Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Tuesday 10 May [Ukrainian sources]

TUESDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the day

News -
15 attacks by Russian proxies on Ukraine.
Sadly one soldier reported dead, two injured. Vehicle hit mine close to the front line with Russian forces.

Weather -
Another beautiful morning in the capital. Warm, sunshine.
Superb weather for crops also. Some rain showers, and sunshine. High maybe of 20.
Update. 1300. 22C in Kiev. Humid.

Bribing the Clergy -
I was at a BBQ with some friends. One works for Tymoshenko.
He told me how he was going to the Veterans gathering on 09 May. And also to meet the priests from the local villages.
A good opportunity when they are together to discuss their "political" payments.
They need bribing - quite a lot he said, but he didn't say how much - in order to tell their parishoners who to vote for.
Such is politics in Ukraine.

http://www.unian.info/society/1340146-seven-bikers-from-russian-extremist-gang-refused-entry-by-ukraines-border-guards.html
Seven bikers from Russian extremist gang refused entry by Ukraine’s border guards
09.05.2016 | 20:009
Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service refused to allow entry to Ukraine of six citizens of Belarus and another citizen of Moldova, who are all members of the Russian biker movement Night Wolves, according to the agency’s website. ...
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Long detour ahead. Belarus, I presume. Via.. Romania, Slovakia, Poland... ?

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/beware-those-critics-that-prefer-putins-propaganda-bbc-1559123
A petition calling for the BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg to be fired is currently doing the rounds. It boldly states that "should the independent review find Laura Kuenssberg to have been less than impartial and/or find her to take a partisan position we would ask that she is moved to a role that is more suitable."

anti-Kuenssberg petition is all the more tiresome because it is being assiduously promoted by the Canary, a website which represents the very worst of so-called citizen journalism. Like many 'alternative' news websites that have sprung up in recent years, the Canary purports to be 'fearlessly independent' but in practice exchanges one lot of loathsome propaganda for another.
The editor of the Canary accuses the BBC of 'pure propaganda' yet is a regular guest on RT (formerly Russia Today), the fake Kremlin news channel which promotes Holocaust deniers and conspiracy theories about Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons in Syria. Unlike the BBC, which is governed by an at least nominally independent royal charter, RT exists because, as Vladimir Putin's spokesperson has himself said, Russia needs "more propaganda".«Conspiracy theories are a pale imitation of critical thinking and are thus attractive to stupid people who want to feel clever.»This should give some idea as to the sort of 'impartiality' those pushing the anti-BBC petitions are seeking. They don't want editorial independence so much as a mouthpiece that reflects and pushes their own faddish obsessions....
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Interesting.
I hate the bbc, but for other reasons. They always sit on the fence.
Like MH17 "competing theories" ... and also all the " Russia says... Russia denies.... " politically correct garbage. Why not just say, "Russia lies..." .

For those of you interested in Eurovision -

http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=2016

Semifinal 2: Thursday 12 May
Ukraine Jamala 1944

http://newbud.ua/business/news/irpen-brovary-i-borispol-v-liderah-zastroyki-kievskoy-oblasti
Ирпень, Brovarys and Boryspil - leaders of building
области10.05.2016 161
The Kyiv area leads Ukraine in the volume of putting into operation new dwelling real estate.
From data of Government service of statistics, last year on Kyivshchyna 1,7 handed over million square meters of accommodation, up 2.3% of previous year.
Ирпень, Brovarys and Boryspil - in the leaders of building Kyiv On the second place is the capital itself (1,4 million), and in third is the Lviv area (1,0 million). ...
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I actually went through Irpen on Sunday. Lots and lots of new buildings. Mostly apartments, but smaller houses also. Also Bucher, close to Irpen.
I've also been to Brovary and Borispil towns. But not for a year or two now.
Basically - these areas are commutable to Kiev. Irpen. Perhaps 20 minutes on the electric train.
Brovary - minibuses arrive at Kiev metro Lisova about every 30 seconds from Brovary. Unreal.
I was there last week, and will go there tomorrow also. During rush hour they close an exit at Lisova - theoretically for repairs to the escalator.
The volume of people is so high there now - and this is the first station on the line to Kreschatik and the central Voksal.
Borispol is just beyoind the airport. Good road into Kiev. Presume people go to Kharkivska metro. Maybe Borispilska - quieter there normally!

http://khpg.org/en/index.php?id=1462833443
...According to former Mayor of London and Brexit lobbyist Boris Johnson, it was not Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea and its military aggression in Eastern Ukraine that had caused “real trouble”, but the EU’s actions.      

After his speech on Europe, Johnson claimed that “if you want an example of EU foreign policymaking on the hoof and the EU’s pretensions to running a defence policy that have caused real trouble, then look at what has happened in Ukraine”.

Does Johnson know “what has happened in Ukraine”?  He would certainly not be the first European politician to justify Russia’s annexation of Crimea.  The Kremlin’s most prominent apologist is, of course, France’s far-right politician Marine Le Pen, but the British UKIP party leader Nigel Farrage has not been far behind in expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Most far-right parties in Europe do in fact take Russia’s line on Ukraine, as well as on opposing the EU....
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Johnson - has long long been known as a complete fruitcake.
wiki
Johnson's mother, Charlotte, was the daughter of barrister James Fawcett, and the granddaughter of palaeographer Elias Avery Lowe (who was of Russian Jewish extraction)[17]
But I think that Johnson is basically an idiot, and trying anything to give an "anti-EU" slant before the referendum in the UK. (personal opinion)

http://espreso.tv/news/2016/05/10/u_panamskykh_dokumentakh_znayshly_boyka_akhmetova_i_trukhanova
У панамських документах знайшли Бойка, Ахметова і Труханова (Еспресо)
The proprietors of Panamanian offshore [companies] are 165 Ukrainians and 195 Ukrainian companies.
Among them Andrii Пальчевський, Yurij Бойко, Dmytro Фірташ, Гарик Корогодський, Serhij Гужва, Pavlo Лазаренко, Hennadij Труханов.
Palchevski, Boiko, Firtash, Korogodski, Gyshva, Lazerenko, Tryhanov.

...Elder brother of the Ukrainian oligarch Рината Ахметова [Rinat Akhmetov] - Ihor, and also ex-deputy Boris Колесников, showed out in 2014 in офшор pastry shop of company "Конті". Minister of profits and collections of times of president Yanukovych Oleksandr Клименко owns a company that is registered on the British Virgin islands in 1995. On the son of ex-premier Azarov - Oleksij in one day was registered by 26 offshore firms....
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165 Ukrainians!!!! Wow... And this is just in Panama !!!

http://gazeta.ua/articles/politics/_batkivschina-ne-golosuvatime-za-zakon-pid-lucenka/696865
Faction "Батьківщина" [Batkivshina] does not support the candidature of Yurij Lutsenko for the position of prosecutor general and will not vote for changes in a law on the office of public prosecutor.
About it Yuliya Tymoshenko declared in the corridor/pls of Verkhovna Rada.
"Faction "Батьківщина" will not support a bill about that the prosecutor general of Ukraine did not have legal education. It is a judicial figure and it is impossible in any case, that a leader did not know laws, did not have legal education.
We against that a near to the president man became a prosecutor general. Consider that an only correct decision is setting of prosecutor general on proposal of civil society", - marked
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I actually agree with her on this.
The post needs to be non-political. But this in itself is virtually impossible in Ukraine where every strata of life is ruled by politicians.
In that respect perhaps Lutsenko is better than many to hold this post. I don't think he bears serious grudges against others - unlike Tymoshenko.
Tymoshenko - very strong personality. And now - one goal - to be President. !!
Lutsenko - personally - I think he is better off as a politician, not as a pen-pusher.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/08/offshore-finance-emerging-countries-russia-david-cameron-summit
Analysis shows $1.3tn of assets from Russia sitting offshore, as David Cameron prepares to host anti-corruption summit
...The analysis, carried out by Columbia University professor James S Henry for the Tax Justice Network, shows that by the end of 2014, $1.3tn of assets from Russia were sitting offshore....
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Ukraine?!
Tymoshenko, Lazarenko? Tymoshenko was often linked with Nauru. Russian offshore base.

http://www.unian.info/society/1340733-militants-attempt-to-attach-st-george-ribbons-to-osce-smms-vehicle.html
..."In the early evening, an unmarked vehicle with four men and one woman wearing military-type uniforms passed an SMM patrol of two vehicles in Donetsk city. The civilian car suddenly, and without warning, swerved and braked in front of the SMM vehicles before driving away. Approximately 500m farther ahead the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and turned on its emergency lights. The SMM attempted several times to turn into side streets but was blocked from doing so and the vehicle continued to shadow the patrol," the OSCE SMM said in an update based on information received as of 19:30 local time on May 8, 2016.

"On two occasions when the patrol stopped at traffic lights, the driver of the vehicle approached the SMM's vehicle and attempted to attach black and orange St. George ribbons to the SMM's vehicle. After approximately 20 minutes the civilian vehicle drove away," the report says....
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osce getting seriously harrassed by Putin's scumballs in the Donbass.
Sad - I'm sure the people want peace, but they are nothing but pawns in Putin's games of death, imperial dreams, and political ambitions.

Currently discussing who will be General Prosecutor.
Liashko's goons have, once again, blocked the rostrum. Populism. They get on tv.
Lutsenko just spoke, and then Tymoshenko's lawyer guy.
He, of course, is against everything. Everybody is corrupt. Only gas princess billionaire Tymoshenko is good.
And she, of course is penniless, but has six houses and several mercedes. ... Such is Ukraine.
I've just got in. Spent the day travelling around the city. I'll try and find out if anything has happened. Probably nothing.

http://www.unian.info/politics/1340807-european-council-to-consider-ukraines-visa-free-issue-on-may-11.html
The Visa Working Party of the European Council on Wednesday will consider the European Commission's visa liberalization proposal for Ukraine to be followed by discussions at ministerial level on May 20, according to an UNIAN correspondent from Brussels. ...
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If progress is made on this it will help the ruling coalition.
If not, Tymoshenko and the Opposition block will make hay.

http://www.unian.info/economics/1340950-nbu-attributes-inflation-jump-in-april-to-higher-gas-prices.html
...As UNIAN reported, inflation in Ukraine in April 2016 to March 2016 sped to 3.5% compared with 1% in March to February. In annual terms, inflation in April 2016 slowed to 9.8% year-over-year from 20.9% recorded in the previous month.
In January-April 2106, consumer prices grew by 5.1%.
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Actually inflation - year on year - fell below 10% in April. That is quite good, especially given the steep rises in gas, heating, electricity, and so on.

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/342347.html
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Hopefully soon all the price increases will be in place - and then - then hopefully the situation will stabilize.
BUT - you can bet that Liashko and Tymoshenko and Boiko will try the hardest to create problems and get an election as soon as possible.
If there is an election, then - things will simply become even more unstable.

http://strana.ua/news/12320-rade-ne-hvatilo-dvuh-golosov-chtoby-pozvolit-lucenko-stat-genprokurorom.html
Політика
The Rada failed an affirmative vote law under Луценко-генпрокурора
Deputies had only two votes.
18: 05, on May, 10 2016
Results of affirmative vote bill 4469, rada.gov.ua
On Tuesday, on May, 10, parliament was not able to vote for a bill №4469, that opens to Yuriy Lutsenko a way in a general prosecution.
For a bill "About making alteration in some legislative acts in relation to activity of the General prosecution of Ukraine and State bureau of investigations" in the renewed release of deputy from faction Block of Peter Порошенко Sergey Алексеева 224 deputies voted. Then Parubi voted on a question about the repeated acceptance of this bill. But for it accumulated yet less voices - 221.
Initially voting was pre-arranged on 17.00, but after the Rada went away on a 30-minute interruption for the conference of heads of factions.
Later Radical party of Oleg Liashko blocked the tribune of the Rada....
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As I guessed. Nothing has happened.

http://www.rferl.org/content/daily-vertical-paranoia-highest-stage-of-putinism/27725921.html



Excellent thoughts as always from Whitmore.

....Amid all the military hardware and soldiers on Red Square, were some 400 members of Russia's new national guard, an elite Praetorian force that will number 180,000 and report directly to Putin.It marched in formation past the viewing platform. It pointedly saluted the Kremlin leader.
And in the process, it sent a stark message to Putin's opponents, both real and imagined.
The National Guard, of course, will be a useful tool for the regime to put down any civil unrest that may arise as the economy stagnates and living standards plummet...

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/half-a-million-foreigners-deported-from-russia-in-4-years/568829.html
....Research from migration organization the Civic Assistance Committee shows that more than 513,000 deportation orders have been passed by the Russian courts since 2013. .....
Russia's Federal Migration Service has banned more than 1.7 million foreign citizens from entering Russia since 2012.
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The road to North Korea.