Russia agrees to allow Ukrainian consul to visit pilot Savchenko – Poroshenko's press service

The head of the Russian presidential administration, Sergei Ivanov, promised to grant the Ukrainian consul access to Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko, who was kidnapped in Luhansk region, brought to Russia and put in custody there.

The issue of illegal detention of Savchenko in prison in Voronezh was raised during a telephone conversation between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin with foreign ministers of Germany, and France, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Laurent Fabius, as well as head of the Russian presidential administration Sergei Ivanov, the press service of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reported.

"Among other things, the issue of unlawful detention of Ukrainian Pilot Nadia Savchenko in prison in Voronezh and the unjustified refusal to allow the Ukrainian consul to visit her was raised. The head of Russian presidential administration promised to investigate this matter and provide the access to Savchenko for the consul," the statement reads.

Savchenko, 31, fought in eastern Ukraine in the ranks of the Aidar volunteer battalion and in June was taken prisoner by militia forces near the town of Schastia in Luhansk region.

She resurfaced on July 8 - reports said she was currently in a detention center in Voronezh.

The Russian Investigative Committee claims that she crossed the border into Russia without any identification papers and masquerading as a Ukrainian refugee, and that officials who stopped her in a Russian village for an identity inspection identified her as a suspect in the killing of Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, reporters for Russian radio and television company VGTRK.

The Voronezh Regional Court ordered her to remain in custody until August 30.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko vowed to do whatever possible to secure the repatriation of Savchenko to Ukraine.