EU TO KEEP RUSSIA SANCTIONS IN PLACE OVER UKRAINE

                           

An EU spokes person said, the EU has decided to keep sanctions on Russia in place, judging that Ukraine's peace deal is not fully effective. Reports says EU ambassadors who met on Tuesday had noted some "encouraging developments" since the 5 September ceasefire was agreed.

But other parts of the peace deal "will need to be properly implemented", said the spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic.
Sanctions target senior Russian officials, as well as Russia's oil industry, defence firms and banks.
Western governments and the Ukrainian authorities in Kiev accuse Russia of supplying the separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine with heavy weapons and soldiers.
Russia denies the allegations. EU and US sanctions have been in place since Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.
At least 3,200 people have died in fighting since April in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and thousands of civilians have fled the conflict.

More heavy shelling was reported on Tuesday in the Donetsk airport area.