August 09, 2014

08/08/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

In response to the strong Russian military convoy with a "humanitarian mission", ostensibly agreed with the Red Cross, approached border of Ukraine, Ministry of Foreign affairs of Ukraine stressed that any attempt to interfere into Ukrainian internal affairs under the pretext of "peacekeeping forces" to "defend the humanitarian mission" will be treated by Ukraine as aggression
Ukraine
  • In response to the strong Russian military convoy with a «humanitarian mission», ostensibly agreed with the Red Cross, approached border of Ukraine, Ministry of Foreign affairs of Ukraine stressed that any attempt to interfere into Ukrainian internal affairs under the pretext of «peacekeeping forces» to «defend the humanitarian mission» will be treated by Ukraine as aggression. The country is fully capable to manage any humanitarian issues with the assistance of western partners and the Red Cross. US representative stressed at the UN Security Council meeting that unilateral entry of Russian «peacekeepers» to Ukraine will be treated by the US as invasion with all forthcoming consequences. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UK called Russia to abstain from  «humanitarian intervention» to Ukraine.
  • As reported by the Minister of Justice Petrenko, Ukraine is supposed to submit the legal suit on Russia to the International UN court in accusation for financing and support of terrorism in eastern Ukraine.
  • President Poroshenko approved extension of the age limit for overall population of citizens subject to call-up for military services up to 60 years and for higher ranked officers up to 65 years.
  • Ukrainian Government prepared the list for sectoral sanctions against Russia, including 65 enterprises and 172 citizens of Russia. Sanctions should be enacted by the law that Verkhovna Rada aims to adopt on August 12. Possible measures could include termination of the gas transit and no-fly zone for Russian aviation over the territory of Ukraine.

August 02, 2014

UKRAINE: JULY, 2014 Monthly Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Pro-Russian terrorists shot down over the Donbas of Malaysian Airlines' plane with 298 passengers on board

Politics


  • President Poroshenko appealed to the international community, asking to recognize DPR and LPR as international terrorist organizations.
  • US, Canada and EU imposed sectoral sanctions against largest Russian companies and banks, as well as against those from terrorist organizations and Crimea, and also to the inner circle of Russian President Putin.
  • Archbishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Vladimir passed away. Archbishop of Moscow didn’t attend the funeral "to avoid provocations"
  • Parliamentary groups «Udar» and «Svoboda» left the parliamentary coalition, allowing president Poroshenko appoint parliamentary re-elections.
  • Ukrainian Parliament adopted majority of bills, proposed by Ukrainian government,

July 31, 2014

30/07/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that Russia will submit to UN Security Council a resolution, proposing to put Russian peacekeeping forces  to protect the perimeter of the crash of Malaysian jetcraft
Ukraine
  • Mayor of Stakhanov town, Borisov, who had been actively cooperated with terrorists and organized a "referendum" on secession from Ukraine, was arrested for two months period of the investigation.
  • Official exchange rate of Ukrainian Hryvnia, as established by the National Bank of Ukraine is as fooolows: 12.00 UAH / 1$ (+2 cop), 16.11 UAH / 1€ (+1 cop), 3.36 UAH / 10 RUR (-3 cop).
  • Ukrainian government has abandoned plans of sharp increase of rent for natural resources use, including oil and gas.
  • List of objects to be privatized, have been strongly expanded by the Government of Arseniy Yatsenuk, including recreation, tourism, construction and mining enterprises. As claimed by Prime Minister planned privatization will be the largest in recent years.

Kyiv
  • Almost a one third of all rented apartments in Kiev are being occupied by settlers from Crimea and eastern Ukraine that led to cost of rent increase.

War in Ukraine
  • Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Groisman, announced on a briefing that Ukraine will not attempt to advance to the crash site of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 but, on the contrary, will seek the accession of international experts through coordination group meeting with the participation of the OSCE and the Russian ambassador in Minsk.
  • During the day, Ukrainian Armed Forces were fighting throughout Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ilovajsk have been taken under control, counterattack on Avdiyivka successfully repulsed, military actions are ongoing in Pervomaysk. Terrorists stronghold have beed destroyed by air strike in Makyivka. Demining of liberated cities is ongoing. Donetsk, Luhansk and Gorlivka are under continuous erratic artillery shelling to create a "picture" for Russian TV channels. 19 civilians dead and 31 injured  in the Donetsk region. Rail links to mainland Ukraine being completely absent due to destruction of railways, electricity lines and bridges by terrorists. Shelling of Ukrainian army positions are ongoing from the Russian territory.
  • Ukrainian military have been ordered not to respond to provocations. 7 tanks broke through Ukrainian border from Russian territory.
  • Casualties of Ukrainian armed forces since the beginning of antiterrorist operation reached 363 killed and 1 434 wounded.
International

  • Council of Europe approved the list of sanctions against Russia and DPR and LPR terrorist organizations, including officials close to President Putin, military corporation "Almaz-Antey" Company "Dobrolet" and the Russian National Commercial Bank. In addition, EU banned the financing of several sectors of the economy and imports of goods and services from the Crimea.
  • According to NATO data, announced by commander of NATO forces in Europe Breedlove, number of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine has risen to 12,000 people and continues to grow, intensifying military training, exercises, under war-like conditions as.
  • Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said in Dushanbe that Russia will submit to UN Security Council a resolution, proposing to put Russian peacekeeping forces "as the only means to protect the perimeter of the crash of the Malaysian Airlines MH17 flight". In response, Speaker of the National Security & Defense Council Lysenko stressed that Lavrov doesn’t fully capture the situation in the region, as Ukrainian military don’t conduct any combat operations in the area in accordance with the presidential decree and on the contrary, terrorists mined approaches and established powerful artillery strongholds.
  • Moscow stock exchange didn’t respond to the sanctions imposed by EU, Canada and USA.

July 30, 2014

29/07/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Ukraine
  • President Poroshenko approached the President of Belarus Lukashenko, to organize on July 31 in Minsk a meeting of the contact group on access of international experts to the crash site of MH17 Malaysian Airlines flight and hostages release. The group should above all include  ex-President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, Russia's ambassador to Ukraine Zurabov and OSCE representatives. Lukashenko confirmed his readiness to arrange a meeting.
  • Hotline for relatives of the military, involved in the anti-terrorist operation, have been launched on behalf of President Poroshenko.

July 28, 2014

21-27/07/2014 Weekly Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

21-27/07/2014 Weekly Highlights of Ukraine
War in Ukraine
  • Ukrainian troops captured Shakhtersk city that dissected DPR and LPR terrorist groups and interrupted weapons and mercenaries supply chain to Donetsk.  Antiterrorist coalition forces liberated Rubezhne, Soledar, Dzerzhinsk, Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, as well as started operation to clean Debalcevo, Pervomaisk and Torrez from terrorists. Since the beginning of anti-terrorist operations, ⅔ of territory previously controlled by terrorists have been already cleared, according to the information center of the NSDC.
  • Russian troops, in close cooperation with terrorists, shelled Ukrainian positions with artillery and multiple rocket launchers from Russian territory. Russia continue to supply terrorists with military equipment, gear, arms, ammunition and mercenaries, through section of the border in the Luhansk region, not guarded by Ukrainian border guards.
  • Russia continues to concentrate troops on the border of Ukraine, the threat of invasion is still high.
  • Terrorists shelled residential areas of Donbass cities with mortars and multiple rocket launch systems "Grad", dozens of civilians have been killed and injured, numerous houses and public buildings - destroyed. Bandits rob shops, steal cars, announced mobilization of men and curfew in the cities on the territory they control.
  • Terrorists shot down two Ukrainian military SU-25 jets with MANPADS over the combat area. Ukrainian military does not exclude that missiles could be launched from the Russian territory.
  • Results of preliminary analysis of "black boxes" from Malaysian Airlibes Boeing 777 crashed in Tores, confirm that the plane was shot down by a missile. Research of collected evidence is ongoing in the UK. Ukraine transferred the rights to investigate the incident to the Netherlands. Dead bodies of passengers transferred to the Netherlands for identification. DPR terrorists block access of international experts to the crash site and destroying evidence.
Economy
  • Gazprom and Centragas company, belonging to Mr. Firtash, started to liquidate the joint RosUkrEnergo venture, kneaded in a high-profile corruption scandals.
  • Official exchange rate OF Ukrainian Hryvnia slightly weakened during the week. Foreign exchange market practically didn’t react to parliament coalition dissolution and dismissal of the government.
  • Naftogaz estimated the cost of the Ukrainian gas transport system at the level of $ 25-35 billion, depending on the profitability of the transit business.
  • EU imposed additional sanctions against terrorists, persons involved in supporting terrorists in Donbas and number of companies and organizations involved in financing of terrorism and arms supplies.
Politics
  • Parliamentary groups “Udar” and “Freedom” left ruling coalition and thus launched the process of parliament reelection, as announced by speaker Turchinov during Verkhovna Rada meeting. Communist Party fraction have been dissolved by a separate decision.
  • Prime Minister Yatsenyuk resigned, appointing vice-premie minister Groisman as acting PM, due to the refusal of the Verkhovna Rada to vote for government bills to reorganize the gas transportation system and to fundi anti-terrorist operation.
  • President Poroshenko signed a decree on partial mobilization of men of different ages for the rotation of armed forces within the antiterrorism operation zone. Both under and postgraduate students are out of scope of mobilization.
  • Kremenchug mayor Babaev was killed on July 26 by unidentified killer. Lviv mayor's house was fired with grenade launcher the same day.  Police qualifies both cases as terrorist acts.
  • Dozens of mining reports of public buildings and shopping centers received in Kiev and Lviv. The information has not been confirmed, but the situation remains tense.
  • White House spokesman blamed Russia and President Putin personally for the terrorist act that led to the catastrophe of the Malaysian Airlines passenger airliner.
  • National Council on Radio and Television broadcasting in Ukraine has banned four Russian TV channels for dissemination of deliberately false information.
  • Voronezh court upheld the detention of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, kidnapped by LPR terrorists and illegally detained on the territory of Russia.
  • President Poroshenko appealed to the international community to recognize the LPR and DPR as international terrorist organizations.

27/07/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Ukraine

  • Seversky Donets-Donbass channel have been restored, soon water will resupplied again to cities of Donetsk region.
  • Separatists that seized Kharkiv Regional State Administration in April this year, were released from prison on bail made ​​by former deputy Tsarev.
  • Naval parade dedicated to the Ukrainian Navy day, was held in Odessa, warships entered the port of Odessa on the raid.
  • Police dispersed the strike of soldiers' mothers, protesting against authorities violation of promise to withdraw Nikolaev airmobile brigade from encircling on the border in Luhansk region, where Ukrainian soldiers are facing cross fire from both terrorists and Russian army and bear heavy losses.

July 27, 2014

26/07/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Kremenchug Mayor, Oleg Babayev, was killed on Saturday morning.

Ukraine

  • Kremenchug Mayor, Oleg Babayev, was killed on Saturday morning. House of Lviv mayor, Sadovyj, was fired with grenade launcher the same day. Nobody have been hurt. Police launched an investigation on attempts of mayors assassinations.
  • President Poroshenko, during a visit to the training ground of National Guards, reported that Ukrainian army started to apply new and effective methods of warfare, allowing to save the lives of civilians and quickly neutralize terrorists.
  • Recently resigned Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said in an interview at «Schuster-Live" show that without international support Ukrainian gas transportation system will turn into a pile of scrap metal, on the other hand, appropriate support could provide the growth of transit revenues from $ 2 billion to $ 4 billion per year.

July 25, 2014

24/07/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, speaking in Parliament, announced his resignation
Ukraine
  • Fractions “Svoboda”, “Udar” as well as 19 individual deputies, left the ruling coalition in Verkhovna Rada and therefore, the coalition has ceased to exist – this was announced in the Parliament by its speaker Turchynov. If new coalition will not be formed within 30 days, president has the right to dissolve parliament and appoint parliamentary elections in three months, on October 26.
  • Parliament Speaker Turchynov announced the dissolution of the Communist Party fraction, based on Verkhovna Rada regulation amendments, recently signed by the President Poroshenko. 
  • Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, speaking in Parliament, announced his resignation in response to the collapse of the ruling coalition and blocking of government decisions be the parliament, in particular, reforms of gas transportation system and the allocation of additional funds for the army. Deputies speculate that Prime Minister resignation should be approved by Verkhovna Rada. Mr. Groisman could be appointed as an Acting Prime Minister, as leaked on Facebook by Interior Minister Avakov. President Poroshenko requested Speaker to arrange the confidence vote for the government on July 25 and offered Yatsenyuk to continue to work until the election of the new parliament.