than 30 others underground, rebel and government officials said.

Ukraine’s military says a ceasefire had been fully observed in eastern separatist territories overnight, but warned that pro-Russian rebels were using the truce to regroup for new attacks on government positions.

Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatist forces have drawn back some heavy weapons from the front line in the east in compliance with a ceasefire deal, although officials in Kiev accused rebels of falling short of requirements.

Ukraine’s military has said it will start pulling back its heavy weapons from the front line with Russian-backed separatists as required under a ceasefire agreement.

Ukrainian military and separatist representatives exchanged dozens of prisoners under cover of darkness at a remote frontline location, kicking off a process intended to usher in peace to the conflict-ridden east.

Ukraine’s military and Russia-backed separatist rebels have accused each other of continuing to mount attacks a week after a ceasefire was called.

For the rebel fighters who seized control of the strategic town Ukraine of Debaltseve, it was a day of jubilation and bragging of victory.

A Ukrainian military spokesman says more than 90% of its forces have been withdrawn from the fiercely contested town of Debaltseve and its surroundings.

Ukrainian forces and separatist rebels fought fierce street battles for control of the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve, impeding implementation of a peace plan.

Champions League Last 16 First Leg

Intense artillery exchanges between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists have persisted around a strategic town in eastern Ukraine – fighting that threatens to dash a ceasefire deal brokered by European leaders last week.

The Ukrainian government and Russia-backed rebels have each accused the other of violating a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

A ceasefire that went into effect yesterday in eastern Ukraine appeared largely to be holding, officials said, except for around the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve.

A ceasefire that went into effect today in eastern Ukraine appears largely to be holding, except around the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve.

Eight Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and others wounded overnight despite a peace deal and looming ceasefire deadline, a military spokesman said today.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine has intensified ahead of much-anticipated peace talks, with both sides claiming significant advances and the government accusing rebels of shelling a town far behind the front line.

US President Barack Obama and German chancellor Angela Merkel have rallied behind efforts to reach a long-shot diplomatic resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but offered no clear path if talks fail.

Talks on a Ukraine peace initiative will continue with a telephone call tomorrow between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his counterpart in Kiev to discuss a proposal to end the fighting.

Pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian authorities have agreed on a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians from the epicentre of fighting in eastern Ukraine as German and French leaders prepare to take a peace plan to Moscow.

The leaders of Germany and France met Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko in a hastily arranged mission to bring an end to the accelerated fighting in the east of the country.

French president Francois Hollande has said he is taking a new peace initiative to Ukraine alongside German chancellor Angela Merkel.

At least five people have died after heavy shelling in rebel stronghold Donetsk in eastern Ukraine damaged a hospital, six schools and five nursery schools.

THE decision by the EU last week to extend economic sanctions against Russia until the end of September reflects the growing crisis in the region. 

Artillery fire in eastern Ukraine has killed at least eight people and wounded 22 others in the past day, rebels in the separatist stronghold of Donetsk said.

Ukrainian troops battled to repel waves of Russian-backed separatists trying to surround a strategic railway hub in eastern Ukraine, while in an ominous sign for peace efforts, the rebels announced plans to boost the size of their armed forces.