MOSCOW, December 9 (RAPSI) - The Donetsk Court of the Rostov Region on Wednesday started questioning of the sister of Ukrainian military ex-pilot Nadezhda Savchenko who stands charged with involvement in the killing Russian journalists as well as civilians in Donbas, RIA Novosti reported.

This week, the defense team began to present evidence in the case. Vera Savchenko had to be questioned on Monday as a defense witness but the hearing was postponed.

Nadezhda Savchenko was arrested in Russia last summer on charges of involvement in the murder of two Russian TV journalists during hostilities in Donbas and on illegally crossing the border into Russia.

TV correspondent Igor Kornelyuk and sound engineer Anton Voloshin were killed on June 17 in a mortar attack.

Savchenko, who denies all the charges, is facing 25 years in prison.

Her attorneys claim that Savchenko was framed and that there is no evidence of involvement in the journalists’ murder. They also claim she did not cross the border voluntarily but was kidnapped.

Earlier, Igor Plotnitsky, the leader of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, testified in the case against Savchenko behind closed doors.