Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Tuesday 01 March. [Ukrainian sources]

TUESDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the day

News -
Russians fire 54 times at Ukrainian people yesterday.
No dead. 3 injured yesterday.
Sadly reading 3 killed when car hit mine today. See Admin post about 15 down.

Weather -
Rain and rain and rain again. But warm. +4 now at 0800. Well above average for the 1st of March.
I would think that was the warmest February ever in Ukraine.
8 pm now. And about +7 outside! Spring?! Amazing!

Observation -
You will probably have read the sad story about a woman decapitating a young child in Moscow. note -
The fake story about a child being crucified in Ukraine generated far far far more press coverage the their own real Moscow decapitation.

6:56
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/03/1/7100723/
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hopes that the elections will be held in the Donbass in the first half of this year.
He told reporters after the meeting of the UN Security Council, which presented the program of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2016, the year of her presidency in Germany, reports Ukrinform.
"We will try to achieve some progress, especially in the security situation and discuss a new electoral law for eastern Ukraine, in the Donbass, which is essential for the elections to be held in the first half of this year" - said Steinmeier.
According to him, this will be the key issues that Foreign Minister "Norman format" to discuss next Thursday, March 3, in Paris....
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He thinks elections will placate Putin and the war will stop. Elections won't change anything.
The terrorists will elect themselves, and the war will continue.

3:47
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/03/1/7100718/
Agreed with the European party law on electronic declaration will be adopted at the next plenary week Parliament.
This was stated by the leaders of parliamentary factions "Block Poroshenko" and "People's Front" Yury Lutsenko, Maxim Bourbaki, Interfax-Ukraine.
"The problem is that the law was adopted last convocation of the Parliament in the last days of its existence and a rather populist, had no specific mechanisms for implementation. Now Parliament has specified its position, but, again, did not reach the optimum quality. As seen our European partners, many MPs, including our party, he narrowed the circle of people who are required to submit these declarations, "- Lutsenko said at a joint press conference with leaders of parliamentary factions in Brussels.
The politician added: "I think that this debate will be over for the third time ... this law will be realistic and European depth to use it. I think it happens in the first days of the next plenary week Verkhovna Rada."...
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They are all happy browsing the internet, and writing text messages and everything in the Rada, rather than concentrating on their job.
But - when it comes to declaring their own business, interests, online - er.... no thank you... maybe next year, sometimes... never... Corruption. And lies.
Just like immunity from prosecution.... disappeared from the agenda - again.

http://www.unian.info/politics/1278934-ukraine-calls-on-un-to-beef-up-international-presence-in-donbas.html
..."It is evident that the uncontrolled segment of the Ukrainian-Russian border makes the impact of all international efforts on de-escalation very limited as replenishments to the illegal armed groups with weapons and manpower from Russia continue," he added.
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Obviously Russia will oppose this.
If the border is secured the war will stop. Putin, Cherkin, Lavrov do not want this.
Russia wants war, death and more death, and misery, and more misery. Russia today.

http://www.unian.info/politics/1278897-poroshenko-no-snap-election-ukraine-wont-have-better-parliament.html
....Poroshenko cited former Minister of Foreign Affairs Hennadiy Udovenko who he considers to be his teacher, saying that the key values for a politician should be honesty, professionalism and patriotism. "Unfortunately, some politicians add their ambitions and even personal indignation, which become huge obstacles. A real leader focuses primarily on state interests," he said.
Ukraine needs responsible, patriotic, professional and honest leaders today, he added....
====
100%. Agree.
Elections - shifting the deckchairs on the Titanic. They need to work together to keep the ship afloat.
Liashko and Tymoshenko need to stop thinking about votes for a day or 365. (366).

9:03
http://nbnews.com.ua/ru/news/174515/
Tuesday, March 1 announced the warning in Kyiv region: expected strong wind gusts reached 20 meters per second. This was reported by the press service of the Hydrometeorological Center.
"Prevention in Kiev and Kiev region: March 1 afternoon gusts of 15-20 m / s", - said in a statement...
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Looked at the long-term forecast. Looks like +2 or so at night, and +8 or so day for the next week, with rain on and off. Very mild. Again.

9:15
http://delo.ua/ukraine/bolee-2600-ukrainskih-voennyh-pogibli-i-bolee-9-tys-raneny-s-fe-312890/
... "This [Russian occupying] army is equipped with modern Russian weapons: heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers BM-21" Grad "," Tornado "and TOS-1" Buratino ", a means of encrypted communication and surveillance (electronic war systems" Mercury-BM "," Rosehip -Aero "," Leer-2 ", 1RD257" Krasuha-4 "), anti-aircraft missile systems" Buk "(SA-11 Gadfly)," Strela "(SA-13, the Gopher)," Carapace "(SA-22 Greyhound ). Now armed with this army is about 470 tanks, 870 armored vehicles, 450 artillery systems, 190 MLRS. Russia also uses such prohibited weapons like rockets carrying submunitions (9M55K) and anti-personnel mines (PMN-2, MON-50 ) ", - said in a statement.
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Blood on the hands of the Russian people. Terrorist nation lead by a mad dictator, who they blindly support like docile sheep.

http://www.rferl.org/content/little-green-babies-crimean-newborns-handed-military-draft-notices/27581291.html
...Three newborn babies were presented with military draft notices along with their birth certificates last week by the Russian authorities who control the Crimean Peninsula....
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What a mad mad nation Russia has become. War and War. It knows nothing else. A copy of nazi-Germany. One difference - Chancellor Adolf Hitler has been replaced by Dictator Vladimir Putin.

Former Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov in the government of Paul Lebedev admits his nomination for the post of "Governor" of the occupied Sevastopol instead of Sergei Menyailo. He stated this in an interview to "X", reports "Krym.Realii".

Commenting on the situation in Sevastopol Pavel Lebedev said that "it is time to end the conflict between the governor and the Legislature."

"I am confident that the president (President of Russia Vladimir Putin) in the near future will make the right decision", - said Lebedev.

The reasons for the difficult situation in the city, he blames "the American political consultants, who organized the Maidan."

In the elections, including the post of the so-called governor of Sevastopol, according to the ex-Minister of Defense of Ukraine, "the main thing - the technology and money."

Recall Paul Lebedev was the Minister of Defense of Ukraine from 24 December 2012 until 27 February 2014. February 27, 2014 by the decision of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine dismissed. However, even before his retirement on February 21 left Kiev, having left in Sevastopol.

glavcom.ua In Russian

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-seeks-scapegoats-after-nanny-arrested-with-child-severed-head/27581353.html
====
Many comments about how long it took to arrest her -
Alexey Navalny ✔ ‎@navalny
Нормативы спецслужб РФ:
- у метро с антипутинским плакатом - 5 мин до задержания;
- у метро с головой ребёнка и криком "Аллах Акбар" - 1 час
12:06 PM - 29 Feb 2016
“The protocol of Russia’s special services: standing by the metro with an anti-Putin banner -- 5 mins until arrest; standing by the metro with a child’s head shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ -- 1 hour.”

European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and negotiations on expanding Johannes Hahn urges the Verkhovna Rada deputies of the need now, not in the future, to enact legislation required for the introduction of a visa-free regime with EU Ukraine. He said this today in Brussels in the framework of "Ukrainian week" at the European Parliament, reports "UNIAN".

"The European Commission helps in this. But it is necessary that the Ukrainian parliament decided in such a way that all the necessary criteria, "were made - he stressed.

As an example, Hahn led the electronic declaration system.

"It is important that all this was discovered, what is the situation with private property, it must be done now, not in future", - said the commissioner.

In addition, according to him, in case of implementation of the necessary reforms Ukraine will be able to receive external financial support.

"We wish success to the Ukraine, and we hope that Ukraine will become a" successful country ", - he added.

glavcom.ua In Russian

Canadian charity workers are planning to send 16 mobile hospitals to Ukraine, Canada-Ukraine Foundation President Viktor Hetmanchuk told journalists Feb. 29.

“Six of the vehicles are ready and being added some extra equipment. They will be in Ukraine by June,” he said.

They will go to Kharkiv and its rural areas. They will serve as alternatives to stationary hospitals, Viktor Hetmanchuk said. 

Our priority is to send more hospitals to Eastern Ukraine where the infrastructure was destroyed the most, the Canadian said.

zik.ua

Deputy head of the national police Oleksy Rudenko build a 430-square meter mansion in the elite Pukhivka condo near Kyiv. He had no business, just his salary, ZIK reports in its investigatory program Feb. 29.

According to his official bio, Rudenko served in the police all his life, becoming Kyiv police deputy head in 2010. Then he resigned. 

In 2011, Rudenko registered his mansion. Then he bought a new Audi Q7, followed by Mercedes ML 250 – all in 2011. According to his last income declaration, Rudenko’s earnings amounted to UAH 28,000 ($112), ZIk journalists say. 
  
After the 2014 revolution Rudenko returned to the police, was promoted to general’s rank, becoming Interior Minister Avakov’s deputy.

The general refused to explain to ZIK the sources of his income and assets.





Policemen have enough money for lake and closed Cottages.

zik.ua

Deputy Prosecutor General - prosecutor of the Odesa region Davit Sakvarelidze is willing to identify the man who offered him a bribe of $10 million monthly.

This is evidenced by Sakvarelidze's testimony provided by him during an interrogation and made public by Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrainski Novyny.

"I have remembered this person and can identify [him]. He is a man aged 40 to 45, lean, about 180 cm of height, dark-haired, prolate face," Sakvarelidze's testimony reads.

Read more: Investigators inquiring into case of 'diamond prosecutors' dismissed, - Sakvarelidze

According to the document, the man was wearing an expensive sweat suit and held a dark murse in his hands.

The protocol of the interrogation reads that Sakvarelidze visited Botanical garden in Kyiv on April 11, 2015, and is willing to show the spot where he had a conversation with this unknown man.

censor.net.ua In Russian

A car with Ukrainian servicemen exploded in the Luhansk region. As a result, three soldiers died, two received injuries.

Censor.NET reports quoting a statement by the Luhansk Regional Civil-Military Administration.

"Today, March 1, on the road between Novotoshkivske and Hirske, a car with soldiers of the 80th Brigade tripped a mine. By preliminary data, the incident claimed lives of three soldiers and injured two," the statement notes.

Read more: One Ukrainian soldier killed, one captured in landmine blast last week, - ATO spokesman

"The police is investigating the circumstances of the tragic incident," Luhansk regional civil military administration Head Heorhii Tuka said.

censor.net.ua In Russian

http://www.unian.info/economics/1279927-ukraine-sees-surplus-of-120-mln-in-balance-of-payments-in-jan.html
....As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's balance of payments in 2015 demonstrated transition to a surplus, which amounted to $849 million, from a deficit estimated at $13.3 billion in 2014.
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Basically good news. Moving in the right direction. But the babushkas are not happy.
I listened to two this morning at a bus stop. Talking about how wonderful things were in the days of the Soviet Union. Saying stupid things like -
"people used to go to the park" (What? They still do! Open your eyes), or "people used to take holidays"....
Old babkas dreaming of their youthful days which will never return. Nothing to do with the Soviet Union. Simply - they were young, and being chased by young men 50 years ago!!

http://www.unian.info/economics/1279623-nbu-worsens-inflation-forecast-for-this-year.html
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) projects this year’s inflation at 13% against a target rate of 12%, said NBU Deputy Governor Dmytro Sologub at a roundtable devoted to macroeconomic forecasting that is held in Kyiv.....
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Not bad. A lot of this increase will be down to putting electricity prices up another 25%!!
They need to steady the increases on gas and electricity now. Then inflation will drop like a stone.

http://www.unian.info/economics/1279544-household-gas-tariffs-to-rise-by-53-from-april.html
Chief of the National Commission for State Energy and Public Utilities Regulation, Dmytro Vovk, says the minimum gas tariff for households and district heating utility companies will increase by 53% from April 1, from UAH 3,600 UAH with VAT included to UAH 5,500 with VAT included per 1,000 cubic meters....
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This seems amazing but...
They have a "winter" tariff, and a "summer" one. Gas is much more expensive in the summer.
Why they do this? Stupid. They need to have one price the whole year round.

Russian militants almost every night provoke Ukrainian soldiers. Fighters of the 17th Separate Mechanized Infantry Battalion engaged in combat near Horlivka.

As reported by Censor.NET referring to TSN, terrorists first opened fire on the adjacent positions and then began to fire at soldiers of the 17th Battalion. The engagement lasted for about an hour, after which militants requested a cease-fire.



censor.net.u In Russian

http://en.censor.net.ua/news/376971/three_ukrainian_military_wounded_yesterday_ato_speaker
...No Ukrainian military were killed in combat activities in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in the east of Ukraine yesterday, three received wounds. ...
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Sadly reading that 3 have been killed today - see Admin's post above - mine.

A lawyer for Ukraine’s ousted former president, Viktor Yanukovych, says his client now wants to return to Ukraine and serve as its president.

Speaking in an interview with the Glavkom newspaper, lawyer Vitaly Sergyuk said Yanukovych intends “to return to Ukraine” from his exile in Russia and that “legal steps will be taken for this.”

Sergyuk maintains that Yanukovych did not relieve himself of his duties as president and opt out of ruling Ukraine.

The lawyer also maintains that the procedure to dismiss Yanukovych from office violated Ukraine’s constitution...........

rferl.org

Two posts' up.

Excellent video report by Whitmore. You don't hear many western journalists giving it straight like this. Too many are scared of Putin.
Also - rather worrying, what he says.

Last week prominent Jewish religious and civic leaders addressed a moving appeal to the people of the Netherlands who are due to shortly vote in a referendum on whether to ratify the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, Human Rights in Ukraine reports. While the Dutch referendum is not binding on the government, a vote against ratification would be a blow to Ukrainians and a gift to eurosceptics who are currently receiving strong support from Russia.

“Ukraine, together with its Jewish community, which is one of the largest in Europe, is living through one of the most dramatic moments in its history. For the first time in hundreds of years of co-existence in this multinational land, the country has gained the chance to create a political nation. This chance is the result of the victory of civil society, a victory in which Ukrainian Jews played a major role, over the authoritarian and corrupt regime of ex-President Yanukovych.

“Ukraine has one of the lowest levels of anti-Semitic behaviour in Europe. Preparations are underway for fitting remembrance activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the Babi Yar Massacre, and the lessons from the Holocaust are taught in many large and small cities in Ukraine. Jewish public life has been re-established during the years since Ukraine gained Independence and there are dozens of Jewish schools, synagogues and charitable organizations.“

The authors stress that Jews were united with ethnic Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, Russians, Armenians and others on Euromaidan demonstrations throughout Ukraine two years ago in upholding their European choice.

“That choice is based on the principles of democracy, tolerance, equality of all before the law and observance of inalienable human rights. Many paid the highest price for this, sacrificing their lives.” They mention the first two activists killed in Kyiv. Serhiy Nigoyan was himself born in Ukraine, but of Armenian parents who had fled the fighting in Nagorny Karabakh shortly before his birth. Mikhail Zhyznevsky was a Belarusian who had lived in Ukraine for many years. Those killed included Ukrainian Jews – Josif Shilling from Drohobych; Oleksandr Shcherbanyuk from Chernivtsi and Yevhen Kotlyar, an environmental activist from Kharkiv. Jewish people, the authors stress, are also involved in defending and building a new European Ukraine....................

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

Analyst: “This also means that it will take decades to make the Donbas region economically viable again and attractive for investment. The long-term presence of mines will adversely affect the performance of Donbas-based companies. This is unfortunate considering Donbas was among Ukraine’s most prospective regions before the war began.”

The mine removal process in Donbas will require at least UAH 1 billion hryvnias (USD 37 mln) and at least 10-15 years, Concorde Capital informed its clients today. The advisory was based on an announcement on Civic Radio on Feb. 28 by Serhiy Zubarevskiy, the head of the coordinating group to counteract homemade explosives at the Defense Ministry.......

ukrainebusiness.com.ua

IMO, this would be an indication that Russia's not intending to keep the area, after the losses they've endured. If it's going to take years to clean these minefields, that would mean those areas won't be able to be used for anyone, till they're cleared. That would be a loss for them with the resources they'd have to put into it. Terrorists won't go through those areas anytime soon. So they've basically barricaded themselves into a corner.

I recall what South Viet Nam had to go through to clear minefields. And periodically I still hear of civilians being killed after so many decades. So those areas in Ukraine will never be safe again for anyone.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-tv-silent-over-child-killed-by-nanny-in-moscow/561091.html
...But none of the major television networks — including Channel One, Rossia-1, NTV and Moscow's TVTs — made a single mention of the incident in their newscasts,...
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A child being decapitated in Moscow - no go area. But a fake story about child crucifixions in Ukraine - fair game. The Russian press. Shaun Walker's buddies at RIA novosti and the Kremlin pinheads.

Ukraine has already filed several claims to the European Court of Human Rights, but is that enough to make Crimea the part of the Ukraine again?

On Viewpoint, Ukraine Today discusses the legal implications of Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Volodymyr Solohub is joined by Maria Issaeva, the Partner of Moscow-based law firm and international lawyer.

"Ukraine is doing what it should, to bring the case to the law."............

uatoday.tv

This thread now continued for Wednesday 02 March at
https://ukraine-english-news.forumotion.com/t2293-ukraine-crisis-news-in-brief-wednesday-02-march-ukrainian-sources

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https://ukraine-english-news.forumotion.com/
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