Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Monday 04 January [Ukrainian sources]

MONDAY

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News -
11 attacks by Russian forces on Ukrainians yesterday.
Update - no Ukrainian military injured yesterday.

Weather -
-20. Cold. Should be a little warmer today, according to the forecast, but I've seen no sign of this.
Maybe tomorrow. Another clear sky.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/04/mh17-dutch-investigators-to-study-citizen-journalist-claims-over-russians-involved-in-crash
....n 2014, Bellingcat reported that a BUK mobile launcher, spotted on July 17 in an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels, came from a military convoy from Russia’s 53rd anti-aircraft brigade – a unit based in Kursk but sent on manoeuvres near the Ukrainian border.
The launcher was later filmed again, but at least one of its missiles was missing.
In an interview with the Dutch TV channel NOS on Sunday, Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins said his organisation had now identified 20 soldiers in this brigade.
This is “probably” the group that either knows who fired or has that individual among its number, Higgins said....
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Guardian article via an agency, obviously not from their Moscow Putin butt-kissing "journalist", Shaun Walker.


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7:44
https://www.charter97.org/ru/news/2016/1/4/185451/
"Fourteen years Poland held difficult reforms - such as we have spent the last 22 months. As a result of these reforms, Poland is not just become a member of the European Union, as one of the most powerful members of the EU and developed economies. This is our way, and we will go this way, "- said Yatsenyuk.
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Agree totally. The problem is -
a) populist politicians like Tymoshenko and Liashko will do all they can to return things to the old ways. They love money more than they love their country.
b) people expect things to be super already - the streets paved with gold. This isn't going to happen. But politicians will sadly promise this, and I expect many naive voters to support them. Hopefully enough progress can be made before the next elections.

7:42
http://kriminal.tv/news/ochen_neprijatnye_novosti_iz_zony_atosi.html
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Report suggesting that 3 Ukrainian soldiers have died during the past few days, contrary to the official reports.
I know that the official reports generally do not include deaths of volunteer batallions.


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07:59
Россия утвердила скидку на газ для Украины, предлагаемая цена - $212 (Fixygen.ua)
http://www.fixygen.ua/news/20160104/rossiya-utverdila.html
===
Story from a couple of days' ago. Looks like 212 is the price they are offering. I would say well above the current market price.
Can Ukraine refuse this, and buy gas from other European countries? It depends on the weather.
Hopefully Europe will be getting another warm spell very shorty. That could help.
But I don't expect the warmth to reach as far across as Ukraine, unfortunately. But it should help.

7:58
http://apostrophe.com.ua/news/society/2016-01-04/bandera-rasskazal-o-borbe-s-rossiyskim-imperializmom-opublikovano-unikalnoe-audio/46159
On the Internet there was a 10-minute interview with the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), Stepan Bandera, in which he spoke about the struggle against Russian imperialism.
===
Personally I think this audio has been around for several years, but, anyway, this is one link I found on youtube.

http://telegraf.com.ua/ukraina/politika/2239481-posol-ukrainyi-pri-oon-budet-dobivatsya-vvedeniya-mirotvortsev-na-donbass.html
..."We have a definite plan of action, and we know what we will do in the first place. Anyway, this is due to the situation in the Donbass. Namely - in the context of the possible deployment of a peacekeeping mission in the east of Ukraine. We know so far that Russia blocked such an initiative. But we will try to find ways to solve this issue ", - he stressed....
===
No doubt Russia will block any attempt to remove its occupying forces from the Donbass, and also block any move that would move the region towards peace.
Putin, like Hitler, loves war.


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http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1426
3 page factsheet at link
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/december/tradoc_154128.pdf
sample
Fewer duties
As of 1 January 2016, the EU and Ukraine no longer apply
import duties on most products exported from the EU to
Ukraine and imported from Ukraine into the EU (99.1% on
the Ukrainian side and 98.1% on the EU side).
This means several million euros of savings for companies,
especially in EU sectors that export most to Ukraine, such
as machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and
manufactured goods.
====
In theory. But in practice I expect there still to be a massive import tax on used cars from Europe.
Ukraine has the most expensive cars in the world. Protectionism.

Ukraine is resolute about quitting the free trade area with Russia, raising duties on all Russian goods, and introducing a trade embargo on the number of products made in the Russian Federation.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk said in "10 minutes with PM" TV show, Censor.NET reports referring to government portal.

The prime minister reminded that Russia, as expected, had introduced a trade embargo against Ukraine and illegally withdrawn from the free trade area in connection with the entry into force of the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

"Our answer is the following. Ukraine quits the free trade area with Russia, raises duties on all Russian goods, and introduces a trade embargo on food products originating from the Russian Federation, as well as car and railway industry goods," Yatseniuk said and added: "These are mirror-imaged restrictions. We did not start this war. But the aggressor will be punished."

The prime minister emphasized that the EU-Ukraine DCFTA - "is precisely the agreement which millions of Ukrainians fought for on Maidan. This is a chance for the Ukrainian economy to become competitive, strong, and exemplary, a kind of economy which would attract investments from the European Union, create new jobs, trade freely with Europe, and allow the Ukrainian business to develop and move forward."

The Free Trade Area agreement, according to Yatseniuk, first of all means duty free sales of Ukrainian goods to Europe and vice versa: "This is a rivalry, which is a challenge for domestic producers. But first of all, it is an opportunity for Ukrainian businesses to become stronger, more competitive and to conquer new markets."

Yatseniuk stressed that Russia "has been doing everything to ensure that Ukraine does not become part of the European area and return to its indigenous European family. The former regime refused to sign the DCFTA. And millions of Ukrainians took to the streets. And we won."

censor.net.ua In Russian

Today, we have a landmark event in one of the biggest corruption scandals in the history of Ukraine - an indictment against the suspects in the "diamond" prosecutors case has been handed down to the Pechersk district court of Kyiv.

Censor.NET Chief Editor Yurii Butusov wrote on his Facebook page.

"Volodymyr Shapakin, former first deputy head at PGO's Main Investigation Department faces accusations under part 5 of article 27 and article 368, while former deputy prosecutor of the Kyiv region Oleksandr Korniiets is charged under part 4 of article 368, part 1 of article 263, part 1 of article 359. Their accomplice, businessman Hybalenko is prosecuted under part 5 of article 27 and article 368. Shapakin was a confidant of Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, while Korniiets functioned as a prosecutor-businessman, covering up the most profitable areas of shadow business in the Kyiv region," the journalist noted.

According to him, Korniiets openly says to investigators he has already been promised an acquittal.

"This case is a barometer of high-ranking corruption in Ukraine. This case is a check of the viability and integrity of the entire system of justice and a matter of honor for PGO's General Inspectorate, for Deputy Prosecutors General Vitalii Kasko and Davit Sakvarelidze. Will they manage to bring the "diamond" prosecutors to light?" Butusov wrote.

censor.net.ua In Russian

Russia is waging war against Ukraine abroad, using its lobbyists in many countries, who, in fact, discredit our country.

This was announced by SBU head adviser Yurii Tandit on air of 112 Ukraine TV channel, Censor.NET reports.

"This war against us is being waged abroad, because a large number of Russia's lobbyists in many countries actually discredit our country. While we are speaking here, compromising documents are being prepared to be further taken in sizable volumes to European institutions with the intention to defamet us. Different materials are disseminated, saying we allegedly humiliate people in the east and fail to enforce the law here. But if you have a closer look at the information channels of Russia and its politicians, you'll see that uneasy conscience betrays itself," Tandit said.

He also notes there is an ongoing "hybrid warfare" in Ukraine.

"We've got a lot of smart people who use their rich experience and skills, assess the situation. Let me remind everyone that there is a full-scale "hybrid warfare" going on in Ukraine. We are playing a role of a testing ground not only for the neighboring country, which is at war against us, but also for others watching and analyzing the situation here. And I should say this war is going on not only near the contact line, in Avdiivka or else, but also in Crimea and within our state, involving politicians and oligarchs or influential financial groups," he noted.

[url=http://censor.net.ua/news/367856/rossiya_s_pomoschyu_svoih_lobbistov_vedet_voyinu_protiv_ukrainy_i_za_rubejom_tandit
]censor.net.ua In Russian[/url]

Russian journalist Sasha Sotnik claims there is no people in Russia, calling Russians a trepid and spiteful mass on Newsader Jan. 3.

The world community should assess the global risks of a nuclear war happening in badly-controlled Russia after Putin’s downfall, he says.

That is why all the details of Russia’s imminent collapse should be addressed. If immediate control over Russia’s military bases, including NPPs and defense ministry plants, is established, the risk of a global catastrophe can be diverted, he says.

That Putin will be dethroned as a result of the people’s uprising is out of the question because there is no people in Russia per se. We cannot view the mass of spiteful, timid and envious individuals as the people. This mass gets united only to rejoice when Putin grabs new territories and kills the subjects of a foreign country.

After rejoicing, the mass demands rewards. This is how the population of future Russia will look like,” Sasha Sotnik says.

zik.ua

A law on the state budget for 2016 has appeared to include a new provision, which postpones for one year the implementation of a new system of financial control required for the introduction of a visa-free travel with the EU, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Corruption Prevention and Counteraction and a member of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP), Viktor Chumak, wrote on Facebook.

To read further go to this link:   unian.info

http://atn.ua/politika/segodnya-nochyu-nad-zemley-proydet-zvezdnyy-dozhd-kvadrantidy
On the night of 4 to 5 January the inhabitants of the planet Earth will be able to observe the star rain - Quadrantids.
According to Naked Science, Quadrantids different lots of faint meteors and average speed. On this night, the meteor shower is expected to peak, which amount to 120 meteors per hour.
"In the Northern Hemisphere Quadrantids best observed around 11 pm local solar time to the dawn of the morning
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I had to leave that online translation - beautiful - "star rain". A meteor shower. ))

19:15
http://zaxid.net/news/showNews.do?vinuvattsya_biyki_pid_chas_matchu_dinamo__chelsi_zasudili_do_dvoh_rokiv_umovno&objectId=1378374
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Because of which Dynamo will have to play their next game v Man City to an empty stadium. Not good.

19:45
http://newsoboz.org/proisshestviya/ukrainskie-partizany-v-donetske-podorvali-dva-kamaza-terroristov-04012016194400
..New Year's Eve using improvised explosive devices we destroyed 2 military "KAMAZ", located in the territory of military units on the street. Iljinska 91 and Artem 112b...

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-gru-chief-dies-suddenly/27467204.html
The Kremlin says the head of Russia's military intelligence agency, which is known as the GRU, has died unexpectedly....
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Found original source here - obviously Russian source - the Kremlin!
http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/51138

I also read a second leading security guy died in the last day or two - General Shushukin (airborne troops).
Maybe Putin clearing some of the senior staff out who know too much about his dirty wars...
Stalin purges, Mark II.
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Maybe this is how they died - it is the New Year...
Выпивший восемь бутылок водки москвич умер в реанимации от токсического шока
Moscow resident died in intensive care from toxic shock - he consumed eight bottles of vodka
http://www.newsru.com/russia/03jan2016/vodka.html
During the inspection of his apartment on Broad Street. 8 empty bottles of vodka were found.
[Russian source]

As part of Christmas charity campaign Ukrainian Catholic University students have invited 600 homeless people to spend the Christmas night together, UCU press service reports Jan. 4.

The joint celebration is a traditional one, organized for the 20th time.

It was initiated by Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Andrej Sheptytsky.

The homeless, among whom were not only Christians but Jews, were given presents and food.

The celebration will be held at four different venues in Lviv.

The UCU obtained the lists of the homeless thanks to Lviv social services running the roster of the homeless people.

The food for the Christmas dinner was donated by other Lviv residents.

zik.ua

Ukraine servicemen in Donbas can use their arms allowed by the Minsk agreements when their and civilian lives are endangered by the enemy, the army press center said Jan. 4

Recently, some media reports carried statements that Ukrainian troops cannot return the enemy fire.

However, the pro-Russian rebels regularly violate the ceasefire agreements, using the weapons banned by the Minsk agreements – tanks, missile systems, and large-caliber mortars.

On the orders from their Russian patrons, they open aimed fire on Ukrtaine army positions, killing and wounding our servicemen.

The army confirms again that Ukraine troops can use the weapons allowed by the Minsk agreements to repulse the enemy attacks.

The army stresses that Ukrainian fire must be aimed at enemy outposts, personnel and equipment that is involved in the attack.

Ukraine troops cannot open fire without ample reasons, the army says.

zik.ua

Expect an all-out war, if the west wants Ukraine to give-up the east, as the west is thinking of requesting autonomy.

Ukraine has refused to pay back the $3 billion that was requested by the Kremlin to do. IMF at one point asked Ukraine to pay in back on a time basis. They're still refusing.

Ukraine has adamantly said that it is part of Ukraine and won't give it up. So if the west does request for them to give it up, they won't. You think the Maidan was a big event, it'll be bigger, if they do give it up. Remember, even the Right Sector was defending eastern Ukrainians which had a good percentage of pro-Russians. That should be an indication not only part of Ukraine won't want to give it up. This might become a major battle which many will die. Does the west want to HAVE to get involved? If they don't, I recommend for them not to even think about it.

Slave Ukraini

“The more adequate policy being conducted by among others the authoritarian regime of Kazakhstan is giving completely different results” both at home and abroad. And it is leading to a radical change in the balance between Russia and her neighbors both economically and politically.

By Paul Goble* for “Window on Eurasia”:

January 3 – One of the arguments those opposed to the collapse of the USSR frequently offered and one that those who believe that these countries must remain in Moscow’s sphere of influence is that they are inevitably going to be dependent on the Russian Federation for energy supplies.

But that argument, often heard in Moscow and still heard in Western countries as well, reflects “stereotypical” thinking which real events on the ground are showing to be without foundation, according to economist Andrey Illarionov (charter97.org/ru/news/2016/1/3/185374/ and svoboda.mobi/a/27453607.html).

The Moscow scholar points out that despite its size, Lithuania decided to pursue “real energy independence from Russia” and “in the course of the last several years, [Vilnius] has achieved this. That means that any other country … is capable of achieving energy independence from Russia.”

Not only will that free these countries of the kind of Russian leverage to which they are subject to at the present time, Illarionov says, but it will mean that Russia as “an energy power” will cease to exist.” Russia will still have oil and gas, but if no one abroad buys it, these resources will remain at home.

That will affect the Russian economy across the board even as it changes Russia’s geopolitical situation. And then perhaps Russia will follow Kazakhstan’s approach, a country in which income from the sale of petroleum constitutes an even larger portion of the state budget than in Russia but which is pursuing a policy of diversifying its national economy.....................

To read further go to this link:   ukrainebusiness.com.ua