Pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine

Nearly 500 coal miners in Ukraine's war-torn east were trapped on Jan. 26 after their pit lost power when a shell hit an electricity substation.
      
The accident occurred in rebel-controlled Donetsk city's Zasyadko coal mine -- one of eastern Europe's largest, where the same type of incident briefly trapped 300 miners on January 11.
      

Seven Ukrainian soldiers killed in 24 hours

DONETSK -- Seven Ukrainian soldiers died in the fighting in eastern Ukraine during the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has announced.

24 others have been injured, the AFP agency said.

Serbia "not Russian, not anybody else's puppet" - PM

DAVOS -- Aleksandar Vucic says it is possible to foster friendly relations with Russia and be a member of the EU at the same time, and that Serbia is "nobody's puppet."

BELGRADE, DAVOS - Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has said that it is possible to foster friendly relations with Russia and be a member of the EU at the same time, adding that Serbia is nobody's puppet.

Shelling hit a trolleybus in war-torn east Ukraine's Donetsk on Jan. 22 and killed at least 13 people, an official said, hours after peace talks in Berlin called for a ceasefire.
      

BELGRADE - OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic condemned the use of force in Ukraine, calling on all sides to demonstrate maximum restraint and work towards achieving a sustainable ceasefire, the OSCE stated in a release.

French and German officials on anti-Russian sanctions

PARIS, BERLIN -- French President Francois Hollande has said the Western sanctions imposed on Russia "should be lifted if there is progress in resolving the Ukraine crisis."

A torch-lit march held in Kyiv to honor a controversial anti-Soviet resistance leader shows Ukraine is following in the footsteps of the Nazis, a senior Russian foreign ministry official said Jan. 2.
       

Ukrainian president vows to defeat "cruel-hearted foe"

KIEV -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said during his New Year's message that Ukraine "will win this patriotic war."

Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels were on Dec. 27 set to complete a swap of hundreds of prisoners as part of a new push for peace that came despite Kiev's decision to cut off key transport links to breakaway Crimea.