'Beams of dignity' light up Kiev as Ukraine remembers Maidan

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has paid tribute to the ''courageous and wonderful citizens'' of Ukraine at a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of fatal clashes in central Kiev's Maidan Square.

A ceremony with lights - called ''beams of dignity'' by the president - was held to remember those who died in violence between police and protesters who wanted closer ties to Europe.

The killings triggered the collapse of Ukraine's pro-Russian government, prompting Moscow to annex Crimea and sparking a separatist war in the east.