January 24, 2015

23/01/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Dramatic escalation of the situation in the conflict zone in Donbass

Ситуация в зоне конфликта в Донбассе резко обострилась

01/23/2015 Daily Highlights  by "Digests and Analytics - Ukraine" News Agency

Topics of the day

Dramatic escalation of the situation in the conflict zone in Donbass. The leader of Donetsk “Republic” Zakharchenko turned down any participation in peace negotiations. Russia strengthens its forces on the border with Ukraine.

Key Events In Ukraine

  • President Poroshenko relieved Colonel Kuznetsov from his duties as a chief of special operations center to combat terrorism, and has appointed a new head of the department of staff at the Security Service of Ukraine.
  • The Attorney General Yarema announced that 900 criminal cases involving crimes against Maidan activists are now combined into one case.
  • Oligarch Akhmetov was questioned for 6 hours as a witness in the case on financing the terrorism in Donbass.
  • The share of Norwegian natural gas deliveries to Ukraine exceeded 30%. The price of norwegian gas is $ 340 per 1000 m3, which is lower then what Ukraine pays to "Gazprom".
  • The Fuel and Energy Minister Demchishin accused DTEK that belongs to oligarch Akhmetov in intentional interruptions in delivery of energy during the heating season, non-payments of more than 3 billion UAH into the energy market, and non-disclosure of the cost structure in the production of electricity.
  • The leadership of  "Ukrinterenergo" state enterprize refused to provide the original contract documents to the commision of inquiry on bussiness contracts with Russia.
  • According to the head of state "Oschadbank" Pyshniy, the  bank ended 2014 with a loss of 8.5 billion UAH resulted from the annexation of Crimea.
  • The National Bank slightly lowered the official hryvnia FX rate: 15.79 UAH / USD (+0.02 UAH), 18.35 UAH / EUR (+0,07 UAH), 2.41 UAH / 10 RUR.

War in Ukraine

  • At a meeting with heads of regional state administrations the NSDC Secretary Turchinov stated that terrorists began offensive operations in Donbas. He confirmed the tightening of controls over the access points into the territory controlled by the rebels as a measure to prevent escalation of the terrosit activites.
  • The situation in the conflict zone continues to deteriorate. Heavy battles using tanks, armored vehicles and all kinds of artillery were reported along the "Bahmutka" highway, near Mariupil, in the Donets’k airport, Avdiyivka, Debaltseve, Stanitsa Luhans’ka. The Ukrainian army retreated from the highway connecting Donetsk to Gorlivka. Militants and Russian forces use new weapons, including the most powerful MLRS "Smerch" and reinforced MLRS "Grad" rocket launchers. The Ukrainian army captured a number of Russian soldiers as prisoners.
  • The leader of the terrorist Donetsk "republic" Zakharchenko declared that he will not negotiate a truce with the Ukrainian authorities and will continue the offensive. German Foreign Minister Steinmeier accused him of fomenting war.
  • The railway bridge destroyed earlier by saboteurs in Zaporizhzhya region has been fully restored allowing the resumption of rail traffic to and from Mariupol. The SSU secures bridges with around the clock protection.
  • The Interior Ministry officers arrested the mayor of Debaltseve, who is  involved in separatism and carrying out the "referendum" to establish “Donetsk republic”.
  • The Donetsk confectionery that belongs to AVK Group suspended operations amid the concerns over the safety of its employees.
  • NATO said that Russia continues to supply weapons to the Donetsk region, including weapons that are found exclusively in the arsenal of the Russian army.
  • The Ministry of Social Policy states that the number of internally displaced persons from the war zone has exceeded 920,000 people and this number will increase due to the deterioration of the situation. The UN report indicates the continuous destruction of infrastructure in Donbass, the growth of humanitarian problems, and that more than 1.5 million people were forced to flee their homes as a result of fighting.

Ukraine and the World

  • NATO considers Russia's aggression and international terrorism as major threats to global security.
  • The German Chancellor Merkel indicated that talks in the "Normandy" format are useless and called for immediate meeting of a contact group to resolve the situation in Donbass.
  • The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Mogerini believes that Europe should strengthen political and diplomatic pressure on Russia.
  • Russia refuses to release Ukrainian pilot Savchenko, who is a member of Ukrainian delegation to PACE, and is on hunger strike at the  Moscow prison, demanding the recognition as a prisoner of war and the immediate release. During hearings on Russia the Chairman of the State Duma Naryshkin threatened PACE that Russia would suspend its particiption in the Assembly if Russia is not returned its full membership credentials.
  • Russia is once again blocked the deliveries of coal to the Ukrainian power stations.
  • The Georgian parliament declared that the agreement on strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and Abkhazia, ratified by the Russian State Duma, has no legal force and is an attempt to legitimize the annexation of the territory.
  • The head of the Council of Heads of broadcasting corporations in the US said that the Russian propaganda channel Russia Today (RT) is as much of a threat to US as ISIL and Boko Haram terrorists.

Trends


  • The Ukrainian government changed the procedure and participation in oil sale auctions, and abolished the existing discounts.  These measures will hit business oligarch Kolomoisky who sells fuel through his own network of filling stations.

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