Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Sunday. 31 January [Ukrainian sources]

SUNDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the day

News -
Putin's war machine hits the Ukrainian people 36 times yesterday.
Update - sadly another two Ukrainian soldiers lost their lives yesterday in the war against Russia.
4 military were also injured.

Weather -
Slightly cooler this morning. Only +1. High expected of about +5. Rather damp.
But, in relative terms to the norm, it is absolutely amazing.
Update - only +3. But quite heavy rain. Forecast for for 5 or 6.

Russian Army officer found dead in Stakhanov the Luhansk region. This was reported in the group of "Front for the Liberation of Donbass and Lugansk region" to Facebook.

The body of a soldier with a gunshot wound in the heart area was discovered on January 29 at the area of ​​coke. The things found slain Major's license RF Andryushkino AA

"And so will everyone who comes to our land with the weapon," - wrote in the "Front for the Liberation of Donbass and Lugansk region."

According to "News of Donbass", the officer recently arrived from the Russian Federation and was on one of the bases of terrorists. A few days ago he left her position and was found dead yesterday.

We warn once again # Nehuyshastat, especially newcomers characters. One creation hearkened not rested with ... 01/29/2016

obozrevatel.com In Russian

8:23
http://news.eizvestia.com/news_politics/full/266-na-poltavshhine-demontirovany-tri-pamyatnika-bolshevikam
In Gadyach region dismantle the monuments to Dzerzhinsky, Kirov and Chapayev.
It is reported by the press service of the National Police, Poltava region, informs eizvestia.com.
In particular, in the village of Krasnoznamyanka dismantled the monument to Dzerzhinsky, in the village of Harkovtsy - Chapaev monument in the village Lysovka - a monument to Kirov.
====
The obvious conclusion of Putin's policy of hate towards Ukraine. Cause - and effect.

Russian journalist Alexander centurion said that the Russian authorities "flew" with kotushek after the US Russian President Vladimir Putin formally accused of corruption.

Thus he commented on the recent incident with the Russian bomber Turkish airspace.

"Putin and his group continue to provoke the country - a member of NATO - military action. That the" Commander of the Russian Federation fell off the rails "- it is no secret. Recent statements by Owen in London and Deputy Treasury Shubin infuriated him to the final loss of reason. He understands that nerukopozhaten. Realize that "toys will soon be over," right "is about". He also informed about the growing shortage of funds in Russia,"- he wrote on his page on Facebook.

The centurion said that Putin - "political suicide."

"Putin - political suicide. But it is not only a political one. Yet it is - a murderer and a war criminal on a global scale. Next to it - smaller figures, but no better. All they are-murderers and thugs. Medvedev, Lavrov Patrushev, Bortnikov, Sechin, Rogozin, Ivanov, Rothenberg and other rat riff-raff. It's - a collective Chikatilo nuclear suitcase "- said the journalist.

In connection with the latest incident in the airspace of Turkey ... Putin and his group continue to provoke the country ...

obozrevatel.com In Russian

Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 29 January 2016
http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/219541
===
Talk about Russian spies.
So the OSCE give numbers and locations of Ukrainian army weapons, BUT they say they were denied access to the Russian LPR terrorist site, not for the first time.
This really is incredibly stupid. But such is the OSCE. Russian spies, as we say here in Ukraine. Pure, and simple.
Elsewhere in the daily report -
The SMM observed a convoy of 21 civilian trucks (12 with Russian Federation license plates, nine with Ukrainian plates) being escorted by “LPR” “police” near “LPR”-controlled Dovzhanskyi (84km south-east of Luhansk) in the direction of  Sverdlovsk (61km south-east of Luhansk). The SMM observed construction material in four trucks that were not covered. The remaining 17 trucks were covered.
Building materials. Looks like Putin is planning a long long occupation. Perhaps for as long as he is President.

In Kiev, arrested a prominent human rights activist - coordinator of the "Movement for Direct Democracy in Ukraine" Natalia Lordkipanidze. This was reported by her daughter on Facebook, the famous Ukrainian singer Yulia Lord. According to the report, the human rights activist was arrested on charges of organizing the contract killing. The Court has already chosen measure in the form of detention to 60 days.

According to the singer, Lordkipanidze is accused of organizing the assassination attempt on her ex-husband. Yulia Lord says that her mother is trying to discredit and remove from public life. It is also sure that it is completely falsified. At the same time, the press center of the SBU reported on the prevention of assassination. "Sixty-year from Kiev for profit for three thousand dollars ordered the murder of her husband. As a result of operational combinations ordered it provided fabricated photos of simulated murder. Employees of the Main Directorate of the SBU in Kiev and Kiev region, together with the police detained a woman during transmission "psevdokilleru" part of the remuneration in the amount of 20 000 hryvnia, "- said in a statement.



glavcom.ua In Russian

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-toddler-burnt-by-molotov-cocktail-allegedly-thrown-by-debt-collector/557539.html
....“A few days before the new year collectors threw through our window a brick, to which a note was attached. The note said that collectors will burn our house down unless we pay them 40,000 ($522) rubles within the next five days,” the family said, tabloid website Lifenews reported....
===
Surprised this makes the Russian news. Surely normal Russian behaviour. Putin tactics in Putin's country. Fear, violence, intimidation - 100% Putin.

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/321171.html
====
This could be very interesting. Will the opposition block (Russian) candidate get in again?
Can the other parties unite behind one candidate?

11:25
http://galinfo.com.ua/news/v_zoni_ato_zagynuv_ukrainskyy_viyskovyy_saper_218504.html
===
Young lad. 25, I believe. The result of Russia's "humanitarian help".

www.bloomberg.com/energy/
Crude Oil & Natural Gas
INDEX UNITS PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE CONTRACT TIME ET 2 DAY
WTI Crude Oil (Nymex)
USD/bbl. 33.62 +0.40 +1.20% MAR 16 2016-01-29
Brent Crude (ICE)
USD/bbl. 35.99 +1.19 +3.42% APR 16 2016-01-29
===
To be honest, if the price settled around 45 to a dollar then US shale gas production would continue, and the price would be fairly stable.
Brent is now up to 36 dollars.

On the exchange markets the hryvnia has finally fallen further against the dollar.
It had been remarkably strong over the past month. I suspect intervention, to be honest.
Now -
Hryvnia to one dollar / one euro / one pound
Inverse: 25.6499 27.7813 36.5267
from www.xe.com

The ruble is up, on the oil price, for sure.
Inverse: 75.7235 82.0157 107.834
75.7 to a dollar. It was 82 I think at some point last week.

11:32
http://hronika.info/kriminal/117611-u-mayorska-v-ozhestochennom-boyu-ubili-boyca-i-ranili-volontera.html
The night of January 30 in the area of ​​the ATO was one of the most difficult in the last few months, volunteers say. Militants fired power intensive ATO mortars. About Maiorsk took a hard fight, in which the Ukrainian soldier was killed and volunteer who tried to save him, suffered shrapnel wounds.
News reported medical volunteer Ilya Lysenko, Hronika.info reports quoting "Press of Ukraine"...

Putin and his trigger-happy entourage continue to provoke a war against NATO member Turkey, Russian journalist Sasha Sotnik writes in Facebook Jan. 30, commenting on the violation of Turkey’s airspace by a Russian fighter.

The latest statements by the UK and US on the incident made Putin mad, he wrote.

Putin is well aware of the fact that he is given a cold shoulder by the West, and West’s patience is wearing thin and Russia’s state coffers are close to empty, Sotnik writes.

Putin is a political terrorist, killer and war criminal of the global scale. His entourage is the same kind of people. They have taken Russia’s population hostage. The Russians are poor, scared and agrees to anything, the journalist says.

The power in Russia has been usurped by a group of terrorists. It’s time to start the rescue operation, Sotnik sums up.

zik.ua

Employees of the State Border Guard Service and the State Fiscal Service discovered $260 000 during the search of Volkswagen Tuareg SUV at Novotroitske checkpoint.

Censor.NET reports citing the press service of the State Border Guard Service.

"The cache was found under the rear seat. The owner of the vehicle turned out to be 56-year-old resident of the Donetsk region. The car and the money were handed over to the fiscal services for the proper legal decision," the statement reads.




censor.net.ua In Russian

The Brookings Institution analyst says that the international community has applied sanctions many times typically without notable success. But “the sanctions against Russia have turned out to be embarrassing in terms of their impact” – and less in the economic realm than in the political one.

First of all, she points out, “the sanctions have demonstrated Russia’s dependence on developed countries and the lack of its independence even in carrying out its service role as a raw materials supplier.” Second, “the failure of the foreign policy of the Kremlin which has been directed at undermining the unity of the West has become an obvious failure.”

Despite expectations and the work of Kremlin lobbyists, “the liberal democracies have demonstrated the ability to preserve their unity as far as the sanctions regime is concerned.” But third, there is growing concern that the impact of sanctions on Russia could lead to its collapse – and that is something the West fears almost as much as the Kremlin does.

“Since the fall of 2014, the Kremlin (through Minsk 1 and then Minsk 2) began to search for a path out of the war with Ukraine and the lifting of sanctions but under the condition that it be allowed to save face. Today, what is being discussed are meanings of saving [the Kremlin’s] face: how to present a defeat as a victory.”

According to Shevtsova, Moscow’s aggressiveness is “only an attempt to force the West to accept the Kremlin conditions for making that happen. And apparently, many in the West are ready for a deal, for the collapse of the Kremlin is more frightening than accusations of a new ‘Munich.’”

The Moscow analyst doesn’t say, but her words clearly suggest that the world is at the point of precisely a new Munich, one in which a second tier power is sacrificed because of the threats of a larger one and in which that larger one learns a very dangerous lesson: with the Western countries, aggressive behavior and threats work.

A new Munich does appear very much at hand, given the continuing statements by Western leaders that they want to end sanctions if only Moscow will show “good will.” But history suggests that what everyone should be worrying about is not a Munich itself but instead rather what will come after it...................

To read further go to this link:  ukrainebusiness.com.ua

U.S. Textron Systems and the Ukroboronprom State Concern will establish industrial cooperation to modernize U.S. HMMWVs at the Ukrainian defense industrial facilities to the Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicles (SCTV) with improved anti-mine and ballistic protection similar to that of MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) protection.

The contract was signed by Textron Systems and SpetsTechnoExport, incorporated in Ukroboronprom. The information that the contract was signed was announced by Ukraine during the International Armoured Vehicles Conference held on January 25 through January 28, 2016 in London, the press service of SpetsTechnoExport reported.

The contract entails an initial low rate production of three SCTVs that will be delivered to Ukraine in an ongoing effort to vastly improve the survivability and mobility of their light tactical vehicle fleet as well as a possibility to use the patented Textron Systems technologies for upgrading HMMWVs at Ukroboronprom enterprises. Other details of the contract are not disclosed.

"It features a fully-armored, monocoque v-hull crew survivability capsule designed to provide the highest levels of protection technology available in its class of vehicles. Additionally, engine upgrades and suspension enhancements provide for superior performance and mobility," the press service said..............

To read further go to this link:   interfax.com.ua

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is waiting that $1.5 billion stolen by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's allies will be returned to the national budget, and then it will be spent on the maintenance and modernization of the army and improvement in social standards.

He said that the government had increased the funding of the security and defense sectors by UAH 16 billion to UAH 113 billion in 2016 with a simultaneous increase in salaries and allowances paid to military personnel.

Another source for further increase in the maintenance of the military in addition to economic growth is the seizure of assets illegally earned by the former regime. And such seizures are foreseen by the law on the national budget. "The government has no right to seize [assets], impose sentences, make someone liable for crimes, but the government has the right to freeze assets after a financial investigation has been conducted," he said.

Last year the government took advantage of this right, and $ 1.5 billion in assets belonging to the former regime was frozen. "But until now, there has been neither a court ruling nor the seizure of those assets in favor of the state budget of Ukraine. No court verdict [on this case] has been passed in the past year and a half," he added................

To read further go to this link:   unian.info

Billionaire George Forty donated to the presidential campaign of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's $ 6 million, reports The Hill.

It is noted that the billionaire has allocated this amount in December 2015, however, it became known only after the regular publication of data collected on the pre-election headquarters of media policy.

According to local media reports, after the third quarter of 2015. Clinton's election headquarters has spent $ 25.8 million, it remained unspent $ 33 million. It is reported that this amount subsequently increased several times.

glavcom.ua In Russian

Italian contractor Saipem, which has been selected for the construction of the underwater part of the pipeline "South Stream", sent a request for arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris against controlled by "Gazprom» South Stream Transport BV in November 2015. It is reported by "RBK" after reviewing the materials for investors.

South Stream Transport is the operator of the construction of the underwater part of the "South Stream", which should pass under the Black Sea, bypassing Ukraine, but was never implemented. According to the lawsuit Saipem requires it to € 759 million.

It clarifies that this complaint may be included in the common action to recover damages for that contract was terminated, as well as a penalty subsidiary of "Gazprom". In this case, the amount of damages has not yet been fully calculated. According to the materials of the Italian company, South Stream Transport has been notified of the impending arbitration proceedings already December 15, 2015.

According to the official representative of "Gazprom», South Stream Transport has received notice of the claim. He added that the company was trying to resolve the dispute peacefully, but the Italian contractor decided to sue. The Representative stressed that South Stream Transport intends to defend their interests and fully contested claims Saipem.

glavcom.ua In Russian