Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Friday 20 May [Ukrainian sources]

FRIDAY

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NEWS:

The US has approved an increase in its military budget, in order to help support Europe with Russia's aggression.

Putin supported terrorists still firing at ATO positions.

Putin made admissions of what his crews are up to in the information sphere.

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Vladimir Putin to Russian media: "I imagine how difficult it is to do that – to work constantly and cook up these information blinis on the stove.” (May 19, 2016)

Last Friday, Vladimir Putin not only made an amazing admission of what he and his regime have been doing in the information sphere but also introduced an aphorism that is likely to survive him just as Viktor Chernomyrdin’s phrase “we wanted better but it turned out just like always” has outlived him, Izrail Zaidman says.

In his message on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the All-Russian State Television Company, the Moscow commentator notes, Putin praised its staff for breaking “the information monopoly” that he said “certain of our opponents” have had in the world’s media................

To read further go to this link: euromaidanpress.com 

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a new $602 billion defense policy bill that backs increased spending for bolstered military deployments in Europe.

The bill, which was approved by a vote of 277-147 on May 18, also highlights persistent concerns about Russian surveillance flights over the United States.

The House bill still must be reconciled with a Senate version before going to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Much of the wrangling over the House version of the bill centered on Democratic lawmakers’ efforts to rein in the war powers that Obama has used to wage battle against militants from the so-called Islamic State, and efforts to close the U.S. military's detention center at Guantanamo, Cuba.

But the bill also takes aim at Russian actions in Europe, backing a quadrupling in spending requested by the Defense Department to help calm nervous NATO allies in Eastern Europe.

The bill also reflects nervousness among some policymakers and legislators about surveillance flights that Russia has requested to make over the United States under a 2002 treaty................

To read further go to this link:  rferl.org

The combined Russian-separatist forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in eastern Ukraine 15 times in the past 24 hours, using heavy weapons, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO).

The industrial area on the southern outskirts of the town of Avdiyivka remains the hottest spot on the map of Donbas hostilities. The militants repeatedly fired small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, 82mm and 120mm mortars on the Ukrainian fortified positions there, the headquarters said..............

unian.info

Russian forces have built a military camp inside the Unesco World Heritage site of Palmyra, provoking protests from archaeologists, according to The Times.

The American Schools of Oriental Research published satellite images showing the construction of a military base at the edge of the ancient site. It appeared to include a helicopter pad, two roads and accommodation blocks, The Times wrote..........

unian.info

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that bill No. 4543 was backed by 248 lawmakers on Thursday.

Now the 2016 national envisages that from December 1, 2016 subsistence wage per person will be UAH 1,544 (from May 1 it is UAH 1,399). Earlier it was planned to increase to UAH 1,496.

Minimum living wage from December 1, 2016 will be UAH 1,600, while it was planned to increase it to UAH 1,550 (from May 1, 2016 minimum living wage is UAH 1,450)........

interfax.com.ua

82mm mortars were fired in the area of Avdiyivka in the Donetsk region, infantry fighting vehicle weapons were fired in the area of Krasnohorivka, the press center said. A sniper was shooting at the Ukrainian army units near the Novotroitske town in the Volnovakha district, the adversary fired hand anti-tank grenade launchers near the Berezove populated locality in the Maryinka district, the bulletin said.

Ukrainian military positions happened to be under grenade launcher fire near the Triokhizbenka populated locality in the Luhansk region, it said.

An adversary's unmanned aerial vehicle, which was on a reconnaissance mission, was also detected in the area of Novotroitske, the Ukrainian headquarters said..............

interfax.com.ua

"We have the agreed memorandum. It will be published after signing," he said in Kyiv on Thursday.

The minister confirmed that the pension reform is pivotal of the agreements with the IMF. He did not provide information whether the memo implies the increase of the pension age.

Danyliuk said that the IMF's decision to provide a new tranche to Ukraine is expected in late June or early July........

interfax.com.ua

A Russian court on Thursday convicted a radical artist with a penchant for self-mutilation on vandalism charges for a 2014 performance celebrating the mass street protests in Ukraine that helped topple pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovich.

Officials said the artist, Pyotr Pavlensky, will not serve prison time for the 16-month sentence announced Thursday because the statute of limitations had expired in the case.

But he remained in custody and faces charges in a separate case involving fire being set to the doors of the Moscow headquarters of the Federal Security Service, Russia’s main successor to the Soviet KGB, in November.

The 2014 case involved Pavlensky and several other performance artists building a barricade with tires, scrap metal and wood on a bridge in St. Petersburg. They hoisted Ukrainian flags and set the barricade afire to support the pro-Western protesters on Maidan square in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, who burned tires to create a smokescreen against snipers in February 2014. Yanukovich left Kiev late that month and went to Russia.......................

To read further go to this link:  latimes.com

A Ukrainian volunteer fighter from Makiyivka who is on Ukraine’s list for exchange has been ‘sentenced’ to 30 years in the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ [DNR]. The Kremlin-backed militants have ‘convicted’ Yevhen Chudnetsov of “an attempt to violently seize power on the republic’s territory”. This comes around 14 months after Chudnetsov was captured and tortured into ‘confessing’ for Russian television.

The official agency DAN states that the DNR ‘Supreme Court’ has sentenced Chudnetsov who is described as a fighter from the Azov Battalion, and reports this as a fresh announcement just received from the so-called court. Chudnetsov is alleged to have aimed at violently seizing power and changing by force the “constitutional order of the Donetsk people’s republic”. He is supposed to have taken direct part in battles with the militants in the Novoyazovsk district and in suburbs of Mariupol.

Since the same ’30-year sentence’, together with threats of applying the ‘death penalty’, were reported a few months ago, it is possible that this ‘sentence’ has been dredged up now to heighten the stakes in negotiations over an exchange or over the Minsk accords in general.

In February the so-called DNR ‘ombudsperson’ Darya Morozova spoke of Chudnetsov in an interview for Novaya Gazeta where she claimed that the DNR was not holding anybody illegally. All those in custody, she asserted, were “under investigation” for suspected ‘crimes’.

Such ‘suspects’ include the renowned religious specialist Ihor Kozlovsky, who was taken prisoner by DNR militants on January 26, and remains in custody....................

To read further go to this link: khpg.org 

Since the beginning of May the Russian troops in Donbas carried rotation



Exploration Defense Ministry said the death of one and injured seven Russian soldiers in the area ATO 18-19 May.

This is stated in the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Defense.

It is claimed that on May 18 as a result of undermining your own minefield in the area Debaltsevo killed one and wounded four military reconnaissance company 7 separate motorized rifle brigade (Debaltseve), who tried to exit the rear of the ATO forces as part of DRG.

19 May 3 wounded Russian soldiers.

Defence also reported that on May 1, Russian troops in Donbas carried rotation.

"Replacement of much of the Armed Forces officers who arrived at the temporarily occupied territories of Eastern Ukraine in January-March 2015," - said in a statement.

The department claimed that in the period from January 2015 to the occupied part of Donbas led officers from different units and formations of the Armed Forces. Specifically, this compound from Chechnya, North Ossetia, Volgograd, Karachay-Cherkessia, Dagestan, Stavropol, Armenia, Georgia, Baltic, Vladivostok and inyh.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

The detainee was a native of Asia

Security Service detained the terrorist international terrorist organization "Al Qaeda" in Kiev.

This at a briefing on Friday reported a spokesman for the SBU Elena Hitlyanska.



According to her, comes from one of the Asian countries tried to do himself in Ukraine passport and go to one of the European countries.

The court arrested the foreigner for 40 days before receipt of the request for his extradition.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

In triumph Ukrainian singer Russians see all sorts of "conspiracy theory" and the call to boycott "Eurovision" -2017 in Ukraine. This write all the leading British publication.

Defeat Sergey Lazarev Russian politicians caught. For example, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Culture and former actress Helen Drapeko believes that the results of "Eurovision" was "politically motivated" and the result of the propaganda war being waged against Russia. It is journalists write The Times.

Also, the article stresses that the Russians very frustrating fact of the victory of ethnic Crimean Tartar. And the fact that Jamal made ​​a song dedicated to his people deportation from Crimea in 1944. The publication notes that from his homeland singer went from the beginning of the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The publication The Daily Telegraph notes that Russia considers Ukraine's victory unlawful see all sorts of "conspiracy theory" and the need to boycott the contest to be held in 2017 year in Ukraine.

but the resource The Daily Mail calls the past "Eurovision" the most politicized "and Jamala song" controversial."

Ambiguous analysis gave an authoritative edition of The Guardian. "Ukraine has won, but the popular vote suggests that the idea of Russia more ambiguous than many believe," - journalists write. Once Jamal presented the song as the Russians began shouting about the "foul play" and that competition is "anti-Russian" character. The Guardian also focuses on the fact that in general Russia has far more votes in the "popular" vote than members of the national jury.

Recall in Stockholm on May 15 ended the final contest "Eurovision", which won first place in Ukraine. Ethnic Crimean Tatar Jamal has won song of the deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

Klimkin called "a blow to the reputation of the EU" can be transfer to Ukraine visa

Chairman of the Foreign Ministry reminded Europe that Ukraine has fulfilled all conditions for visa-free travel

Talks about a possible transfer of visa-free regime for Ukraine or introducing additional conditions are nonsense, because it contradicts the principles of the EU.

This was stated by Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.

"All this talk about a possible transfer of entry into force of visa-free travel or the appearance of individual stories - I think that all this is nonsense. So what are the principles of the EU.

According to them, the country has fulfilled all the conditions must obtain their preferences. Failure to do so will be a violation of the principles of the EU and a blow to its reputation, "- said the Minister.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

Prime Minister assured that the market price of gas will destroy corruption schemes and dostyahty energy independence of Ukraine.

In the morning session of the Verkhovna Rada again raised the issue of gas prices, why the price is higher than the cost of Ukrainian gas production fourfold?

"This question is not easy. The government adopted the market price of gas, and it will ensure the transparency of its formation. The only gas price is formed on exchange rates in the West, and it prevents the implementation corruption schemes, "- said Groisman.

Also the head of the Cabinet believes that the introduction of market prices for gas will increase its own gas production and achieve energy independence.

According to him the price of gas has always been high. But the difference compensated for all the inhabitants of the state budget as a wealthy and prosperous. Groisman also said that citizens will not pay big money for gas because the state through transparent mechanisms subsidy will compensate the poor.

Recall that on May 1 in Ukraine operates only for households and industrial gas prices. Cabinet has set it at 6879 USD per thousand cubic meters of gas.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

Local fighters are not satisfied practices implemented by the Russian command on several sections of the front.

The "DNR" noted growing discontent of the "personnel" used in military clashes and armed provocations against the Ukrainian troops as "cannon fodder."

This was on his page on Facebook wrote coordinator of "Informational resistance," MP Dmitry Timchuk.

"Just a few units" first army corps DNR "noted growing discontent of the" personnel "from among local militias, which are used in combat clashes and armed provocations against the Ukrainian troops. Local fighters are not satisfied with the practices implemented by the Russian command on several sections of the front - namely, the construction of military orders Russian-terrorist forces as a "puff pie": directly to the front lines pushing and keep fighting units manned by local militants with low combat training mercenaries and those who "make a slip" (in fact - "cannon fodder"), the second line - Russian instructors trained and led by the same local militants with a fairly high level of training and Russian mercenaries trained in Russia third line - units of the Armed Forces, "- said Timchuk.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

Justice minister Pavlo Petrenko has proposed to Rada to dismiss 800 judges appointed by ex-Pres Yanukovych. Their 5-year term in office has expired, Petrenko said, UNN reports May 20.

 “I’m offering a very quick solution to show Ukrainians that a new generation of judges may come. 

Since the term in office of these 800 judges has expired they have no right to perform justice.

It will take Rada 15 min. to dismiss them and announce a competition to replace them,” the minister said.

This will lay a foundation of a new judicial system, he said.

The 800 judges belong to the lowest rayon (district) level judiciary.

zik.ua

Three Ukrainian servicemen were injured in the course of the anti-terrorist operation May 19. One soldier was also killed and four others were injured as a result of mishandling of explosive ordnance.

Presidential Administration speaker on ATO issues Andrii Lysenko told a press briefing today, Censor.NET informs.

"No servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed in action over the past day. Three soldiers received injuries. However, one soldier was killed and four were wounded as a result of reckless handling of explosive ordnance. The incident took place in the Kostiantynivka district of the Donetsk region," he said.

ua.censor.net.ua   In Ukrainian/український

Concorde analyst Zenon Zawada: “When Nuland is referring to the elections being in conformity with the Minsk accords, she is referring to a whole list of conditions, the main ones being the disarmament of native fighters, the removal of Russian military personnel and returning control of the border to the Ukrainian government. The same day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said another precondition for elections is the release and exchange of all hostages and illegally detained individuals.

“So far, the prospects of these conditions being fulfilled are not promising, or less than 50 percent. Getting the Russians to surrender control of the border and release all hostages would be difficult enough, yet there are also complications related to the Kremlin getting the Donbas terrorists to adhere to all its commands. The terrorists have demonstrated a willingness to thwart Moscow’s will, which can be dangerous.

“What’s also revealing about Nuland’s comments is widening rift between the European Union and the U.S. in their positions on resolving the war in Donbas. The Americans are far more willing to keep sanctions in place and place stringent demands on the Russians than the Europeans are willing to do. U.S. diplomacy must consider that it will gradually lose the support of the Europeans in pressuring Russia the longer this conflict drags on. Although the conventional wisdom in the West has been that the Russians are eager to remove the sanctions, their actions continue to reveal a firm commitment to resist Western pressure.”..............

ukrainebusiness.com.ua

Europeans would rather sacrifice parts of Ukraine for their own selfish greed. Same scenario as in the past enacted by Chamberlain. They'd rather continue to have a battered Ukraine as a buffer, than protect it from further aggression. If Putin's allowed to have ANY part of Ukraine, where will he stop? Then it'll go back to how this all started again with perhaps Poland, Latvia or Lithuania to be next. Then whom after that?

European leaders are no better than Putin is, in my opinion. They're all selfish crooks. And Europeans just sit back and allow it to happen. That is why I believe Ukraine shouldn't even consider being an EU member. All it would have a chance to do is continue kissing the EU's ass as the rest of their members do. Ukraine can become a very strong and prosperous country to where they can tell the EU where to go, if their demands and numbers aren't met, when having to do with products and produce Ukraine can offer them. Let Europe pay for what they want from Ukraine, not have Ukraine pay for its independence from the Kremlin.

Admin wrote:Prime Minister assured that the market price of gas will destroy corruption schemes and dostyahty energy independence of Ukraine.

In the morning session of the Verkhovna Rada again raised the issue of gas prices, why the price is higher than the cost of Ukrainian gas production fourfold?

"This question is not easy. The government adopted the market price of gas, and it will ensure the transparency of its formation. The only gas price is formed on exchange rates in the West, and it prevents the implementation corruption schemes, "- said Groisman.

Also the head of the Cabinet believes that the introduction of market prices for gas will increase its own gas production and achieve energy independence.

According to him the price of gas has always been high. But the difference compensated for all the inhabitants of the state budget as a wealthy and prosperous. Groisman also said that citizens will not pay big money for gas because the state through transparent mechanisms subsidy will compensate the poor.

Recall that on May 1 in Ukraine operates only for households and industrial gas prices. Cabinet has set it at
6879 USD per thousand cubic meters of gas.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

Please check your posts after you commit them!

6879 USD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



It's UAH 6879 which is around $ 274.

Do these cretins really believe gas should be sold to the population and industry at COST price? How will wages, taxes, repairs, renovations and investment be paid for unless Tymoshenko, Akhmetov and so on wish to donate their ill-gotten fortunes to the State and Naftogaz.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has arrested a member of the Kherson prosecutor's office on suspicion of receiving $25,000 in bribe.

Censor.NET reports citing the NABU press service.

"Following a number of raids conducted in Kherson, NABU detectives apprehended a member of local prosecutor's office who extorted $30,000 and received $25,000 in bribe for facilitating the dismissal of a criminal case by the relevant bodies of inquiry," the statement reads.

The abovementioned prosecutor was arrested on suspicion of committing a crime under Part 3 of the Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of office). The issue to impose a pretrial detention against the detainee is currently being considered. The funds were seized and attached to the case files.

The prosecutor faces a prison sentence from three to eight years with confiscation of property

censor.net.ua   In Ukrainian/український