Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Thursday 14 April [Ukrainian sources]

THURSDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the day

News -
80 attacks by Putin. Sadly reading one dead, one wounded.

Can they get a coation together in the Rada today?
Update - 0930 - bill 4420 in parliament. President proposes Groisman as PM.



Nothing about this, as of yet, in the Yulia-Kyiv-Post. Or on any English language website.
You read it here first at Ukraine English News. Bill posted at rada.gov.ua

Update at 1230.
Rada votes 257 to dismiss Yatseniuk and appoint Groisman PM
Rada votes 284 in favour of Parubiy as speaker.
Rada approves new government with 239 votes
Vote to dismiss Yatseniuk and appoint Groisman was in one bill. Many deputies not happy about this.
I must admit that it confused me. I was expecting a separate vote on Groisman as PM.

Weather -
Bright sunshine, blue sky. +10 at 0800. High maybe of 20C today.
Once again, way above average.
I would hope that many towns have switched the communal heating off.

Footie -
Shakhtar play Braga tonight in Lviv. Late game. They have good chances.
Europa league last 8, 2nd leg. Other good game - Lpool v B Dortmund.

http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/04/14/7105435/
Near the questionnaire militants used 152-mm artillery - ATO headquarters
Thursday, April 14, 2016, 6:26
During the days that passed 80 times militants opened fire on the positions of the Armed Forces, but the situation in the zone of the antiterrorist operation is fully controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The press center ATO headquarters.
In particular, there was 28 shelling of mortars caliber 120 mm and 82 mm in areas Mayorska, Pisky, Zaitsev and Trohizbenky.
Most efforts directed on enemy defenders of Ukraine in Avdeevka. And towards the defense questionnaire on basic points ATO forces shelling was carried out simultaneously with the receiver caliber 152 mm artillery, mortars of various calibers and BMP.
Breaking the silence mode, illegal armed groups use different weapons against the forces ATO near Marinka, Mine Butivka, Svetlodarsk, gold, Luhansk and Verhnotoretskoho.
During this period, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had 12 times to open fire in response.
=====

Over the past couple of weeks Putin has increased the number of attacks from 20 or 30 a day to 80 or 90.
And not a peak from the west. Nothing.

00:31
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/04/14/7105423/
....she added. Now the BPP party has 145 deputies, along with the faction "People's Front" (MP 81) is 226 parliamentarians....
===
MP Iryna, not Yuri Lutsenko.

http://www.c6f.navy.mil/news/us-navy-ship-encounters-aggressive-russian-aircraft-baltic-sea
Summary:
A United States Navy Destroyer operating in international waters in the Baltic Sea experienced several close interactions by Russian aircraft on April 11 and 12, 2016...



====
Yeah - looks like a "close interaction".

10 am. Nothing too much happening as of yet, but deputies assembling.
Will they appoint a new cabinet today?
Not sure if they need to announce a new coalition, as they believe they still have 226 MPs. Not sure on this.
Also bill from the President asking for Groisman to be PM.
Rada Tv currently showing live pictures. But session yet to start as far as I can tell. Though it is typically very difficult to tell whether Ukrainian MPs are working are not. They usually spend all their time on their mobiles, texting, talking, and never actually listen to what is going on.

9:57
http://obozrevatel.com/politics/68903-krizis-zakonchitsya-segodnya-v-bpp-rasskazali-kogda-novoe-pravitelstvo-nachnet-rabotat.htm
On Thursday, Parliament will vote for the dismissal of Arseniy Yatsenyuk, for the appointment of Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman, as well as the composition of the Cabinet and of the program of action of the new government.
Such an opinion in the comment "Internet" was expressed by MP from the Bloc Petro Poroshenko Alexander Liviko.
"I'm optimistic expectations are votes , there is an agreement I think that in the late afternoon Parliament will vote even for the Cabinet and its program of action..", - Said Liviko....

On Rada tv. 10.30 now.
Getting some good applause during his speech. Lot of talk about the war - and Russian aggression.
====

see also
Parliament is considering the appointment of a new government (translation) (Hromadske.tv)
http://www.hromadske.tv/politics/570f43ae63736/
Parliament is considering the appointment of a new prime minister and elect a coalition government. In the courtroom registered 379 MPs. Parliament also attended by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko....

=====
President live on tv. Rada meeting to approve a new cabinet, a new PM.
And absolutely not a word about this - even now - at 10.37 am - from the Kyiv Post. Or in an English language website.
What is going on?
Maybe the Kyiv Post staff have been ordered to attend a "Tymoshenko butt kissing session" by their owner, known to have business links with penniless billionaire Tymoshenko.
=====
Poroshenko still going strong at 10.48.
Really - I agree with all he is saying. Times are hard. But we can't just keep changing the government, and changing the cabinet every few weeks or months.
That would be a receipe for disaster.  
Tymoshenko and the Kyiv Post won't like it. You can be sure of that. Tymoshenko wants new elections. Power.
But for Ukraine and the long term future - in my opinion - he is correct.
[He just said also - that he's going to Lviv later today. ]
Just finished.
10.49. Good speech. My opinion.
Hopefully by the end of today they will sort things out.

Just went out to the supermarket.
Got back - switched on the tv - and 1 minute later they voted for Parubiy.
284 votes. He got a standing ovation from many of the Deputies.
Also just appointed - 260 votes - Deputy Speaker. name something like Gerashenko.
I'll try and find a post in the official news .
Lots and lots of flowers today in the Rada.

https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/rada-izbrala-spikerom-vr-parubiya-1460553900.html
confirms above.

====
Groisman now speaking, and called PM.... but...
I can't find any vote the Rada have had for him to be PM. And some other deputy - possibly Liashko or Opposition block is shouting about this as Groisman talks.
Good point - the Rada haven't voted on Groisman.

http://espreso.tv/news/2016/04/14/geraschenko_obraly_vice_spikerom_rady
====
Observation.
When she was elected, Groisman presented her with flowers. And he had a long long wisper in her ear about something.
Maybe saying wait until tomorrow to take your seat. My guess.
===

Ok So the new cabinet are sat in their places. Almost all men. That's bad.
Groisman is sat in the PM's chair. But the Rada have not had a separate vote about this. Only the coalition - whatever that is - have had a vote on this.
Seems strange to me - and some others in the Rada.
[Well - there was a vote to dismiss yatseniuk, which was also linked to appointing Groisman... mmm...]
Anyway - it seems as if Ukraine has a new PM, and a new Speaker, and a new Cabinet, and a not so new coalition.
But a bit wierd to me - no separate clear vote on Groisman as PM.

12:59
Groisman presented parliament his team (Gazeta.ua)
http://gazeta.ua/articles/politics/_grojsman-predstaviv-parlamentu-svoyu-komandu/692097
===
All named in the link - just a few here
Cabinet Minister - Oleksandr Sayenko;
Finance Minister - Alexander Danyluk;
Defense Minister - Stepan Poltorak;
Foreign Minister - Pavel Klimkin;
Minister of Internal Affairs - Arsen Avakov;
Notice that many of these ministers have retained their posts. But no Jaresko.

13.09
Over the past day one Ukrainian soldier was killed and another was wounded (MFN)
http://nbnews.com.ua/ru/news/178095/
====
Sad news. The politicians play games, and the people die defending their land from Russian aggression.

13:08
Under Russian troops threw Mariupol (Hronika.info)
http://hronika.info/ukraina/135879-pod-mariupol-perekinuli-rossiyskiy-desant.html
Confirmed transfer to Novoazovsk unit 45 separate brigade of special purpose (Kubinka, Moscow Region.) Airborne Troops of the Armed Forces of Russia....

Got 239 votes. I presume this includes Groisman.
Somebody from the Narodni Front was also asking my question - what about a vote on the PM?

Vote for the Cabinet. 0 votes from Tymoshenko.
Liashko also ranting on. He is not happy. He wanted to be speaker. Now he is in the opposition long term. So he needs to make a noise - like Tymoshenko.

====
Found this
Rada voted for a new government (List) (24 channel)
http://24tv.ua/rada_progolosuvala_za_noviy_sklad_uryadu_spisok_n676751
===
Confirms 239 votes. Ok majority.

http://www.unian.info/politics/1319194-big-day-in-rada-as-top-reshuffles-take-place-photo-report.html#ad-image-0
Today, on April 14, the Verkhovna Rada approved the resignation of Arseniy Yatsenyuk from his post of prime minister and appointed a new head of Government Volodymyr Groysman.
257 deputies out of 390 MPS registered in the session hall supported the decision....
====
I presume this happened while I was at the supermarket.
But many deputies are not happy, and say that there should be a separate vote on the PM.
====
see also
Rada appoints Hroisman prime minister of Ukraine: " I will show you how to rule the country". VIDEO
http://en.censor.net.ua/video_news/384312/rada_appoints_hroisman_prime_minister_of_ukraine_i_will_show_you_how_to_rule_the_country_video
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has supported as a whole the draft bill No 4423 on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
The bill was supported by 257 MPs, Censor.NET informs.
The draft No 4423 was proposed to the Rada by Yurii Lutsenko and Maksym Burbak. This document stipulates for appointment of Volodymyr Hroisman prime minister of Ukraine and dismissal of Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk together with ministers of his Cabinet.

A bit of fighting, pushing, broke out in the rada.
A couple of votes passed with 226. Wow...
Maybe some dodgy voting? I don't know.
But then the next vote was only 222, and 223. 226 is needed for a majority.
Then the new Speaker, Parubiy adjourned the session, as far as I can understand. Very quick finish.

https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/rada-provalila-golosovanie-programmu-deyatelnosti-1460633581.html
===
Says only got 211, and then 222 votes.

Commenting on the latest developments in Ukraine in Facebook Apr. 14, a renowned political expert Karl Volokh has this to say:

1. “There was no creeping usurpation of power by the president. The president, who for 1.5 years had been trying to down Yatseniuk, is now much more dependable on the People’s Front than before due to the structure of the coalition.

Following Yatseniuk’s resignation, the vulnerability of PF team has decreased radically, with its clout getting stronger, it seems. The president even agreed to have PF members in the prosecutor general’s office.

2. Grojsman has clearly demonstrated that he won’t take orders from anyone. The reason for the lengthy stand-off during the formation of the cabinet line-up shows how cautious he is in picking his ministers.

Grojsman is against Poroshenko’s insiders taking key positions in the government.”

zik.ua

The progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements must be reciprocal.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said today at the 9th Kyiv Security Forum, Censor.NET reports citing UNIAN.

According to him, it is rather important for the Ukrainians to remain at a high level of morality, and everyone, including the members of NATO and the EU, should understand that Ukraine can not fulfill all its obligations under the Minsk agreements If Russia and militants do nothing positive in this regard.

Vershbow stressed that the progress in implementing the deal should be reciprocal.

censor.net.ua   In Ukrainian/український

Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Direct Line on Thursday was asked about the current situation of the Russian economy.

Answering the question, what is the current streak in the Russian economy: black or white, Putin said: "Grey," Gazeta.ru reports.

According to Putin, "the situation has not changed," but the trend is positive.
Russian President also gave some details: the decline in GDP is up to 3.3%, but in the future, GDP growth is planned to be 1.4%.

"It's hard to reach the bottom," Putin said. He also cited data from the "special table," which he took with him.

He said that the real incomes of the population decreased by 4%, and real wages fell even more......

unian.info

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday acknowledged the authenticity of recent disclosures about offshore companies owned by prominent Russians, including one of his oldest friends, but he said they were not proof of any wrongdoing.

But Putin, during a nearly four-hour question-and-answer session, also took aim at the international team of journalists that produced the Panama Papers report detailing shell companies, tax havens and financial dealings by political figures and others around the world.

[Russian theories abound over Panama Papers]

He claimed that reports on the trove of leaked documents, from the law firm Mossack Fonseca, was an attempt to “muddy the waters” at the behest of the U.S. government and New York-based investment bank Goldman Sachs — without giving details to back up the claims.

“First of all, however strange it may seem, the information is accurate,” he said, referring to what was in the leak.....................



To read further go to this link:  washingtonpost.com

Russia says its warplanes respected all safety protocols when they buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Baltic Sea earlier this week.

The U.S. European Command said the Russian jets buzzed the USS Donald Cook multiple times on Monday and Tuesday in what was described as a “simulated attack profile.”

The pair of attack jets flew 20 passes on the ship on Monday, coming as close as 1,000 yards at an altitude of 100 feet, ignoring radio calls from the Cook and forcing the ship to cancel flight operations, U.S. European Command said.............

To read further go to this link:  washingtontimes.com

The latest invention by Anastasia Livochka, a fugitive from Donbas and Year 10 pupil now living in Lviv, was how to treat wounded servicemen during transportation to hospital on bumpy roads, ZIK reports Apr. 14.

Anastasia proposed an easily installed elastic band on which a drip-drop bottle is fixed with minimum shakes due to rough going.

The band can be installed in almost all kinds of vehicles.

Last year, Anastasia came up with the idea of how to mask the smoke coming through chimneys from the stoves in the dugouts. The smoke was used by the enemy as a landmark to shell the area. This invention by the schoolgirl is widely used by Ukrainian servicemen.

She says she and her family received a warm welcome from Lviv residents. Anastasia has many friends now and she is never left alone with her problems, she says.

zik.ua

US Vice President Joe Biden in a conversation with the new Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman emphasized the need for quick implementation of reforms and the implementation of the Minsk agreements, Reuters reported with reference to the White House.

"The Vice-President stressed that international support for Ukraine's new team must quickly carry out a program of reforms, including obligations to the IMF, as well as adhere to the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and to approve the candidacy of the new reform Attorney General", - said in a statement.

In early April, Petro Poroshenko after a conversation with US Vice President Joe Biden said the United States in addition to lend Ukraine $ 335 million on security sector reform.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

The Security Service of Ukraine together with the prosecutor's office have detained mayor of Vyshhorod (the Kyiv region) Oleksii Momot while accepting part of a hefty bribe.

Censor.NET reports citing SBU press service.

"The racketeer extorted €1 million from a representative of a developer for extending a land lease contract and not hampering construction works in a neighborhood," the report reads.

As noted, law enforcers detained four mayor's intermediaries in the center of Kyiv, when they remitted the first part of the bribe in the amount of €200,000 in a branch of one of Kyiv's banks. Another accomplice was apprehended in one of the restaurants, when a representative of the developer handed him property rights documents for non-residential premises with a total area of 2,800 square meters worth more than €700,000.

The mayor was detained in his office after receiving money and documents.

The SBU has instituted criminal proceedings under part 4, article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Urgent investigative actions are underway.




censor.net.ua   In Ukrainian/український

President Petro Poroshenko and Vice President Joe Biden agreed on the allocation of the third tranche of $ 1 billion. This was in a Twitter spokesman president Svyatoslav Tsegolko.

"Poroshenko and Biden agreed to sign an agreement on the third tranche of loan guarantees for 1 billion dollars", - he wrote.

In addition, according to the presidential press service, Biden and Poroshenko "emphasized the importance of intensifying the fight against corruption in Ukraine and the speedy appointment of a new Attorney General."

The President also informed the Vice President about the deterioration of the situation in the Donbass region and noted the trend towards an increase in the number of attacks Ukrainian positions controlled by the Russian fighters.

US Vice President condemned the escalation on the part of the pro-Russian militants, expressed support for the Ukrainian side approaches to the conflict, as well as assured in the same position of Washington to restore the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

President Poroshenko and Vice President Biden once again called on the Russian leadership to immediately release Savchenko Nadezhda, whose state of health is deteriorating as a result of the dry hunger strike.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский

Today, April 14, on the second anniversary since the beginning of anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine, Russian proxies continue to defend the interests of their bosses with arms. Stubbornly neglecting the need to de-escalate the conflict, they are once again trying to unreasonably blame the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the violation of the Minsk agreements and the suffering of civilian population of the Donbas.

Censor.NET reports referring to ATO press center.

"Over the day, militants 50 times opened fire on ATO forces' positions. Starting at night, the enemy nine times hit Avdiivka with small arms and grenade launchers. From 6 a.m., terrorists three times fired 82-mm mortars on Zaitseve and once - on positions in Avdiivka and Butivka mine. Later on, our soldiers in Opytne came under 120-mm mortar fire.

"Using small arms and grenade launchers, terrorists struck our positions in the area of Marinka and Luhanske, while anti-aircraft gun (Zu-23-2) was employed against Novotroitske.

"Except for aimed attacks, militants keep delivering harassing fire. Every time when the enemy approached our strongholds at a dangerous distance, ATO forces opened fire in response. There were seven such case and almost all of them occurred in the Avdiivka industrial area.

"The situation remains tense and has a tendency for further aggravation. However, our troops are ready for any scenario," the evening report notes.

censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

His position on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU will determine the government of the Netherlands before the end of June.

This was announced on Thursday, April 14, Prime Minister Mark Rutte, reports Deutsche Welle .

According to the leader of the Dutch government, the authorities must first determine the position on a referendum in the UK ( held June 23 ) to withdraw from the EU.

Earlier it was reported that the Dutch government asked parliament more time to determine its next steps regarding the referendum on the Association Agreement with Ukraine.

Recall the consultative referendum in the Netherlands on April 6 against the Ukraine Association Agreement with the European Union voted 61% of the Dutch, who came to the station.

eurointegration.com.ua   In Ukrainian/український

Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Andriy Deshchitsa in an interview with "Commander in Chief" said that Russia is trying to play in the creation and organization of provocations that could split Ukraine and Poland.

Recall that in October 2014 the then Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski made a sensation in the media, told that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to Warsaw to take part in the division of Ukraine.

"I do not know the details of the Polish-Russian talks, especially since they already grew a lot of speculation. But there is no such completely expansionist sentiment in the state leadership. Of course there are groups of people who have a sentimental mood in Lviv and Vilnius, the places where their parents were born, and where they would like to go more often. It is, in fact, one of the arguments why we need to have open borders with Europe - to Polish citizens could go to the city as German citizens go to the places that were once German territory, in particular, in Wroclaw. These places, regions should be open to international tourism, for communication. This will contribute to both parties ", - said Deshchitsa.

According to him, in such a sentimental mood in Poland trying to play Russia.

"The fact that in recent years in Poland, there were a few small political groups or movements that are customized anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian (it is possible that they are financed by Russian), that there were some provocations from devastation (destruction, -" Commander in Chief ") monuments Ukrainian soldiers, in particular, the UPA soldiers cemeteries in Poland, could adversely affect the part of the society. Of course, this is not conducive to a friendly atmosphere between the two nations, which now is, after Independence, after the large-scale support for Ukraine by Poland during the Russian aggression confrontation. Therefore, the Russians, in fact, trying to take advantage of the historical memory of provocative moments and thus sow discord between the Ukrainian and Polish. But there is only a very small portion of the Poles, who may succumb to it ", - the ambassador said.

glavcom.ua In Russian/русский