Ukraine's military says it shot down a Russian-made drone:
Kyiv, separatists trade accusations of violating a truce:
Ukraine's military and the pro-Russian separatists have accused one another of violating a truce at the airport in rebel-held Donetsk in eastern Ukraine just hours after it was agreed to.
The Ukrainian military said on December 1 that it had agreed with Russian military officials on a temporary cease-fire at the airport in Donetsk.
That cease-fire was due to begin on December 2.
But Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on December 3 the rebels resumed rocket strikes after the truce negotiations.
But officials from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic said Ukrainian forces were guilty of "multiple violations" of the agreement.
Meanwhile, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said fresh talks with Russian, pro-Russian separatist, and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe envoys could begin next week.
Kuchma is Kyiv's representative at the so-called contact group. (AFP and Interfax)
Despite the announcement of a new cease-fire around Donetsk, there have been reports of continued fighting around the airport and the nearby village of Pisky. Here, a mix of Ukrainian government forces, volunteer battalions, and Right Sector nationalists have been fighting artillery duels with Russian-backed separatists. RFE/RL visited the village on November 30. Nearly all of the 2,000 inhabitants have fled, but we found some who have remained amid the ruins. (Levko Stek, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
LATEST: Russian ruble hits new record low before rebounding
The Russian ruble has reached a new record low before recovering slightly amid speculation that the central bank could again intervene in the market to support the currency.
The Russian currency has lost more than 40 percent of its value this year, hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions against Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.
After touching yet another record low on December 3, the value of the ruble eased to trade 1.2 percent higher, at 53.2 rubles to the dollar.
The ruble's decline was compounded by a collapse in the price of oil, a crucial export for the energy-reliant Russian economy.
The Russian central bank revealed on December 3 that it had intervened on December 1 to curb the ruble's devaluation by selling $700 million and buying rubles on the open market.
The currency had fallen by as much as 6 percent at one point on December 1. (AP and Interfax)