Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with this item from our news desk:
Obama, G7 Urge Russia To Free Ukrainian Pilot Savchenko
News media are reporting that U.S. President Barack Obama and the world's leading economic powers have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to release jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko.
The U.S. leader in a phone conversation with Putin on March 16 stressed that Moscow must free Savchenko, who has refused to eat because of her detention on murder charges, in order to comply with the Minsk agreement, which requires all sides in the conflict in eastern Ukraine to release unlawfully detained persons, the AP and Interfax news agencies reported.
Kyiv ambassadors from the Group of Seven (G7) economic powers also expressed "serious concerns" about Savchenko's health because of her hunger strike and called on Russia to release her under the Minsk accord, according to a statement posted on the website of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv.
Russian authorities accuse Savchenko, 34, of acting as a spotter who called in coordinates for a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists during the conflict. Prosecutors have asked the court to to sentence her to 23 years in prison for the killings.
Based on reporting by AP and Interfax
This ends our live blogging for March 16. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.
Top prosecutor returns to work despite resignation:
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
Ukraine's top prosecutor, who had reportedly resigned last month amid domestic and international pressure and accusations of stonewalling reforms, has resumed his duties.
The press service for the Prosecutor-General's Office confirmed on March 16 that Viktor Shokin was back at work.
The news came as a parliamentary committee recommended that the question of Shokin's resignation, announced last month, be brought to a full vote by lawmakers.
Shokin's deputy, Vladyslav Kutsenko, however, said there weren't enough votes to accept the resignation.
Shokin's return to work came just a day after a leading U.S. administration official made pointed reference to reforming the Prosecutor-General's Office.
U.S. and European officials have repeatedly called for President Petro Poroshenko to push Shokin out, as part of wider government reforms aimed at cleaning up the country's notorious graft.