Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Friday 2 December. [Ukrainian sources]

FRIDAY

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NEWS:
Russia deploys combat division at Ukraine’s border. Ukraine Accuses Russian Actor Of Terrorism.  Poroshenko goes to Poland to discuss thorny issues.  Russia Warns Of Planned Cyberattacks On Banks.  New Putin Doctrine Says U.S. Pressure 'Undermining' Global Stability.  Investigative Chief Alleges Ukrainian Lawmaker May Have Spied For Russia.  Border guards seize transporter with classified Antonov documents.

WEATHER:
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Snow much of the time, accumulating an additional 5-10 cm

Russia's main domestic security agency says it is taking measures to foil a plot by unspecified foreign intelligence services to launch "large-scale" cyberattacks from December 5 aimed at disrupting the activities of a number of major Russian banks and at destabilizing the country's financial system.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said on December 2 that the computer servers involved in the planned attacks were located in the Netherlands and were registered to Ukrainian web-hosting company BlazingFast.

A statement said the attacks would be accompanied by a stream of text messages and posts on social networks containing claims of an imminent collapse of Russia's major banks and the financial system's breakdown.

It said the attack would target several dozen Russian cities.

Russia's central bank said it was aware of the threat, adding that it had drawn up a plan to counteract any attack......

rferl.org

Ukraine has launched investigations against Russian actor Ivan Okhlobystin on suspicion of terrorism.

A spokeswoman for Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), Olena Hitlyanska, wrote on Facebook on December 2 that the probe was launched after he obtained a "passport" from Russia-backed separatists in the eastern region of Donetsk.

Russian media reports said on November 30 that Okhlobystin received the passport from separatist leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko.

The reports quoted Okhlobystin as calling the separatist-controlled territory "a fortress of the Russian world" and openly expressing support to the separatists and Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014.......

rferl.org

At the Ukraine-Russia border, border guards detained a Ukrainian national who was trying to smuggle classified documents of Antonov Aviation Co. to Russia. The ministry, however, denied any knowledge of the person.

The transporter had drawings of planes, helicopters and other equipment  manufactured by Antonov, as well as information about the military equipment  made by UkrOboronProm state defense corporation and Motorsich, the border guards say. 

Commenting the accident, Antonov representatives said the detainee was not a member of its staff, saying he works for the defense ministry.

zik.ua

Russian President Vladimir Putin has endorsed a new foreign-policy doctrine accusing the United States and its allies of undermining "global stability" by trying to "contain" Russia.

Putin said that Moscow had the right to "react harshly to unfriendly" moves by Washington.

The doctrine, published by the Russian government on December 1, continues a steady ratcheting up of rhetoric toward the West in official policy documents amid a sharp deterioration in Moscow’s relations with the United States and the European Union in recent years.

Much of the language in the document mirrors that of Putin’s previous foreign-policy doctrine, endorsed in 2013, and of his national security strategy published in December 2015. ​

But the new doctrine raises the stakes when it comes to pressure on Moscow by the United States and its allies, which have targeted Russia with sanctions over its illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and its military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The doctrine states that the dangers of such pressure extend beyond Russia’s borders.

"The policy of the United States and its allies to contain Russia and apply political, economic, informational, and other pressure undermines regional and global stability," the document says.

Russia has long protested against moves by Washington to target Russian officials and citizens with sanctions and extraditions from third countries.

Moscow also accuses the United States of meddling in Russia's internal affairs.

The new doctrine provides more details about how Moscow could respond, saying Russia "does not accept attempts to apply military, political, economic, or other pressure and reserves the right to react harshly to unfriendly actions, including by strengthening national defenses and adopting tit-for-tat or asymmetrical measures."..............

Access complete text of the editorial: rferl.org  In English

The head of investigations in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has charged that Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Onyshchenko may have been spying for Russia.

Hryhoriy Ostafiychuk, head of the SBU's Main Investigative Directorate, told reporters in Kyiv on December 1 that the SBU had obtained evidence that suggests treasonous activities by Onyshchenko.

Ostafiychuk alleged that Onyshchenko obtained a Russian passport from Russian authorities in exchange for assisting Russian secret services to destabilize Ukraine.

Ostafiychuk also said that Onyshchenko had been preparing "a mass information attack" against Ukraine...........

rferl.org

Pres Poroshenko has left for an official visit to Warsaw on the invitation of the Polish president, Andrzei Duda, TCH reports Dec. 2.

The visit is dedicated to Ukraine’s 25th anniversary of independence. Poland was the first to recognize it in 1991.

Both presidents will also discuss strategic partnership of Poland and Ukraine and a thorny issue of the Volyn tragedy in 1943.

This summer, the Polish parliament passed a controversial resolution recognizing the Volyn massacre as genocide of the Polish population by Ukrainian nationalists. Since then, high-level Polish and Ukrainian politicians have partially managed to let the steam off but the issue remains hot at grass-roots. 

It is difficult for Polish leaders to explain to their voters why the country should be on friendly terms with Kyiv where the WWII nationalist leader Stepan Bandera is a hero, where corruption runs high and reforms stalled.

Ukraine, for its part, has a grudge against Warsaw for passing anti-Ukrainian resolutions.

Poroshenko is slated to discuss the relations with Poland with the Polish premier and heads of both chambers of the Polish legislature.

zik.ua

The Russian Defense Ministry says its 150th Motorized Rifle Division deployed in the Rostov region that borders with Ukraine has started carrying out tasks.

Defense Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoygu said at a meeting in Moscow, Censor.NET reports citing UNIAN.

"I wish to point out that the 150th Motorized Rifle Division started protecting southern borders of our state yesterday," Shoygu said.

According to him, the first military camp of this compound was build due to the new construction technologies.

Shoygu also said that the division's infrastructure upgrade would be also considered during the meeting.

ua.censor.net.ua, In Ukrainian / на українській мові

The official "LNR" was among the passengers of a public bus, which was heading from the Zaporozhye region

In the Donetsk region on checkpoint "Marinka" police arrested one of the leaders of the administration of the occupied city of Krasny Luch feykovoyi republic "LNR".
This was reported in the Department of Communication Police Donetsk region.

"Police Donetsk region, Border Service and the Security Service when checking search databases arrested on" Head of the Economic Administration of Krasny Luch". The official "LNR" was among the passengers of a public bus, which was heading from the Zaporozhye region,"- said in a statement.

It was noted that since the terrorist aggression of 55-year-old occupied Krasny Luch, who also held senior positions in the city administration, moved to the side of the terrorists. As a "member of the board" his name appears at the "government" feykovoyi Republic.

Employee "administration" was arrested when he returned from his relatives "on the job" to the "LNR". When checking the documents at his checkpoint data coincided with information from the database search.

Detainees transferred to employees of the SBU Lugansk region.

glavcom.ua, In Ukrainian / на українській мові

In Mariupol direction under fire 152 and 122 millimeter artillery fell Shyrokyne and Berdyansk

Was not easy in all directions along the boundary line. The press center ATO headquarters.
In Lugansk area of ​​militants fired mortars Novoaleksandrovka, floor Kosharna and Crimea. With grenade launchers and heavy machine guns - Lobacheva, Novozvanivku, Raspberry. Novotoshkivske, and beams Kosharna - with 120 millimeter mortars. Also in the village Lugansk gunmen fired from grenade launchers and machine guns. There was shooting a sniper.

In Mariupol direction under fire 152 and 122 millimeter artillery fell Shyrokyne and Berdyansk. With mortars, grenade launchers, weapons and small arms BMP got Shyrokyne, water, Novohryhorivka, Marinka, Novomyhaylivka and Pavlopil. For Bogdanovka and Mar'yintsi led sniper fire.

In Donetsk direction of mortars were fired Novgorod, Avdeevka, Luhansk and Verhnotoretske. With grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms - Luhansk and Kirov. Overall for the day recorded 44 attacks on our positions.

glavcom.ua , In Ukrainian / на українській мові

This information confirmed Trump team

US President-elect Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, reports Reuters.

This information confirmed the team Trump.

"The leaders discussed the serious terrorist threats faced by both countries and agreed on closer cooperation to combat these threats," - said in a statement.

In addition, Trump held talks with Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Lunom with whom he discussed economic and political relations between the countries.

glavcom.ua , In Ukrainian / на українській мові