Ukraine News. Wednesday 11 April. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY HEADLINES:
Ukraine’s foreign minister welcomes Trump’s tough tweet on Russia. The United States and Europe are trying to squeeze Russia out of world politics, - Medvedev.  The Armed Forces of Ukraine can break the "A / DNR" terrorists in a few weeks. The issue is reinforced by the Russian Federation.  "Our relations with Russia are worse now than ever, including the Cold War," Trump.  Peskov on a possible meeting of leaders of the "Norman format" without Putin: Let's see if they can affect the fate of the Donbas.  Russia warns against any strikes on Syria, says US missiles to be shot down, launch sites destroyed.  Nuclear disarmament was our historic mistake, the Budapest guarantees are not worth the paper.  The Cabinet sends to the Rada a bill that strengthens punishment for buying votes and falsifying elections.  US, Russia vetoed each other's draft resolutions at UN SC on probe into alleged chemical attack on Syrian Douma.  The Russian-made military aircraft IL-76 crashed in Algeria. The media reports about 200 dead.  On the top news site Reddit found 944 accounts associated with the Russian "troll factory": the most popular detected fake porn movie with Hillary Clinton.  Savchenko's health has deteriorated, she has serious problems with the stomach: she will show her to her doctor tomorrow - her sister. This is a constant arms race - Zuckerberg on confronting Russia's interference in elections.

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Ukraine’s foreign minister welcomed the prospect of the US taking a tougher stance against Russia, which has presided over years of destabilising activities in the eastern European country.

US President Donald Trump’s stern Wednesday warning with a morning tweet mocking Russia’s threat to shoot down US missiles fired at Syria by saying “get ready Russia, because they will be coming” raised eyebrows and worry across the globe.

But the firmer tone was welcomed in Ukraine, which has faced the brunt of Russia’s hybrid warfare might in past years and with daily fighting in far eastern regions smouldering four years after the 2014 Crimea invasion.

Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine’s foreign minister, retweeted Trump’s now notorious tweet which triggered the Russian rouble to dive, adding in Ukrainian:

“As a rule, I do not retweet, but here I could not resist.”

“It is in such a language that we must speak with Russia,” Mr Klimkin added..................

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Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has warned that US sanctions are an attempt to fight Russia "through unfair competition."
As informs Tsensor.NET with reference to "Kommersant" , he said this, speaking in the State Duma with a report on the work of the government in six years.

"Contrary to common sense, both in America and in Europe, our country began to persistently impose the role of the enemy, try and try to squeeze us out of world politics, world relations. There is no doubt that we will cope with this pressure and eventually return all these actions to the benefit of our economy, but we will not forget those who continue this anti-Russian policy, it hurts our country, "Medvedev said.

The Prime Minister of Russia noted that there is no immunity in any healthy economy from the global financial crisis, the collapse of commodity markets, sanctions, the closure of financial and technological markets.

"And ours, with its structural problems, was threatened simply by catastrophe, but we not only survived, we began to develop, as if we were not trying to prevent it from the outside," he emphasized.

Read also on "Tsensor.NET": Euro in the Russian Federation sell for already 80 rubles. For the first time since March 2016

As it was reported, the US Treasury on Friday announced that after consulting with the State Department, the US administration imposed sanctions on seven Russian businessmen, 12 companies, 17 government officials of the Russian Federation, and also against a Russian arms trade and related company the bank.

In this regard, Russian billionaires lost only $ 12 billion in one day , and on April 10, the euro exchange rate in Russia broke the mark of 76 rubles for the first time since May 2016.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Ukraine is now able to defeat the hybrid forces of the Russian Federation, which are based on the Donbass, in a matter of weeks.

About this the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchinov told in an interview with the publication of "Gordon", reports Censor.NET.

"Speaking frankly, the occupation units that are there now, which are two army corps and several battalion-tactical groups subordinated to the 8th Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation, can be broken up by our Armed Forces for several weeks," he said. .

However, according to Turchinov, planning a military operation always requires a real assessment of the enemy.

"Therefore, the key to us is the question: how many additional divisions Putin throws against Ukraine? In fact, in Russia, the war is not with some fake" DNR / LNR ", but with the Russian Federation. It is precisely its armed forces that oppose us both in the east and in the Crimea", - stressed the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

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US President Donald Trump estimated Russia's relations with America as very bad.

He wrote about it on Twitter, reports Censor.NET.

"Our relations with Russia are worse now than ever, including the Cold War period, there are no grounds for it. Russia needs us for the benefit of its own economy, which is very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the race. arms?" - said Trump.



Recall that recently Trump declared a future missile strike on the forces of Assad, despite the threat of the Russian ambassador to Lebanon that every US missile produced in Syria would be down.

On the eve of the day, it became known that a US Navy strike team headed by a nuclear carrier, Harry Truman, will leave Wednesday from the American Norfolk (Virginia) to patrol in the Middle East. The air carrier will be accompanied by a rocket cruiser and four destroyers. At the first stage of the campaign they will join the frigate of the Navy of Germany.

US President Donald Trump will declare Monday that he will announce a decision within 48 hours or apply military force against the Syria authorities in connection with the Duma's alleged chemotaff, on which Washington is responsible for the attack.

Human rights organizations have claimed a new case of the use of poisonous substances in Syria, estimated at least 60 people as a result of chemotacles. In Moscow, they said that there was no chemical attack, and it was about informing.

The day before, Tramp had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Teresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron. They agreed that the international community should respond to a likely chemotac.

However, according to The Times, while Mei did not promise the United States support on this issue, she demanded to provide more evidence that the chemacacity actually took place. In turn, Macron, according to Reuters, reported that the Elysee Palace is considering an option with the task of air strikes on chemical production sites in Syria.

Australia's willingness to support the United States in the event that Washington decides to strike Syria in connection with the alleged chemotac, on Wednesday, April 11, announced by Foreign Minister of the country, Julie Bishop.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that the true "Norman format" means participation in Russia.

As informs Vensor.NET, informs RIA Novosti.

Also, according to him, it is necessary to also look at how the possible meeting of Germany, France and Ukraine may influence the contribution of Donbas.

"Here one can only watch how they can influence and whether they can affect the fate of Donbas," Peskov responded to the question of how the Kremlin views on the possible holding of such negotiations and how they can affect the fate of the Donbas.

Asked whether Russia was abusive, which was not invited to such a summit, Peskov said that it was necessary to wait for this summit first.

"Let's wait for such a summit to happen. Perhaps there are some issues that the countries prefer to discuss in a format of three, but the true" Norman format, "it is known, it means the participation of Russia", - said Peskov.

The "Norman format" for settling the situation in the Donbass includes Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine.

The summit of the leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine, dedicated to the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the Donbass, may take place in May in the city of Aachen in the west of Germany.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down while the launch sites would be targeted, a step that could trigger a major escalation in the Syrian war.

As reported by Censor.NET citing Reuters, in comments broadcast on Tuesday evening, the Russian diplomat said he was referring to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria, targeting any missiles and launchers involved in such an attack. Russia is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful ally.

The United States and its allies are considering whether to hit Syria over a suspected poison gas attack that medical relief organizations say killed dozens of people in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus on Saturday.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then...the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Zasypkin told Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic. He also said a clash "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations".

Russia and the United States blocked attempts by each other in the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.

Syrian activist groups on Saturday said toxic gas inside barrel bombs dropped from helicopters over a rebel-held city in Syria killed dozens of civilians and wounded scores more. Syrian state news said an "official source" denied the allegations.

In the early hours of Monday morning, Syria State TV reported that "several missiles" had been fired at the T4 air base in Homs, in the country's west, adding that it was "likely an attack by the U.S." The Pentagon issued a statement Sunday denying it was conducting air strikes in the region.

On April 9, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said that Moscow had warned the United States of "grave repercussions" if it carries out an attack against Syrian government forces over reports of a deadly chemical weapons attack.

"There was no chemical weapons attack," Nebenzia told the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council that Washington "will respond" to the attack on a rebel-held town in Syria regardless of whether the United Nations Security Council acts or not.

"We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done," Reuters quoted Haley as saying.

"History will record this as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria," she said. "Either way, the United States will respond."

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexander Turchynov believes that Ukraine made a historic mistake by abandoning nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from other nuclear powers, including an aggressor, Russia.

He told about this in an interview with the publication of "Gordon", reports Censor.NET.

"We had the third nuclear capability, we gave it in exchange for the guarantees of our security and territorial integrity that were provided to us by the leading nuclear powers: the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia. At the same time, Russia, to which we handed over our nuclear weapons, occupied part of our territory and begins a war against us in the east, and other guarantors only express their concern,"- he said.

According to Turchinov, this should be a Ukrainian lesson, and in the future they need to hope for themselves only.

"Now, after all these events, we can conclude that many will not like it: nuclear disarmament was our historical mistake. The security guarantees provided to us were not even worthy of the paper on which they were written. Under the conditions of the modern world, everyone has to count on his own strength", - stressed the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has prepared a bill that stipulates strict responsibility for falsifying election results or buying votes of voters.

This was announced by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groisman, informs Censor.NET with reference to the Government portal.

The draft law was developed by the Ministry of the Interior together with public organizations. He makes amendments to some legislative acts, in particular the Criminal Code. The key objective of the bill is to establish a punishment for violating the rights of voters and prevent attempts to violate electoral rights. A study was conducted during the preparation of the bill, which showed that 68% of Ukrainians are not satisfied with the transparency of electoral processes.

According to the prime minister, the bill is submitted to the Verkhovna Rada and can be approved in the near future. According to the head of government, the importance of the initiative is indisputable, since 2019 is the year of presidential and parliamentary elections.

"There should be a clear understanding in Ukraine: those who try to falsify, buy votes, will be responsible", - said Groisman.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The U.S. draft condemned the suspected attack by the Assad regime in Douma, demanded immediate access for humanitarian workers to the region and called for an inquiry.

As reported by Censor.NET citing CNN, Russia Tuesday vetoed a U.S. draft resolution at the UN Security Council that would have established an independent investigation into the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria.

"When the people of Douma, along with the rest of the international community, looked to this council to act, one country stood in the way. History will record that," U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said. "History will record that on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," she added.

In November, Russia blocked the renewal of the independent panel investigating chemical weapons in Syria, and British Ambassador Karen Pierce reminded the council that Tuesday's vote marked Russia's sixth veto related to chemical weapons in Syria.

Seven nations -- including the U.S. -- voted against a Russian resolution that would have set up an investigation overseen by the Security Council.

According to Haley, that draft was designed to give Russia a chance to approve the investigators who were chosen for the task and allow the Security Council to assess the findings of the investigation before any report was released.

A second Russian resolution that only supported the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons fact-finding mission in Syria also failed to pass.

The organization is made up of an international team of investigators but it cannot on its own determine who was responsible for the attack.

While Haley and Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia were seen greeting each other with handshakes and kisses on the cheek prior to the meeting, the mood quickly changed as the diplomats hurled accusations at each other.

Prior to vetoing the U.S. draft, Nebenzia said that by putting the resolution forward for a vote "the delegation of the United States is once again trying to mislead the international community and making yet one more step toward confrontation."

Syrian activist groups on Saturday said toxic gas inside barrel bombs dropped from helicopters over a rebel-held city in Syria killed dozens of civilians and wounded scores more. Syrian state news said an "official source" denied the allegations.

In the early hours of Monday morning, Syria State TV reported that "several missiles" had been fired at the T4 air base in Homs, in the country's west, adding that it was "likely an attack by the U.S." The Pentagon issued a statement Sunday denying it was conducting air strikes in the region.

On April 9, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said that Moscow had warned the United States of "grave repercussions" if it carries out an attack against Syrian government forces over reports of a deadly chemical weapons attack.

"There was no chemical weapons attack," Nebenzia told the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council that Washington "will respond" to the attack on a rebel-held town in Syria regardless of whether the United Nations Security Council acts or not.

"We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done," Reuters quoted Haley as saying.

"History will record this as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria," she said. "Either way, the United States will respond."

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The military transport plane crashed in the province of Bliad, near the airport of Bufarik, about 30 km from the capital of Algeria.

As informs Tsensor.NET with reference to "Kommersant", reports Ash-Sharq al-Ausat.



The plane crashed in a few minutes after take-off.

According to Alg24, Il-76 crashed. According to Al-Sharq al-Ausat, more than 200 people were on board.

The military source of the newspaper reports that nobody survived the disaster. Most of the people on board were servicemen.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Reddit, one of the most popular news sites in the world, found 944 accounts suspected of having links with the Russian Internet Research Agency, also known as the "troll factory".

This was announced by the founder and CEO of the site Steve Huffman, informs Censor.NET.

According to him, the first 145 suspicious profiles were detected and blocked in 2015 before the US president's election. None of the 944 accounts posted reddit ads and did not make a tangible impact on users of the site, particularly in terms of manipulations during the election campaign, added Huffman.

The list of all accounts associated with the "troll factory" is published on Reddit. For some time, they will be available on the site so that users and moderators can check the history of their messages, and then Reddit will delete the accounts and all the content they publish.

Meanwhile, NBC News reports that in the account of the most popular user of the "factory of trolls" on Reddit, with the nickname Rubinjer, fake pornographic video featuring former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was found.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The state of health of the deputy Nadezhda Savchenko, who was arrested by Shevchenkivskyi district court of Kyiv until May 20, 2018, deteriorated.

This was reported to LB.ua by the sister of the People's Deputy Vera Savchenko.



"Today, with our mother, we were in a prison in Nadi, and Nadi's health condition has really deteriorated, she has serious problems with the stomach, I was promised that she will show her to her doctor tomorrow." Because of starvation, she has cramps for the past 21 days. "I promised yesterday, which will show her to doctors, but so far this has not happened," she said.

She also noted that Nadezhda is starving and feeling "bad," and this is her position.

Also Vera said that all this time Hope "drinks only water and does not eat."

However, in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine, Nadezhda's sister, Vira Savchenko, said that Thursday is expected to be hospitalized by a detained non-factional MP, Nadezhda Savchenko, who is in the SBU's SIZO, and that on March 23 declared a hunger strike.

"Now the investigator and lawyers are conducting an action, and from this (hospitalization - Ed.) - tomorrow," said V. Savchenko near the SIZO after a meeting with the arrested sister on Wednesday morning.

Answering the question, is it correct for N.Savchenko to be hospitalized on Thursday, she replied: "Now - 100%."

V. Savchenko also failed to answer the question of which medical institution the hospital was hospitalized for her sister. "The issue is not resolved at the moment and the lawyer will tell you where and when."

According to the relative of a people's deputy, N.Savchenko has problems with the stomach, cramps and periodic vomiting.

Earlier, sister and mother Savchenko arrived at the SIZO to clarify the information about her possible hospitalization: "I was told by the investigator that Nadiya asked for a hospital."

Let's remind, on the morning of March 15, the Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko submitted to the Verkhovna Rada three representations about the removal of immunity, detention and arrest of People's Deputy Nadezhda Savchenko . She is suspected of attempting to organize an "armed coup by terror".

Savchenko himself, commenting on such allegations, said: "I was planning to show the authorities what it could be. I began to create surrealism."

The Standing Committee unanimously voted and recommended the Verkhovna Rada to support the submission of the Prosecutor General.

On March 22, the General Prosecutor's Office published operative audio recordings and video materials on the involvement of Nadezhda Savchenko in organizing and planning a terrorist attack in the Ukrainian parliament.

The same day, the Rada revoked the immunity, as well as gave permission to detain and arrest Nadezhda Savchenko, a deputy.

After such a decision, Nadia Savchenko was detained in the premises of the Verkhovna Rada and taken to the SBU's investigative detention facility.

On March 23, Savchenko declared a hunger strike. On the same day, the court chose her a preventive measure in the form of detention until May 20.

At the same time Savchenko complained to the representatives of the ombudsman on video surveillance in the cell.

Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova exercises personal control over the observance of constitutional rights of Hope Savchenko.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The head of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, on Tuesday spoke at the American Congress against the background of a scandal with the leakage of personal data from social network users through the company's Cambridge Analytica.

According to Vensor.NET, referring to The Guardian, Zuckerberg was invited to Congress to discuss user safety issues that may arise in the future.



An American businessman has stated a constant "arms race" with Russia in the field of online propaganda, adding that now the fight against interference in elections throughout the world is its top priority.

"The most important thing for me now is to make sure that no one will interfere in the various elections around the world in 2018," he said, answering a question from a New Mexico Senator Tom Yudallah.

The Senator also mentioned a photo showing, among other things, the current American president Donald Trump and the candidate for the US presidency of the Green Party in the 2012 elections of Jill Stein against the background of the Confederacy flag. The photo was shown earlier in the hearing as allegedly circulated by Russian agents during the 2016 presidential election. He asked if Zuckerberg could guarantee that such images would never appear on Facebook.

"No, senator, I can not guarantee it, because it is a constant arms race," Zuckerberg answered.

"While people in Russia are sitting, whose job is to try to intervene in elections throughout the world, it will be a continuous confrontation," he added.

Earlier at the hearing Zuckerberg admitted that he most regretted that while managing the company, he was not quick enough to detect and take measures against the disinformation campaign of Russian trolls during the election.

A scandal around Facebook broke out on March 16th. Then the social network blocked the page of Cambridge Analytica, as well as Professor of Psychology at Cambridge University, Alexander Kogan, who through the application "This is your digital life" created by him on the social network platform, which was to form a psychological portrait of the user, passed the data about Facebook users to third parties, including Cambridge Analytica

It is believed that these data could have been used during the US election campaign in 2016 and the referendum on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit).

Earlier on Facebook, it was reported that Cambridge Analytica could receive a total of 87 million social networking users.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український