Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Maryana Betsa has stated about another evidence of absence of justice in Russia and neglecting of the international law when taking such kind of decisions regarding Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko.

"Another evidence of the absence of justice in Russia and full neglecting of international law by the Russian side," the spokesman commented on Twitter the Rostov Region Court's decision to remain Savchenko under guard.

Savchenko's mother and sister were present at the courtroom. Savchenko, who is being held at a remand center in Novocherkassk, attended the court session via video link.

The defendant's lawyer Ilya Novikov said that Savchenko, as Ukraine's delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, enjoys international immunity from criminal prosecution and cannot be held in custody.

Savchenko's defense team also shared its concern over the woman's health during the New Year holidays.

Novikov told reporters that Savchenko was feeling buoyant after a week-long hunger strike, but the lawyers are concerned that they will not be able to visit her over the New Year holidays. Savchenko is drinking water during this hunger strike.

On Friday, the Rostov Region Court in southern Russia has rejected an appeal filed by the defense team of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko and has upheld the Donetsk City Court's decision to extend Savchenko's custodial term until April 16, 2016, an Interfax correspondent reported from the courtroom on Friday.

On December 17, the Donetsk City Court in the Rostov region extended Savchenko's custodial term until April 16, 2016. On the same day, the woman's defense team filed an appeal against this decision with the Rostov Region Court.

According to Russian investigators, Ukrainian Armed Forces officer Savchenko was at the base of the Aidar battalion near the village of Metallist in the Slovyanoserbsk district of Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine on June 17, where she was conducting secret surveillance and correcting artillery fire targeting a checkpoint of militants from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), as well as civilians sheltering there, among them were three journalists of Russia's VGTRK broadcaster.

Two Russian reporters - Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin - were killed in the attack. Savchenko denies all charges.

Savchenko has been held in Russian custody since July 2014 over her suspected role in the murder of Kornelyuk and Voloshin in the south-east of Ukraine