The Attorney General's Office filed charges against the former head of the Kiev city administration for the organization of the repressions against Euromaidan activists.
The deputies of the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law to support publishing in Ukrainian language, made amendments to the law on police regarding benefits in the events of death and injury. The next plenary Rada meeting will convey not earlier than in two weeks - on March 3.
President Poroshenko appointed the former Georgian President Saakashvili as a head of the International Advisory Board on reforms.
According to the Minister of Social Policy, arrears of wages in Ukraine increased to 2.5 billion USD because of the war in Donbass and the general economic downturn.
Ukraine has opened access to its gas transportation system installations to European observers.
The Finance Minister Yaresko said that the new IMF lending program removes all the questions about the default status of Ukraine, and that the country successfully fulfills its financial obligations. According to her, the Cabinet will approve changes to the state budget for 2015 on February 14.
According to media reports, the first tranche of the Extended Fund could be worth $4.8 billion.
The Fitch Ratings Agency has downgraded the rating of Ukraine to the SS level, and the sovereign issuer default rating was affirmed at CCC level. The same long-term rating was affirmed for "Naftogaz", whose sole shareholder is the state.
The official rate of hryvnia after a small fortifications continued rapid decline; 25.92 UAH/USD (+0.82 UAH), 29.36 UAH/EUR (+0,96 UAH) 3.92 UAH/10 RUR (+0.12 UAH).
The Russian-terrorist troops are attempting to encircle the Ukrainian Army at the Debaltseve foothold; fierce battles are continuing at the key strategic location Logvinovo on the highway Kharkiv-Rostov. Fierce fighting continues near Mariupol, where the regiment "Azov" pushed the invaders away by several kilometers.
Militants fired artillery and MLRSs at towns and villages located in the rear of the fighting - Artemivs'k, Gornyak and Grodovka, killing several civilians. Shelling of Schast’e, villages Lugansk, Popasna, Dzherzhinska, Avdeevka continues as well. Many civillians have died in Donetsk because of indiscriminate shelling by "mobile" SPGs, mortars and artillery. The city almost lacks drinking water because of the damage to the water mains. Similarly, western districts of Donetsk region experience problems with water supply because of the damage to the waterworks at "Seversky Donets-Donbass" canal.
The OSCE Secretary General Zannier said that the mission observers reported the entry into the Ukrainian territory of large columns with Russian heavy military equipment without markings. They confirm the participation of Russian troops in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but do not see any regular Russian units.
According to the press secretary to the Russian president Peskov, the Russian Federation is not obliged to comply with the Minsk Agreement, because it is not a party to the conflict in Donbass.
The NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said there was documented evidence of the Russian military presence in the eastern Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, more than 10 thousand Russian troops are involved in the fighting in Donbass.
The leaders of the "Big Seven" released a joint statement threatening Russian Federation with additional actions in case of failure in implemetation of the peace plan for Donbas and once again condemned the Russian annexation of Crimea. They also supported the decision by IMF to open additional credit line to Ukraine.
According to the NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, the strict monitoring of any activity is the most important component in the practical implementation of the new Minsk agreements as this was clearly not the case with the previous agreement.
Canada is ready to supply the weapons to Ukraine in case the new Minsk arrangements fail.
The European Court of Human Rights called for an end to the hunger strike by the Ukrainian pilot, the Verkhovna Rada deputy Savchenko, and who is held in prison in Russia, but stopped short of applying any pressure on the Government of the Russian Federation.
The US State Department spokeswoman Psaki said that, according to Minsk Agreement, Savchenko and other prisoners illegally detained during the conflict, should be released immediately.
The Russian President's press secretary Peskov said that the release of Savchenko was not discussed in Minsk, although President Poroshenko argues that this issue was raised at a meeting in Minsk. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation ruled out the possibility of releasing Savchenko.
The EU intends to resume trilateral gas talks with Kiev and Moscow on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine soon. Ukraine and Russia are awaiting the decision of the Stockholm arbitration on counterclaims by "Naftogaz" and "Gazprom" companies. In 2015, the cost of Russian gas to Europe may be reduced by one third - to $ 222 per 1000 m3 - due to the fall in world oil prices, to which the price of gas is linked.
The head of the European Council Tusk believes that the participation in the talks between Ukraine and Russia of the two major European countries - Germany and France - is the best option, since their decisions are coordinated with the EU.
According to the European media, the Presidents of France and Germany helped Putin to freeze the conflict in Ukraine and the Minsk Agreement represents the first step in the partition of the country.
The Polish Prime Minister Kopacz said that the EU approved new sanctions against Russia and prepares a scenario taking into account possible negative developments, as the Minsk Agreement is too "fragile". The German Chancellor Merkel said that the sanctions, which will come into force on February 16, represent a response to the firing at Mariupol by pro-Russian terrorists.
Russia is preparing to potential shut down of the SWIFT system of international payments on its territory. The central bank has connected about 100 largest banks into the domestic interbank transfer system.
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