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Four days after the shelling of Mariupol by Russia-backed insurgents, Ukrainian MPs finally gathered to vote for something that obviously should have been decided on long ago.

29 people were killed and another 105 suffered various injuries as a result of the shelling of the residential district “Vostochniy” in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, 62% of Ukrainians subject to mobilization received draft papers, and Ukrainian troops defended the Donetsk airport terminal for 242 days.

What’s it like in Crimea now? There are no gunmen roaming the streets, locals are not deprived of utilities, and not all of them are “traitors” despite myths from the “mainland.” But the situation on the peninsula remains difficult.

Andrej Plenković, Head of the European Parliament’s delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee told UNIAN about priorities in cooperation with the Ukrainian government, and challenges for Ukraine in 2015.

For a week all of Ukraine has been anxiously awaiting new reports from the eastern front: the militants’ attacks on the Ukrainian forces are becoming more frequent day by day. UNIAN has asked experts to explain what Putin could be up to

Three stages of mobilization are planned to be held in Ukraine in 2015; about 20,000 people went on a march in Kyiv for solidarity against terrorism and in memory of the civilians killed near Volnovakha, and the country’s foreign exchange reserves decreased to $ 7.5 billion.

Just over a year ago, on January 16, the Verkhovna Rada of the previous convocation, in violation of all regulations - without discussion, by a show of hands – passed a number of bills dubbed as “dictatorship laws.” Some of today’s MPs justifiably call January 16 a “black day.”

On January 12, 2015 Interpol officially placed on the international wanted persons list Ukraine’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in February. But his extradition from Russia is not guaranteed. 

The privatization process in 2014 was neither effective nor advantageous for Ukrainian enterprises, as they say no new, more effective investors. But last year it became perfectly clear that without necessary reforms one should not expect a positive result in the future.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the European Union, Kostyantyn Yeliseev, tells UNIAN when to expect an EU decision to scrap visas for Ukrainians, what prevents the Ukraine-EU Association agreement from going ahead in full, and why the EU should stand firm with Ukraine against Russia.

The summaries of 2014 given by Ukraine’s president and then by its prime minister were no more than moderately optimistic. The coalition in the parliament has still got plenty of problems to deal with, amid ongoing international maneuvers to seek a resolution to the crisis in the Donbas. 

An economic crisis caused by Russian aggression struck Ukraine in 2014. The resulting massive attack on Ukraine’s energy sector is one of the most important elements of Russia’s hybrid war against its neighbor. 

As December draws to a close, Ukraine has been pondering the results of probably the most difficult year in the whole history of its independence. During an almost a three-hour press conference on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also reviewed the passing year. 

Three top events – the Revolution of Dignity, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a de-facto war in the east of Ukraine, fomented by the Kremlin, were of critical importance in the passing year and are presented here in a set of numbers.

Polish citizens want Ukraine to become a member of the European Union and support the country in its fight against Russia, clearly realizing that that there would be no war in eastern Ukraine had there been no external aggressor. However, the Poles stress that Ukraine needs to implement efficient reforms. 

Nadia Savchenko, Ukrainian prisoner No. 1 in Russia, has told UNIAN in her first interview from a Russian prison about the attitude of the prison guards, her appreciation of Ukraine’s support, and also what she would say to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The honeymoon phase in the Ukraine-EU relationship has come to an end, but both sides remain optimistic about future prospects. Russia radiates pragmatism with regard to Ukraine in a specific manner, very typical of the Kremlin. 

Russian media have for the last month been scaring the residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions with a new “bogeyman story”: after suspending social payments on territories outside the Kyiv government’s control, residents of these regions will lose their citizenship.

Alexander Valchyshen, Head of ICU Group analytical department, has told UNIAN about the consequences of the collapse of the Russian ruble for Ukraine, who is putting pressure on the hryvnia exchange rate, and what Ukrainians should expect in 2015. 

The rapidly approaching festive season is a time for lists, and not just ones for Santa. As the year comes to an end, we enter the season of the publication of lists showing economic performance - which may or may not bring us joy.