Ukrainians rally to demand Russia free pilot

About 2 000 people have rallied on Independence Square in Kiev to demand that Russia release Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko.

Ukranian protesters hold up a placard reading “Free Nadiya Savchenko” as they stand next to a burned Russian flag in Kiev.

Savchenko was captured in June 2014 while fighting with a Ukrainian volunteer battalion against Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine. 

She is now on trial in Russia, accused of acting as a spotter who called in co-ordinates for a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists and several other civilians.


After Sunday's rally, some of the protesters set off for the Russian Embassy to press their demands.

On Saturday night, the Russian Embassy said it was attacked by men armed with baseball bats, who were wearing camouflage and ski masks and badly damaged three embassy vehicles and threw smoke bombs. Reports said the attack was to protest against Savchenko's trial.

Read more on:    russia  |  ukraine