Trending Ukraine: Nadiya Savchenko extradition expected soon

Discover the latest updates on Ukraine in trending World News as of April 28, 2016.

• Jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko has been given forms to complete for extradition from Russia, one of her lawyers said Thursday (Associated Press).

• U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland said in Kyiv Wednesday that she was encouraged by Ukraine’s commitment to reforms but stressed that steps must be taken to counter corruption (Isabela Cocoli,Voice of America).

• The international community is criticizing Moscow for the decision by the Supreme Court in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, to ban the Mejlis, the executive representative body of the Crimean Tatars, as an “extremist organization.” In rendering its decision Tuesday, the court was following the lead of Russia’s Justice Ministry, which last week suspended the Mejlis for what it called “extremist activities.” (Danila Galperovich, Voice of America).

• At least five people including a pregnant woman were killed and more than 10 injured early Wednesday on the front line in eastern Ukraine in the worst civilian loss of life there in months, separatist officials said (Nataliya Vasilyeva, Associated Press).

• Ukraine thinks it is highly likely to receive its next aid tranche of $1.7 billion from the International Monetary Fund in June but is in a comfortable position to service its existing debt, new Finance Minister Oleksandr Danylyuk said on Thursday (Natalia ZinetsandMatthias Williams, Reuters).

• Ukraine’s reshuffled leadership has up to three months to convince Western backers of its commitment to kick-start a stalled reform drive, the head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said (Alessandra Prentice, Euronews).

Maria Nesheva, EMPR