Ukraine crisis. News in Brief. Monday 09 November [Ukrainian sources]

MONDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the course of the day

News -
Reading of some fighting yesterday evening, including tanks. Putin clearly has given the word for more war.
ATO report this morning - confirms more fighting from the Russians. 20 times yesterday. The highest figure for some time.

Weather -
Warmer today, a little. But rain. Some heavy rain during the night. High near 10 for the next few days. Just above average. ok.

7:57
http://www.facenews.ua/news/2015/296711/
The leader of "Batkivshina" Yulia Tymoshenko commented on the possible withdrawal of her faction from the parliamentary coalition.
As she said in the program Details, "Fatherland" will stay in the coalition while there is a war in the east of Ukraine.
"We - the responsible political force, and as long as the war in Ukraine," Fatherland "is in the coalition," - swears
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The online translation is a bit dodgy - Батькивщина «не выйдет из коалиции», — божится
" Fatherland "is out of the coalition," - swears
But actually, literally it is - Batkivshina "will not leave from the coalition".


This is the first sensible thing I have heard Tymoshenko say in many years.
I think she has seen Liashko leave - and then disappear into the wildeness. His support fell a lot in the local elections.
Maybe she fears the same.
I think I saw this interview - if it was on tv last night - on Inter. But I only watched it for about 1 minute. Flicking through the channels. She was talking then about the "attack" on her Rada colleague by somebody from Yatseniuk's party.

http://telegraf.com.ua/ukraina/politika/2153876-federika-mogerini-segodnya-posetit-ukrainu.html
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini visit Ukraine today.
The program of the visit, a meeting with the leadership of the state and the leader of the Crimean Tatars.
"In Kyiv On Monday she will meet with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pavel Klimkin. In addition, the program of the visit includes meetings with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Groisman and leaders of political factions," - reported in the service of high- EU representative.
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Italian EU woman. I don't trust her to be honest.
Her press spokeswoman married to a high-up Gazprom Russian official.
Mogherini's decision to choose a spokeswoman whose husband is a partner in a firm lobbying for Russian energy giant Gazprom caused public criticism.[10]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federica_Mogherini

http://pl.com.ua/timoshenko-batkivshhina-iz-koalitsii-ne-vyjdet/
Batkivschyna faction leader Yulia Tymoshenko said that her political force is not about to leave the coalition, because in Ukraine there is a struggle against the Russian aggressors, the press service of the party....
Tymoshenko appealed to fellow politicians from other political forces with the request "to stop provocative talk" on this issue.
Chairman of the Fatherland also said that on Tuesday the faction definitely will vote for the "European integration laws" and to seek the adoption of two draft resolutions made by women of the parliament: an appeal to the Prosecutor General with a request to make a presentation to the removal of parliamentary immunity to the representative of the Popular Front Andrei Teteruka and appeal to him the voluntary resignation of the deputy mandate because of behavior incompatible with the title of the People's Deputy.
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Interesting - she wants Yatseniuk's deputy involved in a skuffle to resign.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/08/investing/russia-jeffrey-gundlach/index.html?section=money_news_international
"Russia will have the largest implosion of population in the history of the world," Gundlach said last week at ETF.com's Fixed Income Conference. The legendary investor said that's excluding war, famine or disease.
"No wonder Mr. Putin wants to take over other nations that are Russian-centric. He needs people," he said.
In recent years Putin has brought Crimea back under Russian control and has sought to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO.
=====
Demographic problems, yes. But - Crimea. No way was this about a young population.
Crimea itself has an ageing babushka population. More of the same problem.
The younger people left after the invasion.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8cb09032-84ad-11e5-8095-ed1a37d1e096.html#axzz3qyamKcx1
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The continuing battle for control of Transaero. I understand Aeroflot want a stake.
Article seems free to view. And from the FT.

http://interfax.com.ua/news/political/302372.html
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Time will tell. I hope this is true. I think Putin is hoping that people will forget about his war in Ukraine. It has dropped out of the news recently, that is for sure.
But some Europeans will support Putin - the French fascists - Le Pen et co., Greeks. And other right-wing elements.

http://obozrevatel.com/politics/64058-v-batkivschine-boryutsya-s-opponentami-kotoryie-razoblachayut-ih-gazovyie-shemyi-chornovol.htm
Party of All-Ukrainian association "Batkivshchyna" has begun the destruction of political opponents who disclose corruption schemes [of their] party leader Yulia Tymoshenko and gas oligarchs.
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If there is a real investigation of how Tymoshenko acquired her billions then she is toast. So obviously she wants to stop this in any way she can.

Nelson wrote:http://pl.com.ua/timoshenko-batkivshhina-iz-koalitsii-ne-vyjdet/
Batkivschyna faction leader Yulia Tymoshenko said that her political force is not about to leave the coalition, because in Ukraine there is a struggle against the Russian aggressors, the press service of the party....
Tymoshenko appealed to fellow politicians from other political forces with the request "to stop provocative talk" on this issue.
Chairman of the Fatherland also said that on Tuesday the faction definitely will vote for the "European integration laws" and to seek the adoption of two draft resolutions made by women of the parliament: an appeal to the Prosecutor General with a request to make a presentation to the removal of parliamentary immunity to the representative of the Popular Front Andrei Teteruka and appeal to him the voluntary resignation of the deputy mandate because of behavior incompatible with the title of the People's Deputy.
====
Interesting - she wants Yatseniuk's deputy involved in a skuffle to resign.

Why don't they vote to remove immunity of the whole rotten lot of them?

Probably to many big names have too much to lose, if investigated in the past. Opposition will accuse others and they'll be accused also. All scared.

I don't see why Poroshenko just signs a decree. Not sure if it can be done with the immunity issue.

Горящая дверь Лубянки from Petr Pavlenskij on Vimeo.

Burning door Lubyanka - is a glove that society throws in the face of the terrorist threat to the Federal Security Service operates by continuous terror and holds power over 146 million people. Fear turns Singles in sticky mass of disparate bodies. Imminent threat of violence hangs over everyone who is within reach for the device surveillance, eavesdropping and borders the passport control. Military courts eliminate any manifestation of free will. But terrorism can only exist at the expense of the animal instinct of fear. To go against the instinct of man makes an unconditional defensive reflex. This reflex is fighting for his life. A life is worth to start fighting for.

vimeo.com In Russian

This was announced by Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Volodymyr Demchyshyn at a briefing, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrainski Novyny.

"On Wednesday, we will stop receiving any electricity from Russia. It's a technological step connected with the commissioning of Rivne NPP power unit No. 3," he said.

He also added that at this point, Ukraine is capable of covering its domestic consumption.

censor.net.ua In Russian

A video by Talionis Group (created with the support and participation of Censor.NET) lasts about 10 minutes. It shows synchronized recordings tracking Abroskin's movement on Feb. 20, 2014, from 9:08 a.m. (rebuff of the first charge of Maidan activists) to 9:24 a.m. (Berkut riot police company's retreat from the October Palace up Instytutska Street to a snow barricade near the entrance to Khreschatyk metro station). The shots he fired have been counted, though only those captured by camera and which could be accurately identified - 10 shots.

In the video, Abroskin is marked with a yellow square. When he disappears from the camera view, his movement is tracked on the map - to the point where he appears in the next recording. There is additional information: exact time (upper right corner), shot counter (lower left corner), the source of a video or photo (up in the center).



Two analytical video works by Talionis Group have already been added to the case: Height "Zhovtnevyi" and 47/20.02.

Perhaps, the court will find the new video useful. Especially, given the fact it is to consider the extension of Abroskin and Zinchenko's custody in its coming sessions.

censor.net.ua In Russian

The analysis by RATING Pro information and analytical center indicates only those parties criticizing the actions of the authorities have improved their results.

As reported by Censor.NET, summary results of the parties across the country are as follows:

Poroshenko Bloc - Solidarity - 19.4%;

Batkivshchyna - 12%;

Opposition Bloc - 11,5%;

UKROP - 7.3%;

Svoboda - 6.7%;

Radical Party - 6.7%;

Samopomich - 6.3%;

Vidrodzhennia - 5.4%;

Nash Krai - 4.8%;

Ahrarna Partiia - 3.2%.



censor.net.ua In Russian

Putin's efforts to reclaim Russian-speaking territories might be fueled by a looming demographic disaster.


This opinion has been voiced by U.S. billionaire investor Jeffrey Gundlach, Censor.NET reports citing CNN.

The Russian president's imperialistic flair may be driven more by economics than political ambition, CNN Money cites the investor's theory.

According to the medium, Russia is aging rapidly. Its working-age population is on track to shrink by 14% over the next 35 years, posing a real risk to economic growth.

"Russia will have the largest implosion of population in the history of the world," Gundlach said last week at ETF.com's Fixed Income Conference. The legendary investor said that's excluding war, famine or disease.

"No wonder Mr. Putin wants to take over other nations that are Russian-centric. He needs people," he said.

In recent years Putin has brought Crimea back under Russian control and has sought to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. There are concerns that he will try to reassert power over other Russian-speaking territories in countries like Estonia and Latvia too.

Gundlach, who is the founder of elite fixed-income firm DoubleLine Capital, pointed to Russia's elevated mortality rates and a very low fertility rate.

Even the World Bank is worried about these issues. It recently urged Russia to try to reduce the impact of aging by encouraging individuals to save more, raising the country's relatively low retirement age and cutting down on bad habits like smoking and excessive drinking.

"Without adequate adjustments of policies and behaviors, an aging population could impair national growth and fiscal sustainability," the World Bank said in a report that pointed out Russia's population of those over 60 more than doubled to 18% in 2010 from 7.7% in 1950.

censor.net.ua In Russian

The European Union has already allocated over 100 mln EUR in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

As reported by Censor.NET citing Interfax-Ukraine, this was announced by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

"I would like to thank for permanent support provided by the EU not only as macrofinancial assistance, which is pivotal for Ukraine's financial stability, but also to note that more than 100 mln EUR of direct assistance has been allocated by the EU since February this year for settling of internally displaced persons," Poroshenko said at the joint briefing with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Kyiv on Monday.

The head of state added that importance of this cooperation had been discussed during the talks.

censor.net.ua In Russian

The Russian authorities report that 787 tons of food made in the countries that imposed sanctions on Moscow have been destroyed since Aug. 7, 2015.

Russia imposed its tit-for-tat sanctions on imported food from USA, EU, Australia, Norway and Canada on Aug. 7, 2014.

As of Aug. 6, 2015, the Russian authorities arrest and destroy the sanctioned food at the border, LB.ua reports Nov. 9.

zik.ua

For Crimean Tatars, even a few years of Crimea as part of Russia will mean the displacement of the peninsula’s indigenous people from their land.

Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Poroshenko Bloc MP Refat Chubarov said in an interview with, Censor.NET.

"Through centuries we have gained a very scary experience of interaction with Russia and life as part of Russia during its various embodiments. For us, even a few years of Crimea as part of Russia will mean the displacement of Crimean Tatars from their land. Crimea will again be without the Crimean Tatars. Putin will implement the slogan that appeared after the first annexation of Crimea. It actually sounded as: "Crimea without the Crimean Tatars!" And it seemed that Stalin had completely realized it but we returned through decades.

The life is just impossible for the Crimean Tatars during the regime that is currently set up in Crimea. And it is not just due to the fact that this regime is Putin's but because it is Russia's. Putin is nonessential in this case. Russia has always come to Crimea in order to destroy its indigenous people. In this case, Putin is a derivative of the aggressive expansionist policy," Chubarov summed up.

censor.net.ua In Russian

Donbas rebels and Russian troops are reinforcing first echelon positions near Slovyansk, hiding heavy weapons which had to be pulled out under the Minsk agreements, Ukraine army says Nov. 9, Ukrayinska Pravda reports.

The entire situation in Donbas has a tendency to worsen. On Nov. 8, the enemy fired 37 times on Ukraine army positions using grenade throwers, 82-mm mortars and small arms.

In addition, the enemy is reconnoitering the area using reconnaissance groups near Mariupol and Russia’s electronic reconnaissance data.

zik.ua

President Petro Poroshenko noted opening the discussion of the constitutional amendments on judicial reform at the 14th session of the National Council of Reforms.

Censor.NET reports citing the press office of the president.

"Today is the final discussion. Following the discussion, I am going to submit the concerted draft law to the Parliament by the end of the week," the head of state informed.

The president quoted article 6 "Right to a fair trial" of the European Convention on Human Rights: "Everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law".

"It is our roadmap. We have to build such a fair trial as a result of judicial reform," Petro Poroshenko stressed.

The head of state is hopeful that a consensus will be found today and the Parliament will approve the amendments in the first reading at the present session in order to adopt them at the next session.

The president emphasized that judicial reform was the most anticipated in society. "It is a guarantee of investments coming to the country, a guarantee of efficient struggle against corruption for those who have been caught on corruption to be not only detained, but also convicted. Generally, it is a guarantee of justice. Today, we must ensure it. We've already understood the value of freedom, now we are starting to understand the value of justice," the head of state emphasized.

The president expressed gratitude to the Constitutional Commission and noted that since the beginning of September, an intensive exchange of opinions had taken place with involvement of a great number of Ukrainian and international experts. The Venice Commission has provided an approving conclusion on this project twice. On October 30, the Constitutional Commission approved draft constitutional amendments on justice by an overwhelming majority of votes.

The head of state emphasized that purification and renewal of judicial corps through personal evaluation of each judge and strict control over expenditures of judges in terms of their conformity with income were the main components of the draft law. "It is, inter alia, a struggle against the so-called "gifts" that are given to judges for illegal court decisions not for beautiful eyes or graduation with honors," the president said.

According to the president, another key provision is the abolition of judicial immunity: "We should protect judges from bribes and temptations, inter alia, through the inevitability of punishment. We should defend them from political figures who will be deprived of an opportunity to motivate judges for unlawful decisions," the head of state emphasized.

In order to solve these issues, it is proposed to create a new body - Supreme Council of Justice that will be responsible for the submission of candidacy to the post of judge, approval of the decision on dismissal of a judge and transfer of judges.

"Judge will be deprived of absolute immunity. The immunity will only remain for the function of administration of justice. Judge cannot be punished for his decisions. But any misconduct, from a road accident to bribes, can be a reason for criminal liability," the president emphasized.

Petro Poroshenko drew attention to a new reason for the dismissal of a judge - inability to prove the legality of his income sources. "It is an additional mechanism of struggle against corruption in judicial system," he said.

Members of the Constitutional Commission together with experts from the Venice Commission and public figures have elaborated effective ways to renew the judicial corps. "This is a procedure of assessing each and every judge and reorganization of courts where necessary. This is to take place in a very short period of time and the procedure of evaluation and testing must be very similar to what we saw in the creation of new patrol police and what is now being introduced in the recruitment of new employees of local prosecution offices," he said.

"The draft by the Constitutional Commission provides for the real fundamental changes; was approved by the international expert community; takes into account public expectations regarding purification of judicial corps; underwent broad public discussion in Ukraine," the president concluded.

censor.net.ua In Russian

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko took pride in the appointment of two Canadians with Ukrainian roots MaryAnn Mihychuk and Chrystia Freeland to the Government of Canada.

He wrote this in Facebook, Censor.NET reports.

"I am proud to see two Ukrainian women enter new Government of Canada under the leadership of Justin Trudeau. Chrystia Freeland took the lead of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development while MaryAnn Mihychuk became Minister of Employment, Workforce and Labor. Wherever we go, we always remain Ukrainians!" the president said.



censor.net.ua In Russian

The militants shelled the Ukrainian troops’ positions with 82-mm and 120-mm mortars more than 20 times from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9, regardless of their statements on withdrawal of these weapons.

The ATO press center reports citing the statement of the Joint Center for control and coordination of the cease-fire in the Donbas (JCCC), Censor.NET informs.

"The Ukrainian side of the JCCC is particularly concerned by multiple cases of the "LPR/DPR" militants' employment of weapons that have to be withdrawn to a specified distance in accordance with Minsk agreements of February 12, 2015. The withdrawal of tanks as well as artillery with caliber under 100 mm and mortars with caliber under 120 mm are meant. The militants employed 82-mm and 120-mm mortars over 20 times from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9, though they have spread information on the withdrawal of these types of weapons from the contact line in their own propaganda media," the statement reads.
Read more: One soldier wounded in combat activities yesterday; nonbattle losses include one killed, five wounded, - ATO speaker

Head of the Ukrainian side of the JCCC Major General Borys Kremenetskyi drew attention to the fact that the militants had increased the number of attacks on the Ukrainian Army positions almost two times Nov. 8 in comparison with the previous day. The situation at the Donetsk and Horlivka directions was especially tense.

In addition, Kremenetskyi said that the militants regularly used the tactics of provoking the ATO forces detachments. In particular, the ATO forces engaged in battle with the militants, who were dressed in the Ukrainian Army uniforms and used colored armbands-identifiers Nov. 8. "Such cases are contrary to all internationally established norms and principles of war. In addition, we have repeatedly warned and informed the OSCE SMM about the preparation of provocations including the use of military uniforms of the Ukrainian Army by the militants of the illegal armed groups of the certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," he added.

The Ukrainian side appealed to the OSCE SMM to enhance patrols in some areas in connection with the attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which number was constantly increasing. The head of the Ukrainian side of the JCCC also stressed that the detachments of the Ukrainian army "will decisively repel the aggression of illegal armed groups".

censor.net.ua In Russian

Just as Vladimir Putin used the apartment bombings in Russian cities in 1999 to restart the Chechen war and bring himself to power, so too, again needing a war to keep his position, the Kremlin leader will exploit the terrorist plane bombing of the plane to expand Russia’s presence abroad and isolate Ukraine, according to Andrey Piontkovsky.

The Russian commentator says that the threat now facing Ukraine is not an escalation of the fighting in the Donbas – Putin knows what that would mean and he is focusing on the Middle East – but rather the certainty that the Russian leader will use the terrorist act to cause the West to back off from its support of Kyiv (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=563CADA0450CC).

In the first instance, Piontkovsky says, Putin will “seek to use the airliner catastrophe as the occasion for a sharp increase of Russia’s military presence in the Middle East.” And he will follow the same script he did 16 years ago.

“In September 1999, it was simply not possible to begin a war in Chechnya which brought Putin to power,” the Russian analyst continues. “The memory of the first Chechen war was too great.” And consequently, Putin exploited – and in the view of many, although Piontkovsky does not take a position on this orchestrated – the apartment bombings.

Now, once again, Putin “needs a war in order to hold on to power, and the terrorist act in the Sinai gives him the chance to intensify military hysteria and thereby remove from society any brakes” on his actions. That logic points to a rapid expansion in Russia’s military presence in the Middle East.

It might seem that “Ukraine should only breathe a sigh of relief in connection with such a turn of events,” Piontkovsky says, but that is absolutely incorrect. That is because Putin will seek to sell Russia’s expanded military action in the Middle East as “his service to the West” and demand the West recognize Ukraine as part of Russia’s sphere of influence and end sanctions.
Putin will make the following argument to the US and the EU: You may be afraid of fighting ISIS in a serious way by sending land forces, but I am not, even if it costs many Russian lives. And because I will, the Kremlin leader will argue, you should lift sanctions and “in general weaken your support for Ukraine.”

Many in Western capitals will find that a powerful argument, Piontkovsky says, and thus Putin’s plans “represent a definite danger for Ukraine.” Indeed, if Putin really starts a war against ISIS, that could lead to Putin’s return to “the club of the big bosses” and even a new Yalta or Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

But Putin has not thought this all the way through, the Russian analyst argues. More than 220 Russian casualties have already come home in coffins, and the Kremlin leader has made the Sunni Muslim world his enemy by his support for the Shiites of Syria and Iran. Consequently, even if he “wins” in his gamble to get support from the West on Ukraine, he will lose in the longer term.

Putin knows that “Russians will die for his lifetime personal power” if they think they are fighting against those who have killed Russians. But ultimately, neither he nor they can win against the Sunni radicals; and ISIS will eventually “accept the capitulation of Putin on more severe conditions than did [Chechnya’s] Kadyrov.”......

ukrainebusiness.com.ua

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has tabled a bill in parliament to regulate foreign armed forces' admission to Ukrainian territory for participation in international drills in November and December 2015, according to a posting on the parliament's website.

Under draft law No. 3428, troops from the United States and other NATO member states and the countries that are participants in the Partnership for Peace program will be allowed to take part in multinational military exercises in Ukrainian territory in November and December 2015 for a period of 61 days.

In particular, up to 1,500 troops of the U.S. armed forces with weapons and military hardware and up to 1,000 troops of the armed forces of other NATO member states and Partnership for Peace participant countries are to take part in the drills.

unian.ua  In Ukrainian