LATEST! White House says Obama, in phone call to Putin, reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty, urged the Russian president to seize the opportunity of peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany. - AFP, Reuters
Some additional comments from the hearing today in Moscow of the case of Ukrainian army pilot Nadia Savchenko, whose pretrial detention was extended by the Russian court until mid-May. It has been more than six months since she was allegedly smuggled by pro-Russians from Ukraine to Russia and two months since she began a hunger strike to protest her treatment. She is charged with involvement in a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists in a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.
Savchenko: "I didn't kill Russian journalists, let alone out of some kind of national hatred, especially given the fact that they were actually of Ukrainian origin. I have found out that I have a lot of friends in Russia. It is my first time in Russia and I'm being thrown behind bars immediately. I have never, or have very rarely before, talked directly to people from Russia. Now I'm receiving letters from you. I understand that you are capable of thinking; you definitely have your own opinion; you have a good imagination and you understand and feel what's right and what's wrong. And you don't consider us the enemy -- just as I don't consider you an enemy."
Savchenko lawyer Mark Feigin: "The fact that the court extended the term of detention of Nadia Savchenko by three more months has been caused exclusively by the fact that the political decision in regards to Savchenko has not been taken yet. This decision will be made in the Kremlin, not in the building of the Basmanny court. I would like to specifically note that in the argumentative part of the court decision there is not even an attempt to counter-argue our position that concerns her status as a deputy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe."
Savchenko lawyer Ilya Novikov: "The pace of her weight loss has decreased somewhat since she was transferred to the Matrosskaya Tishina prison. She is being supported in her current state, but it cannot be infinite. Her resources will diminish soon. Sixty days is the survival limit for hunger strikes without medical support. A medical intervention can extend it by no more than 1 1/2 or two months. Her detention has been prolonged by three [months]."
Here's a recent piece on Savchenko's condition and the devastating -- and excruciating -- effects of a hunger strike on the human body.
That concludes our live blogging for Tuesday, February 10. You can follow our continuing coverage of events in Ukraine, Russia, and elsewhere in RFE/RL's broadcast region HERE.
We'll end with our newsroom's latest update, on the telephone call between the U.S. and Russian presidents:
Obama Calls Putin To Urge Peaceful Solution In Ukraine
And here is the White House-provided readout of the phone call:
President Obama today called President Vladimir Putin of Russia to address the escalating violence in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s ongoing support for the separatists there. President Obama reiterated America’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. President Obama underscored the rising human toll of the fighting and underscored the importance of President Putin seizing the opportunity presented by the ongoing discussions between Russia, France, Germany, and Ukraine to reach a peaceful resolution. The President emphasized the importance of reaching and implementing a negotiated settlement underpinned by the commitments in the Minsk agreement. However, if Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by sending troops, weapons, and financing to support the separatists, the costs for Russia will rise.
Kicking off today's live blogging with our newsroom wrap-up ahead of what could be crucial negotiations in Minsk.
Ukraine Summit Expected As Fighting Rages
Ukraine's president just tweeted this, saying, "We demand peace without any conditions. We demand a stop to the firing, withdrawal of foreign troops near the border. They have no business here!"
This greets the residents of Donetsk this morning:
Here's our newsroom report, adding available details:
News reports say at least one person was has been killed when a shell hit a bus station in the center of rebel-controlled Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
Reuters news agency said the body of a man could be seen behind the wheel of a minibus after a shell fell through the roof of the station, burning up the vehicle and another beside it.
Emergency services at the scene said another person had died in hospital following the attack, and two were seriously wounded.
There was no immediate comment from rebel authorities or the Kyiv-controlled regional administration.
Based on reporting by Reuters, BBC, and Interfax