Eastern Ukraine crisis

The Russian cabinet of ministers will consider Lugansk and Donetsk regions’ request for urgent humanitarian assistance, its press service says. The Russian government has received numerous appeals warning the situation is close to humanitarian catastrophe. The population badly needs food, drinking water, medicines and essential tools, there are no provisions for warming houses, the press service added.

Ukrainian investigators searched offices of three companies broadcasting Russian TV-channels on Friday, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement. The bank accounts of the companies have been arrested, and their digital media have been collected. The investigation is “certain” that “the firms have used the capital received from the sale of advertising time to finance activities of terroristic groups operating on the Ukrainian territory.”

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission said it can’t confirm the alleged use of cluster bombs in eastern Ukraine, reported earlier by Human Rights Watch.

"We have about 90 observers in eastern Ukraine. If we saw something like that, we would have recorded it, but that has not currently been recorded. All we have to say about ammunition or shelling appears in our daily reports. By this time there was nothing in our reports about it," OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw told Deutsche Welle.

READ MORE:Kiev govt used cluster munitions in populated zones in E. Ukraine – HRW

Refugees from eastern Ukraine’s regions of Donetsk and Lugansk are protesting at the country’s government in Kiev, reports the local press. They are demanding authorities give them a place to live, food and clothes. The demonstrators made an installation – a sofa, on which there are words, saying “It is as empty as your promises.”

At least seven people died and 36 were injured in the Donetsk Region during shelling, the Donetsk People’s Republic told RIA Novosti.

“The shelling is very intense, five self-defense forces have been killed, 30 injured,” the deputy head of the self-defense forces, Eduard Basurin, said. “As for civilians, a couple was killed … near Donetsk and six civilians injured,” he added.

According to the Ukraine Council of National Security and Defense, 13 troops have been injured in the last 24 hours in the Donetsk Region.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a preliminary gas price for the winter months, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told Ukrainian TV channels.

"[We] reached an agreement," Poroshenko said. "Until March 31 we will fix the price at $385.” The news comes after a meeting between Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Milan on Friday.

Poroshenko added that Ukraine might need help from international players to pay Russia. "We must solve the question of how we cover the deficit of funds for Naftogaz for gas purchases," Poroshenko said. "We have several different options [including] the International Monetary Fund (IMF)."

The IMF is scheduled to visit Ukraine in mid-November to discuss possible amendments to the Ukrainian loan program, according to Poroshenko.

Earlier, Poroshenko stated that Kiev and Moscow had failed to resolve their gas supplies dispute. Meanwhile, Putin said that only an agreement for winter supplies had been reached, and that details were still being worked out.

A plume of black smoke was seen rising over the Donetsk skyline, Saturday as fighting reportedly resumed in the vicinity of the city's international airport. The facility, located six miles (10 kilometres) from the city centre, is contested by pro-Kiev forces and militants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR/DNR).

2 civilians dead after shelling in #Donetsk They were making bbq when rocket landed. pic.twitter.com/BrFoqILnWW

— Roman Kosarev (@Kosarev_RT) October 18, 2014

The law on the special status of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine - which includes Donetsk and Lugansk – has come into force. It was published in the country’s parliamentary newspaper, Holos Ukrayiny. On September 16, the Ukrainian parliament approved laws on special status for the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions, as well as amnesty for the rebels in the hostilities. The law guarantees the right to use and study Russian, or any other language, in Ukraine. It also states that local elections are to take place in the regions on December 7.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the current low oil prices are “no tragedy” for the Russian budget, stressing that they may soon see an upward correction.

Speaking at a press briefing following talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Milan on Friday, Putin said the current price of US$80 per barrel is not profitable for producers and should rise in the near future.

The Russian state budget is drafted based on the price of $96 per barrel, he added.

Putin also reassured that that there will be no sharp rise in Russia’s budget deficit. He did, however, state that some corrections to the budget may be made, but that welfare spending won't be affected.

“Maybe we’ll have to correct something in the budget. Maybe cut down some items but it surely won’t be connected with cutting social expenditures,” he said. According to the president, Russia is able to make those corrections without any significant losses taking place.