Ukraine News. Saturday 12 May. [Ukrainian sources]

Ukraine's top prosecutor says names of Russian colonels who armed MP Savchenko for terror act known to investigators.  Merkel is worried about the situation in the Donbas: "Every day there are data about human victims".  Materials and weapons seized during a search on Symonenko, sent for examination.  United States will provide Ukraine with an additional $125 million in aid for areas affected by Russian aggression.  American F-22 fighters intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers near Alaska.

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The investigators of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) have identified the Russian military officials who handed over weapons to Ukrainian MP Nadia Savchenko for committing acts of terror.

As reported by Censor.NET citing UNIAN, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yurii Lutsenko says he knows the names of colonels of the Russian armed forces who gave Ukrainian Member of Parliament Nadiia Savchenko weapons for a terrorist attack in downtown Kyiv, which was prevented by the Ukrainian special services.

"The Ukrainian people are now engaged in 'three wars.' The entire world knows about the first war – it's a war with the Russian occupying army and Russian-led forces in the Donbas. We're fighting not only with 40,000 armed separatists and terrorists, not only with thousands of officers of the Russian army that control them, and I say this officially," he said at National University "Ostroh Academy" in Rivne region.

He also gave an example of a terrorist attack plotted by Nadia Savchenko when "we have proved that certain colonels of the armed forces of the Russian Federation gave her weapons for the terrorist attack [due to be committed] in the center of the Ukrainian capital."

"We know these colonels by their names, noms de guerre, their ranks," Lutsenko said.

On March 22, the law enforcers served Savchenko with charge papers and detained her inside the building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the presence of journalists after the parliament stripped her of immunity and sanctioned her detention and arrest. She was remanded in pretrial custody until May 20 in a bail hearing held on March 23 after which the lawmaker went on a hunger strike.

On March 21, the members of the Committee on Rules of Parliamentary Procedure and Support to Work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine unanimously upheld motions to detain, arrest, and bring to criminal responsibility non-affiliated MP Savchenko which were subsequently supported by the parliament's majority.

On March 15, Prosecutor General Yurii Lutsenko requested the Verkhovna Rada to strip MP Savchenko of immunity, detain and arrest her. The lawmaker is suspected of allegedly plotting an armed coup through acts of terrorism.

On March 12, Savchenko was summoned for questioning to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) due to an investigation in criminal proceedings against Volodymyr Ruban.

On March 8, Ruban was detained at a checkpoint in the Donbas with a batch of weapons. He was delivering these weapons from the occupied territory to the government-controlled part of the Donbas.

Ruban is suspected of plotting armed attacks on senior government officials, preparing a terrorist act with the use of weapons and explosives posing a threat to life and limb of people.


ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel is concerned about the tense situation in eastern Ukraine and frequent violations of the ceasefire.

Reported Cenzor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.

"We are concerned about the situation with Ukraine, as part of the Normandy format that brings together Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine, we strive to achieve the implementation of the Minsk accords," she said during her visit to Italy on Saturday.

According to A.Merkel, "there are violations of the ceasefire every night, and data on human sacrifices are received every day."

Earlier, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said that he considers it appropriate to hold a meeting of the "Norman Four" (Germany, France, Ukraine, Russia) at the beginning of next month.


 ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Polygraphic products, as well as weapons seized during a search of the leader of the banned Communist Party of Ukraine Petro Symonenko, were sent for examination, Vasyl Hrytsak, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, said.

Reported Cenzor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.

He reminded that P. Symonenko was questioned by SBU employees. "He has at home and not only at home 24 searches," the head of the SBU said.

"We are currently working with the materials collected during these procedural steps... The investigators appointed an examination of the materials received, primarily printing products, for the presence of signs of a crime envisaged by Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (actions aimed at the forcible change or overthrow of the constitutional system or to the seizure of state power)", - said V. Hrytsak.

According to him, objects like weapons are also sent to the expert examination: Stechkin's automatic gun and 120 assemblies.

"After the examination, seized items during the search may be added to the criminal proceedings, and further procedural actions will be planned with P. Symonenko," the head of the SBU said.

As reported, on May 10, P. Symonenko was questioned at the SBU. According to the spokesman of the SBU Olena Hitylanskaya, P. Symonenko was interrogated as part of the criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Art. 109 (actions aimed at forcible change or overthrow of the constitutional order or the seizure of state power) and Part 1 of Art. 111 (state betrayal) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On May 8, the SBU conducted searches at P. Symonenko, and he removed an object similar to Stechkin's gun. The search took place within the framework of criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Art. 109 and Part 1 of Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. During the search, along with propaganda materials aimed at violent change and the overthrow of the constitutional order or the seizure of state power, objects like the APS with silencer and 120 assemblies to it were removed

Also, SBU officers conducted searches at the Communist Party leaders in Kyiv and Kyiv oblast, during which campaign material with the prohibited symbolism of the communist totalitarian regime was revealed, which was planned to be distributed on the order of Russian curators on May 9 in order to destabilize the socio-political situation in Ukraine.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide additional assistance in the amount of $125 million for Donbass and those adjacent territories that have suffered from Russian aggression.

Censor.NET informs about it, referring to the USAID Ukraine communication on Facebook.

"This additional technical assistance will be aimed at further stabilization and consolidation of Ukrainian communities in the region, increasing the sustainability of the local economy and accelerating its development," the statement said.

It is noted that an announcement of $ 125 million will be made during a joint press conference on Tuesday, May 15, by the Head of the Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on European and Eurasian Affairs, Brock Burman, the Special Representative of the United States Department of State for Ukraine on Kurt Volcker's Issues and US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Jovanovich. The press conference will be held in Slavyansk (Donetsk region).

Read also: Russia builds a powerful border, to start an aggression against Ukraine, the military resource on it can be increased in a few weeks - Poltorak

As it was reported, K.Walker will arrive in Ukraine on Monday.


ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

American F-22 fighters intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers in the international airspace of the western Alaskan coast.

As Cenzor.NET informs with reference to DW, the CNN channel was informed by the North American Air and Space Defense Command (NORAD), which guarantees the aerospace safety of the United States and Canada.

The interception took place in the international airspace of the west coast of Alaska, north of the Aleutian Islands. Russian T-95s were in the US Air Defense Reconnaissance Zone, CNN explains with reference to the representative of NORAD. American fighters intercepted both Tu-95s and watched them until they left the distinguishing zone, heading westwards. It is noted that bombers did not cross the air borders of the United States and Canada, the actions of Russian aircraft did not violate international agreements. The RF Ministry of Defense called this flight planned.

The last such incident occurred on May 3, 2017, CNN said. Then the American F-22 intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers and several Su-35 fighters that accompanied them. They also stayed in the international airspace, but approached for a distance of about 80 km to Point Hope, a settlement on the west coast of Alaska.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український