KIEV, Dec. 15 – Ukraine is collecting facts of violation of human rights in Crimea and Donbas to file a new claim to the European Court of Human Rights, as the two previous claims are at the communications stage, First Deputy Justice Minister Natalia Sevastianova said.

KIEV, Dec. 14 – President Petro Poroshenko instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to review and specify the boundaries of the Chernobyl exclusion zone territory before July 1, 2016.

KIEV, Dec. 15 - Interior Minister Arsen Avakov threw water at the reformist governor and former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, in the latest high-profile spat illustrating growing tensions within Kiev's pro-Western coalition, AFP reported.

KIEV, Dec. 14 – President Petro Poroshenko has announced that Ukrainian domestic passports will be issued as plastic cards as of January 1, 2016.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 14 – A decision on when and in what format the European Council will extend sanctions against Russia will be taken by President of the European Council Donald Tusk and EU member states, said Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC.

KIEV, Dec. 15 – The Ukrainian government has proposed that in 2016 some UAH 3.39 billion be provided in the national budget to finance the space sector, with around 30% of the funds are sent to the special fund to finance defense programs.

KIEV, Dec. 15 – Additional payments to the 2016 national budget in the amount of UAH 18.1 billion will be seen from the increase of the excise duties on tobacco and alcohol, the Cabinet of Ministers has forecast.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 – The US authorities are concerned over the ongoing situation in Ukraine and are looking at ways to assist the country, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Jennifer Psaki said.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 15 - Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk appealed to the European Union for urgent financial aid on Monday, saying the government was doing all it could to fix a shattered economy but needed help, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Dec. 15 - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has held a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, the presidential press service reported.