Ukraine News. Wednesday 7 November. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY HEADLINES:
Russia poses very clear and present threat, - US urges EU to maintain sanctions against Moscow.  "We’re going to ask Verkhovna Rada to rename Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate," - Filaret.  Ukrainian lawmakers downvote prosecutor general's resignation.  NATO is ready to confront hybrid attacks and force the aggressor to pay dearly for them.  NATO-led Anakonda-2018 training will begin today in Poland, with nearly 100,000 troops to take part in it.  Residents of ORDLO should boycott "elections" that do not meet neither the Minsk agreements nor Ukrainian legislation - the US Embassy.  The Russian court has arrested the political prisoner Gryb for another six months.  My dear ones, you have nothing to do here. Home to Russia - Poroshenko pointed the ROC to the door.  The Russian Yekaterinburg burns a defense factory specializing in the production of communications equipment and military radar stations.  "We highly appreciate the solid bipartisan support of Ukraine in the United States," Poroshenko.  Membership in NATO will finally dispel the myth of the insolvency of the Ukrainian state, spreading by the Russian Federation.  US Navy Patrol Antitank Aircraft Explored Near the Kerch Strait.  An attempt to connect the Donbas will cost Russia so much that it simply will not survive.

Kyiv, Ukraine
11c /52f HI | RealFeel 13c / 55f
Precipitation 0%
Sunny

A senior U.S. state department official says sanctions against Russia need to remain in place until the Kremlin shows the behavioral change.

As reported by Censor.NET citing The Financial Times, the U.S. has urged the European Union to hold firm on its sanctions against Russia, amid deepening divisions and the growing influence of pro-Kremlin political parties in the bloc.

David Tessler, a senior US state department official, speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, called on the EU to maintain rolling punitive measures on Russia that have come under attack from Italy’s coalition government. In a push to co-ordinate transatlantic sanctions efforts, the US official is visiting European capitals this week — including Rome — ahead of an EU summit on whether to renew measures imposed on Moscow after its 2014 annexation of Crimea.

"One of the messages I am bringing to Europe is that we need to, together, combat this threat, not as a theoretical danger, but as a very clear and present one," Mr Tessler said. "We feel very strongly that sanctions need to remain in place until we see the behavioral change we are looking for from the Russian government."

The state department representative also praised the EU for "doing a lot" to target alleged malign Kremlin behavior, through anti-disinformation efforts, a new mechanism to impose chemical weapons sanctions, and plans for possible countermeasures over cyberattacks. He said that hostile activity by Vladimir Putin’s government was growing — and justified tougher action still.

"It’s frustrating that the Russian threat is getting worse, despite everything we are doing," Mr Tessler said. "Our position then is that we need to increase the cost."

Mr Tessler’s call for unity on Russia contrasts sharply with the transatlantic dispute over Iran, where the EU is defying President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a nuclear deal with Tehran and reimpose sanctions. But longstanding disagreements over Russia among EU member states have deepened after alleged Kremlin operations — denied by Moscow — to poison a former spy with a nerve agent in the UK and to hack organisations such as the international chemical weapons watchdog in The Hague.

At the same time, pro-Kremlin political parties have joined coalition governments in Austria and Italy, where Matteo Salvini, the interior minister, has branded the Russia sanctions "economic, social and cultural madness".

Asked about Italian complaints that the EU’s Russia counter-measures cost Rome heavily in business and job opportunities, Mr Tessler said: "There’s an inherent cost to sanctions for everybody." He added: "There can’t be cost-free sanctions."

Some EU diplomats expect a fresh Italian move on Russia as soon as next month at an EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels, where governments would need to endorse a further half-year extension of sanctions over Russia’s occupation of Crimea. These measures limit Russian access to EU capital markets, and "sensitive technologies" and services used for oil production. They also ban Russia-related arms sales, and exports of dual-use goods for military use in Russia. EU member states that are critical of the sanctions may be emboldened further by the imminent departure of the UK from the EU in March, and the looming departure of Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. Ms Merkel was instrumental in securing the Crimea sanctions.

ua.censor.net.ua    In Ukrainian/український

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) is going to appeal to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to rename the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) into the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

This was said by Head of the UOC-KP, Patriarch Filaret, Censor.NET reports citing Holos Ukrainy parliamentary newspaper.

He notes that clergy and laity reluctant to join the Ukrainian Orthodox Church should be referred to as the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. According to Filaret, the Kyiv Patriarchate is going to request the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to pass a law on a United Orthodox Church in Ukraine as well as to change the name of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

"What are we going to seek? We will be striving to have a single Orthodox Church in Ukraine and to make sure that the Russian Orthodox Church is not hiding under the Ukrainian name while, in essence, it is Russian. And therefore we are going to ask the Verkhovna Rada to adopt a law saying that there is only one Orthodox Church in Ukraine while the second Orthodox Church should be called Russian. Moreover, they use the Church Slavonic language during prayers, sermon is in Russian, they protect Russian interests in the east [of Ukraine]," the newspaper quoted Filaret as saying.

He also stressed that Moscow is trying to meddle in Ukrainian church affairs and aggravate the situation around the obtaining of tomos of autocephaly under the guise of protection of the Orthodox faithful. Filaret also notes that the Ukrainian side will not allow any violence.

Censor.NET memo: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the official, registered, name of the Church run by the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).

On April 17, 2018, President Poroshenko said Ukraine was closer than ever before to creating an autocephalous united local church.

On Sept. 2, hierarchs held meetings (Synaxis) of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) to confirm that the Church of Constantinople is authorized, without the consent of other churches, to grant autonomy, or autocephaly, to a church that has requested it. This paves the way for autocephality of Ukraine's church. Further measures, such as the adoption of documents at the Synod, are expected to be taken in October.

Subsequently, on Sept. 7, Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed two Exarchs in Kyiv as part of preparations for granting autocephaly to Ukraine's Orthodox church. "Within the framework of the preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed as its Exarchs in Kyiv His Excellency Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States, and His Grace Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton from Canada, both of whom are serving the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in their respective countries under the Ecumenical Patriarchate," the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in an announcement.

On Sept. 25, the UOC-MP declared that it was demanding that the Patriarchate of Constantinople withdraw its exarchs from Ukraine. In particular, the Holy Synod of the UOC-MP at a meeting held in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra September 25, expressed its attitude regarding the appointment of the Exarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate to Kyiv.

On Oct.11, 2018, Ecumenical Patriarchate has decided to proceed to the granting of autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine. In addition, the legal binding of Synod’s Letter of 1686 was abolished, thus pulling the Kyiv Metropolis from under Moscow jurisdiction. The Ecumenical Patriarchate also reinstated head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Philarchate Filaret and head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Makariy in their canonical status.

On Oct. 12, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) called for the episcopate, clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to begin preparations for a unifying Council.

On Oct. 15, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to break the eucharistic communication with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

On Oct. 18, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed the law on the transfer of the St. Andrew's Church to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for perpetual free of charge usage.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Members of the Ukrainian parliament carried out a rating (preliminary) vote on the possibility of the resignation of Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yurii Lutsenko at the request of First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Iryna Herashchenko.

38 MPs upheld Lutsenko's resignation while 116 voted against it, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.

On Nov. 6, Lutsenko announced his intent to file resignation due to of a political PR campaign around the murder of civic activist Kateryna Handziuk that impacted the investigation of her case.

As reported, Kherson City Council executive officer, Kateryna Handziuk, who tried to deal with local separatists and harshly criticized the authorities, namely the law enforcement officials, was doused with acid in Kherson early on July 31.

On Aug. 2, she was urgently taken from Kherson to Kyiv by an air ambulance.

On Aug. 3, the law enforcers detained the person suspected of perpetrating attack on the activist.

She reportedly died of a blood clot in a Kyiv-based hospital on Nov. 4 after long treatment.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

A representative of the Alliance did not specify who he calls an "aggressor", but spoke about Russia's actions

NATO Assistant Secretary General for New Security Challenges Antonio Missiroli says the Alliance will force a high price for any aggressor attempting hybrid attacks. He made such a statement in Kyiv at the international conference "Lessons from the hybrid decade: what you need to know for a successful move forward." Censor.NET informs about it with reference to UNIAN.

The assistant secretary general of the Alliance expressed the conviction that the issue of reacting to hybrid threats to NATO was significant. "We successfully prevented a number of hybrid attacks, and we were also able to identify the model of disinformation campaign, which allowed us to counter propaganda more expeditiously and more effectively," said the Missiroli.

He also said that the perpetrators of the attacks were named, taking into account the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skrypliv in British Salisbury or Russia's attempted hacking of the resources of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

"This does not deter or force the aggressor to stop using hybrid methods, but it can show that such actions will have to be paid," the Missiroli stressed.

In this regard, he said that the attacker can no longer expect anonymity to hide his hybrid actions, and the Alliance will apply countermeasures.

He also reminded that at the last NATO Summit held in Brussels in July this year, Allied leaders said hybrid attacks could be a trigger for the application of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty when an attack on one ally would be considered an attack for the whole Alliance. "I can not think of a more solid signal for a potential aggressor, you can try hybrid attack, but you have to be prepared to pay a very high price," he said.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

On the territory of Poland on Wednesday, November 7, the great maneuvers of NATO countries Anakonda-2018 will commence. The military will work out strategic defense cooperation under the conditions of conventional and hybrid threats.

As informs Censor.NET, this is reported by "Correspondent".

The total number of servicemen who will take part in the maneuvers will be almost 100 thousand people. In addition, 5,000 units of different equipment, 45 ships, 150 planes and helicopters will be involved in the exercises.

The Ministry of Defense of Poland noted that these studies were not directed against any state.

Let's remind you, military exercises with participation of Ukraine began in Lithuania days ago. In addition, the United States and South Korea restored naval military training.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The US Embassy in Ukraine advised residents of certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to boycott unlawful elections that will be held by terrorists on November 11.

This is stated in a statement on Facebook, a site of the US Embassy in Ukraine, reports Censor.NET.

"While Ukraine is taking positive steps to strengthen peace, Russia is fomenting the conflict by organizing" election "elections. Residents of eastern Ukraine should boycott these" elections "that do not meet neither the Minsk agreements nor Ukrainian legislation," the statement said.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The North Caucasian District Military Court extended the arrest of Ukrainians Paul Gryb for 6 months, abducted by FSB on the territory of Belarus and accused of "promoting terrorism"

This was on Wednesday, November 7, spokeswoman of the court, Elena Katkalo, told Interfax-South.

"The arrest was continued until April 24, 2019," said Katkalo.

As it is noted, the consideration of the case of Pavlo Gryb will essentially be held on November 15. The court session will begin at 11:00 Moscow time.

Earlier it was reported that the North Caucasian District Military Court in Russia's Rostov-on-Don will again begin to consider the case of Ukrainians Paul Gryb, whom Russia stole from the territory of Belarus.

Judicial hearings began in July, the defendant did not admit guilty.

-Recall that Pavlo Gryb disappeared on the territory of Belarus on the last Independence Day of Ukraine - August 24, 2017. That day he went to Gomel on a date to the girl, whom he met in the Russian social network VKontakte. As it turned out later, at that time Paul was already wanted by Art. 205 of the Criminal Code of Russia (terrorist act).

-The FSB has accused Pavel of preparing a terrorist attack at school.

-In early June, the Russian SCFM blocked the transfer of funds to the account of Ukraine's illegally detained in Russia, Pavlo Gryb.

-On October 2, it became known that the Russian Federation continues to block the account of the political prisoner Paul Gryb, because of which he can not buy medicines.

-In the Ukrainian arrested in Ukraine, Paul Gryb, whom the FSB stole from the territory of Belarus, during the milestone disappeared all the medicines given to his relatives.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

Russian Orthodox Church do nothing in Ukraine.

As Censor.NET informs with reference to the League, this was stated by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko at the international conference "Lessons of the hybrid decade: what you need to know for a successful move forward."

"Is it okay when the Russian Security Council, headed by Putin, is going to meet urgently in the Kremlin, with one issue on the agenda - how to protect the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. My dear ones, you have nothing to do here, do nothing for your church, do nothing for your armed forces "There is nothing to do with your arms. Home to Russia," the president said.

Poroshenko stressed that the state does not interfere in the affairs of the church, but foreign states will not do this.

As reported, on November 3, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on cooperation and cooperation between Ukraine and the Constantinople Patriarchate in Istanbul .

As the Poroshenko meeting said, the agreement creates conditions for the "process of giving Tomos (on autocephaly - Ed.) To be carried out absolutely in strict conformity with the canons of the Orthodox Church." The head of state called this day, November 3, historic.

Recall that on October 11, according to the results of the meeting of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a decision was announced stating that Constantinople continues the procedure of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church.

In addition, the Synod's letter of 1686 was canceled, after which the Kyiv Metropolitanate fell under the jurisdiction of Moscow, the canonical status of the head of the UOC of Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret and the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Macarius was restored.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The roof of the "Vector" plant is burning in Yekaterinburg.

As informs Censor.NET, this was reported on Wednesday by TASS in emergency services in the region.



"The roof of the defense plant" Vector "burns in Yekaterinburg, the area is unknown," - said the source of the agency.

The fires are assigned a second, higher rank of difficulty. "Fire from the roof went to the ventilation shaft," - said in emergency services of the Russian Federation.

Employees of the company are evacuated.

As the employee of the company told the publication, the plant employs about 300-400 people.

The plant specializes in the production of communication equipment and military radar stations, such as meteorological radiosondes, radio-sensing meteorological complexes of the RPMK-1 (1B44) "Smile", as well as radar reconnaissance units of the enemy's artillery positions and the control of the firing of own firefighting equipment "Zoo-1 "(1L219).

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

In Kiev, Ukraine's support for both parties in the Congress and the Senate, as well as in the White House, is highly appreciated.

According to Censor.NET, referring to Interfax-Ukraine, the head of the Ukrainian state Petro Poroshenko claims.

"Given the opportunity and knowing how much attention has been paid to interim elections in the United States, I would like to make it clear: we highly value the firm bipartisan support of Ukraine in the United States, and in the House of Representatives, where the majority took the Democrats, and in the Senate, where the majority was taken by the Republicans, and in the administration, the White House... this is a powerful foundation on which our strategic partnership with the United States firmly relies, in particular on the issue of repression of Russian aggression", - said P.Poroshenko at the international high-level conference" Lessons from the hybrid decade: need to know to successfully move forward "in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Recall that on Tuesday there were interim elections to the US Congress, during which all 435 congressmen were elected to the House of Representatives, as well as 35 out of 100 members of the Senate of the United States.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klimpush-Tsintsadze explained why the issue of NATO membership is the most important.

She told about this on the air of "Information Evening" on Channel 5, informs Censor.NET.

"In 2014 we made this choice in favor of a society governed by freedom, democracy, and rules, and that is precisely in this direction we are moving. Therefore, for us, membership in NATO as a strategic goal and goal is not only a geopolitical choice. the need for security, the need to create the necessary independent state", - said the deputy prime minister.

She emphasized that this is an essential tool "in order for Ukraine to take place so that finally the myth that the Russian Federation is blaming on the insolvency, impossibility of the existence of the Ukrainian independent state, we have finally dissipated."

Recall that on September 5, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on National Security Committee supported the introduction of a presidential draft amendments to the Constitution for the consideration of the Parliament on the aspirations of Ukraine's integration into NATO and the European Union.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The American patrol boat anti-submarine Boeing P-8A Poseidon carried out exploration near the Black Sea coast near the Kerch Strait.

As informs Censor.NET, this is reported by the TV channel "Rain" with reference to the data of the resource Plane-Radar.

Patrol Squadron VP-10 Red Lancers, with an on-board number of 168,764, launches a reconnaissance flight along the Black Sea coast of Russia, "the report says." Patrol squadron, Boeing P-8A Poseidon, US Navy.

According to Interfax, the plane departed from the Sigonella air base, which is located in Sicily. He traveled about 35 kilometers south of the entrance to the Kerch Strait, but was above international waters. The plane also made a flight near Sevastopol and the coast of Krasnodar Territory.

At the same time, he worked in the area as a strategic airship of the US Air Force, which also escaped from the base of Sigonella. His flight lasted about 4.5 hours.

The day before, it was reported that another US reconnaissance aircraft was spotted in the Baltic. He flew over the Gulf of Finland and near the Russian border, but was in the Finnish airspace.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russia is developing three possible options for further action on the self-proclaimed "DPR" and "LNR".

This was on TV "Direct" said Minister of temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons Vadim Chernish Information Cenzor.NET.

"I know that such options are being worked out a little bit. The first option is to keep them until the authorities in Ukraine change, and then calls for direct negotiations, and then all the same, a federal system with a serious blocking legal role for such so-called subjects. The second option is they exist, but within the framework of this association some kind of "commonwealth." And the third one is the mechanism that is currently being used in the Georgian territories to include them in Russia," said Chernysh.

Read also: This means the issuance of the Kremlin mandate to war its puppets, - Gerashchenko's statement on the recognition of "elections" in the occupied territories

According to the minister, the third option is the least real, because it "will cost Russia so much that it simply will not survive."

"If the Crimea (Occupation - Ed.) Succeeded in the 14th year when the reaction was very slow, I would say, from foreign partners, and there was no effective Ukrainian government that could quickly take it and become." That will not happen now" - assured the official.

Why is it not possible to implement the "Georgian scenario," Chernysh explained: "For example, electricity networks. If you integrated them into a single electricity grid of the Russian Federation, then this may already be an indication that you have already plowed the territory. They have not yet integrated the energy networks of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, controlled by them, to the unified energy networks of the Russian Federation".

"Therefore, one of the options is to wait for the change of power, to impose a federal or federal declaration (the system is ed.) Or, even without changing the fundamentals that can provoke society, de facto make some changes that would give it the opportunity to renounce the European integration, to abandon the democratic foundations of development", - summed up the minister.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

In Russian Voronezh, relatives of a 89-year-old woman, who developed a gangrene, accused doctors from the city hospital №3 in amputation of a healthy leg patient
This is reported by the Russian edition of RIA Voronezh.

Immediately after the operation, on November 4, the woman's son saw that the surgeons left the mother's right dark foot intact, and her left leg was removed to the middle of the thigh.

The injured Maria Dmitrievna has the official status of a prisoner at a concentration camp. Prior to retirement, she worked as a teacher at school and was promoted to a well-deserved employee of education in the Russian Federation. Now a pensioner expects an amputation of a second, sick leg.

Doctors of the City Clinical Hospital № 3 respond that they acted correctly and the leg would still have to be cut off.

As son of pensioner Andrew Dronov has told, she for several years suffers from a chronic disease of blood vessels. Because of this, Maria Dmitrievna once a month went to a road clinic in Voronezh, and was last treated there in August 2018.

"When it was written, they said that the right foot would have to be amputated, but my mother was a very strong woman. She stated that she had lived a long life and did not want to be disabled in the old age and refused the operation", - says Andrey Dronov.

After that the woman began to have severe pain. The right leg began to blacken, but the woman suffered the last and took painkillers, disregarding the persuasion of their relatives. In the end, the pensioner began a gangrene.

"The doctors examined mother and said that at such an age she could not carry out the operation, and after the amputation of one leg, one could follow one another, while the second operation would not surely endure the elderly," Dronov says. He added that doctors left the issue at the discretion of relatives, and they insisted on intervention.

The operation was successful, but when relatives were able to go to the ward, they found that the patient amputated not that limb. Native Mary Dmitrievna argue that the doctors did not apologize to them. For all the allegations, doctors replied that they were doing everything right and that the second leg would have had to be amputated either.

Close pensioners suggest that such a situation could be due to errors in the documents. According to Andrei Dronov, in the direction from the clinic was written "amputation of the right leg." However, after the operation, Maria Dronova's relatives saw in the history of the disease that it was already talking about the left limb.

When Andrew Dronov was summoned to the Investigative Committee, it was already reported in the history of the disease that the patient complained of pain on both legs and both were blackened.



"One leg was white, but swollen, and the other black. How could it be wrong here? !! We have a photo made one day before the operation, it is clearly visible there. It's not just a mistake, it's an extraordinary situation. I agree: maybe I would have had to amputate another leg once, but now it turned out that she had cut off a healthy limb, and there was a bomb that constantly poisoned the body. I immediately told the doctors: "You killed her." It is unknown how mom will now undergo a second major surgery. Before that, they themselves said how difficult it is at this age", - says Dronov.

The incident is currently being investigated.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український