IMF approves $1B loan to Ukraine after yearlong delay

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund has approved a $1 billion loan disbursement for Ukraine, after a yearlong delay amid concerns about corruption and the slow pace of reforms in the war-scarred ex-Soviet nation.

The economy has suffered from a military conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 9,500 lives, sent some 2 million people fleeing their homes and destroyed vital infrastructure.