Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Wednesday 23 November. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY

Please scroll to view news items added during the day.

NEWS:
Pro-Russian militants opened fire upon Ukrainian positions 25 times yesterday. Scandal erupts at Tymoshenko's press conference as she is asked provocative question. Corruption of Yanukovych's regime led to war crimes in Donbas, Crimea, - Lutsenko in The Hague.  Patriarch Kirill at 70 – No Autocephaly for Ukraine and No Multiculturalism for Russia. Holodomor Awareness Week launched in Canada. "Increase in living wage will cover everyone,"

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Considerable morning cloudiness, then a blend of sunshine and clouds this afternoon

Over the past day, Nov. 22, Russian occupation troops continued shelling Ukrainian positions in all directions.

As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) Staff in its report as at 6 a.m. Nov. 23, posted on Facebook.

"The enemy opened fire upon Shyrokyne, Taramchuk, Vodiane, Krasnohorivka, Marinka, and Talakivka, used mortars of various calibers, grenade launchers, and small arms. Novotroitske and Pavlopil were fired at by a sniper. Our positions in Krasnohorivka area came under Grad MLRS fire," the report reads.

In Donetsk direction, Avdiivka and Zaitseve were spayed from mortars, grenade launchers, and small arms. In Luhansk direction, Russian occupation troops shelled Novozvanivka and Novooleksandrivka from mortars, grenade launchers and small arms.

The total of 25 cases of fire on part of the enemy were recorded yesterday.Four more cases have been registered since midnight, the ATO Staff reported.

Earlier, pro-Russian militants opened fire upon Ukrainian Army positions 17 times on Nov. 21.

ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yurii Lutsenko says the corruption flourishing during the regime of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych subsequently led to war crimes in the Russian-occupied Donbas and Crimea.

"Ukraine clearly demonstrates a visible bond between corruption and crimes against humanity, and subsequently war crimes.

"In 2010, President Yanukovych came to power in Ukraine. The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine believes it was he who created the state mafia to ensure personal enrichment through appropriation of state property and embezzlement of public funds. According to investigators, an equivalent of country's annual budget had been stolen," Lutsenko said at a round table meeting held on the sidelines of the 15th Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute in The Hague, Censor.NET reports citing UNIAN.

"After massive peaceful protests broke out in the capital in 2014, the only reason behind them was corruption. The authorities resorted to beating and then shooting down more than 100 people in the heart of the city. Here we see the connection between the group that intended to pursue graft and resorted to committing violence and killings and corruption that led to very serious crimes, including murder," the prosecutor general noted.

He added that Yanukovych fled to Russia where he "called for the occupation of our country."

"The annexation of Crimea by Russia's armed forces followed, and tens of thousands of Russian troops invaded the territory of our country. All this involved massive war crimes and crimes against humanity. Millions of people were displaced, thousands, including civilians, were killed. We see how corruption entails war crimes and crimes against humanity," Lutsenko observed.

He said that the purpose of the Ukrainian delegation in The Hague was to "ask the competent court to hear the case that began with massive official corruption and grew into serious crimes against the people and then into war crimes and crimes against humanity.".

ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Over the past day, 22 November, Russian-occupation forces continued shelling positions of Ukrainian forces in all directions.

It informs Tsenzor.NET , described in the summary of the press center headquarters ATO as of 6 am on November 23, published on Facebook.

"The enemy fired Shyrokyne, Taramchuk, water, Krasnogorivka, Marinka and Talakivku using mortars of various calibres, grenade launchers and small arms. For Novotroickoe and Pavlopolyu sniper fire kept. For our positions near Krasnogorivka militants used the installation MLRS" Grad-P " ( "Partizan"), "- said in a statement.

Notes. that the direction of Donetsk under fire mortars, grenade launchers and small arms and got Avdiyivka Zaitsev.

In Lugansk - from mortars, grenade launchers and small arms, the Russian occupation contingent fired Novozvanivku and Novoaleksandrovka.

general, according to Staff, November 22, there was 25 shelling of the enemy, and from midnight - is 4.

ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is launching the ninth annual National Holodomor Awareness Week to commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the Holodomor – Famine Genocide of 1932-33 in Ukraine.

Numerous events dedicated to raising the level of awareness of the population of the Holodomor and honoring the memory of victims of the communist regime will be held throughout the entire week across Canada, Censor.NET reports referring to Ukrinform.

In Saskatoon and Ottawa, people will be offered documentaries; in Edmonton and Winnipeg members of provincial parliaments, representatives of the Ukrainian community and citizens will hold commemorative events in the city hall buildings.

Vancouver in Canada's west coast will host an exhibition dedicated to the Holodomor that will be followed by a relevant public discussion. In addition, all Canadian cities with the Ukrainian diaspora will hold mourning rituals.

At 7:32 p.m. on Saturday, the Canadians are asked to pause for a moment of silence and light a candle in their homes.

In the University of Alberta, located in the capital of the Canadian province of Edmonton, an exhibition dedicated to the Famine-Genocide in Ukraine was opened upon an initiative by the Ukrainian Student Union of the University of Alberta.

According to the students, they recall the tragedy to spread the truth about it and ensure that this crime will continue to be acknowledged as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation all over the world.








The Federal Parliament of Canada will also commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the Holodomor, MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, the organizer of the event, said.

The ceremony will be held on Nov. 29 inside the Federal Parliament building in Ottawa in cooperation with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

Canadian ministers, MPs and senators, foreign diplomats, leaders of the Ukrainian community and other well-known people and clergy of various faiths are invited to attend the ceremony.

ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

By Paul Goble* for “Window on Eurasia”:

Nov 21 – Patriarch Kirill, who has become the leading promoter of the traditionalist national values in Putin’s Russia, says on the occasion of his 70thbirthday that the Moscow Patriarchate will never allow an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church or the appearance of multiculturalism in Russia itself.

Feted by Orthodox and Russian state leaders, including Vladimir Putin who not only gave Kirill another award but suggested that it is likely it was Kirill’s father who secretly baptized the young Putin many years ago (interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=65227),  the patriarch used the occasion not only to reaffirm his hard line but to declare that he has “only just begun” to push it.

Kirill made that declaration in the course of an extensive interview with the Moscow newspaper, “Kommersant” (kommersant.ru/doc/3148819), which he began in the best traditions of the Soviet background which he shares by providing statistics about the growth in church institutions rather than concern about religious faith itself.

“If you’ll permit me,” the Russian church leader said, “I will begin with statistics.” Since he became patriarch, the number of Moscow Patriarchate churches has increased by 5,000, the number of priests by 10,000, and the number of monasteries by 122. There are now 160 more parishes in Moscow, and the number of bishoprics has gone up from 159 to 296.

The expansion in the number of bishoprics has been especially important, the patriarch continued, because it means that his administration has “more information” about what is going on in the country, including anti-church attitudes, and is better positioned to promote the values of Orthodoxy in Russia.  “We are only at the very beginning of that,” the hierarch said.

His two clearest declarations on policy have been about church affairs in Ukraine and cultural and ethnic relations in the Russian Federation.  With regard to Ukraine, he declared, “our Church will never leave in misfortune our brothers in Ukraine …We will never agree to a change in the holy canonical borders of our Church” (interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=65240).

The reason for that is simple, Kirill said, “Kyiv is the spiritual cradle of Holy Rus just as Mtskheta is for Georgia or Kosovo for Serbia.”

Unfortunately, he continued, there are forces in Ukraine that are trying to undermine that. They are “forcibly” seizing churches, “ignoring the decisions of courts, conducting an information campaign against the Church,” and even proposing laws which “discriminate and put in the most difficult conditions the largest religious community of the country.”

According to the Moscow patriarch, those behind this consist primarily of “Greek Catholics or atheists.”  And in words certain to offend Ukrainians and the Vatican, he declared that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church is “continuing aggressive and offensive attacks on Our Church as a whole and also on canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine.”

With regard to Russia itself, Kirill, who has often been criticized for his support of archaic and obscurantist views, maintained his tough line against modernity, democracy and human rights but took at least one position that may bring him into conflict with the Kremlin......................

Access complete text of the editorial: ukrainebusiness.com.ua  In English

Salaries in Ukraine will be increased across all types of wage groups.

As reported by Censor.NET citing 112 Ukraine, this was announced by Vice Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko.

"The increase in living wage will cover everyone. The first wage group will be increased, and it will go up by almost 300 hryvnia ($11), meaning that from Jan. 1 the first wage group will be 1,600 hryvnia, and no employee should be paid less than 3,200 hryvnia.

"Higher wage groups will be adjusted according to the increase in the first wage group. This means that salaries will be boosted across all types of wage groups," he said.

Earlier, PM Volodymyr Hroisman announced the Cabinet's intention to increase minimum living wage by 3,200 hryvnia ($118 monthly) in 2017. This decision was also supported by President Petro Poroshenko.

The budget bill for 2017 stipulates for the following increases in living wages: to 1,684 hryvnia from May 1, and to 1,72 hryvnia from Dec. 1.

Currently, a minimum wage is 1,450 hryvnia ($54) monthly.

ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

An unidentified person has provoked a scandal at a press conference of Batkivshchyna party leader Yuliia Tymoshenko on Wednesday.

As reported by Censor.NET, the person called himself a journalist and asked Tymoshenko a question in an aggressive manner on her cooperation with Viktor Medvedchuk, who is accused by numerous Ukrainian media of ties with Russia and Putin.



ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov is sabotaging the reform of his ministry and has to resign, Ukraine’s leading human rights activist Eduard Bagirov, Ukrayinska Pravda reports Nov. 22.

Ukrainian policemen have to work in the same way their colleagues in German, Poland, France and other countries do. They serve the law and public, not the mighty, Bagirov says.

“No reform can be implemented by Arsen Avakov, and I therefore demand his resignation. The recent resignation of national police head Hatia Dekanoidze, a Georgian reformer, indicated that corruption in Ukraine had taken the upper hand,” he says. 

 “Corruption won over reforms. The resignations of the Georgian team of reformers show that the goals of US and European partners of Ukraine have not been reached. In fact, all reforms have been stalled,” Eduard Bagirov says.

zik.ua

The incident occurred in the state of Kansas, in the factory, which produced aerosols

Three employees were burned. Because of the threat of poisoning by chemical fumes, power neodymium town, which is located nearby, decided to evacuate all residents.

And this is more than 2000 people. Find out the cause of the explosion.


ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

glavcom.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

French frontrunner has close ties to a Russia leader intent on ending his isolation

President Vladimir Putin has hailed his “very good relationship” with François Fillon, praising the frontrunner in the French centre-right primary contest on his plans for a rapprochement with Moscow.

The comments underline the close ties between the Russian leader and the French politician, who would be well placed to become president of France next year if his nomination as the centre-right’s candidate were confirmed.

Days before a run-off vote between Mr Fillon and Alain Juppé to decide who will be the centre-right candidate, they also reflect Russia’s wider effort to cultivate ties with like-minded European politicians to end its diplomatic isolation.

But the comments from Mr Putin also highlight a closeness to Russia that some of Mr Fillon’s critics say is a potential vulnerability for his campaign at a time of widespread hostility in France to Russia’s military intervention in Syria.

Mr Fillon is advocating a dramatic change of tack with Moscow, favouring lifting economic sanctions imposed by the EU after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. He is also pushing for a military alliance with Mr Putin and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad to combat Isis....................

Access complete text of the editorial:   ft.com In English

All you in France. You're in trouble, unless you want to rub elbows with Putin, then you deserve to take part in serfdom.

The capture of Russian military at the border with occupied Crimea is a treachery.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said it, Censor.NET reports citing TASS.

"I believe that this treachery will eventually backfire on those who take such actions. It was like termination of power supply for Crimea on New Year's eve in winter time," he said.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Security Service published a video footage of the apprehension of former Ukrainian servicemen Oleksandr Baranov and Maksym Odyntsov, who breached their military oath and joined Russia's occupation forces in 2014.

ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

It is vital for Ukraine to pull out of the Ottawa Convention to stop destroying available defensive weapons during the war in the east.

Censor.NET Chief Editor Yurii Butusov wrote on Facebook.

"Ukraine continues to fulfill its international obligations on disarmament. As stated by the representatives of Ukraine and NATO at the Pavlohrad chemical plant today, 1 million PFM-1 Lepestok anti-personnel mines have been disposed of with NATO funding as of Oct. 12, 2016.

"Ukraine is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention and it is not the first time when the anti-personnel mines are disposed of. This is done pursuant to the law of Ukraine on the demilitarization of small arms, light weapons, ammunition and landmines adopted in January 2012.

"The disposal was funded by NATO Support and Procurement Agency finance (NSPA). I understand NATO's logic - they want to prevent dangerous arms spread, and they care little about Ukraine's national interests. They pay to prevent an outflow so that Ukrainian weapons were not used somewhere else," Butusov wrote.

According to the journalist, this issue needs to be reviewed in the context of the combat operations in Ukraine's east because these weapons are needed at the forefront today.

"A landmine is an efficient weapon especially useful for the defense. The PFM-1 anti-personnel mine is of paramount importance as the one designed for large-scale mine-laying operations during maneuver warfare. These mines can be laid using fortification and obstacle construction equipment, multiple launch rocket systems, and even by dropping them from planes and helicopters.

"Mass planting of these mines can definitely contain an attack in case of a possible invasion. These mines are definitely needed at the front line now provided, of course, that the minefields will be recorded. For example, PFM-1 mines are used by the Russian army in the Donbas," Butusov wrote.



He stresses that the NATO countries do not supply Ukraine with lethal weapons, but fund their destruction there at the same time.

Watch more: New batch of 82 mm mortars KBA-48M1 successfully tested. VIDEO

"We need to somehow finally explain the West that the situation has changed. Ukraine is no longer a neutral state. If you do not supply weapons, then at least stop demanding that we destroy what we have in stock.

"It is absurd since we need mines at the forefront! Our mines must protect our positions and dispose of Russian mercenaries. I think Ukraine must temporarily withdraw from the Ottawa Convention and disengage itself from this obligation. I hope parliament will pay attention to this issue," Butusov summed up.

As reported, nearly 1 million PFM-1 Lepestok anti-personnel mines (equipped with self-destruct mechanism) were demilitarized in Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region as part of the NATO project for disposal of conventional ammunition, small arms, light weapons, and PFM-1 land mines.

ua.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Speaking to the BNS agency in Vilnius, Ukraine armed forces chief-of-staff Gen. Muzhenko said Ukraine is prepared for large-scale Russian aggression.

There are no signals telling that the future US presidential administration will change its course regarding Ukraine and scrap the on-going support program, Muzhenko said.

The United States has assigned $500 mn to reform Ukraine’s army to match the NATO standards, Muzhenko said.

 “From our talks with the US military, the support program is going on as planned. US advisers and instructors are continuing in their jobs, US material support is coming in,” Gen. Muzhenko said.

zik.ua

Almost $600,000 per hour.

That’s the fee Donald Trump’s charity got for recording a video on behalf of a Ukrainian oligarch.

It’s a payment that could be in violation of tax laws, legal experts told The Daily Beast. When Hillary Clinton’s foundation received money from the very same billionaire, Donald Trump blasted her as “crooked.”

Ukrainian steel magnate Victor Pinchuk’s foundation was the single largest outside donor to Donald Trump’s private charity in 2015, according to new IRS filings filed by the organization. The $150,000 gift amounted to 20 percent of the foundation’s total donations during that time, the documents showed. The filings also affirmed Trump violated tax laws by using his private foundation to self-deal, or enrich himself and his businesses instead of fulfilling a charitable mission.

Pinchuk’s gift was given in conjunction with a short video Trump made for the Yalta European Strategy annual meeting, held in Kyiv in September of 2015, according to The Washington Post.

In a haphazard 21-minute video—eventually posted to YouTube—Trump answers a series of questions from Doug Schoen, a one-time Clinton advisor and Fox News personality. He was hired by Pinchuk in 2011 to advance the steel magnate’s interests in the United States. (Around the same time, Newsweek reports, Pinchuk sold millions of dollars’ worth of oil and gas equipment to Iran.)...............



Access complete text of the editorial: thedailybeast.com  In English

Russia will be more aggressive towards Ukraine if the European Union does not honour a promise of visa-free travel for Ukrainians, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO chief and now an adviser to Kiev's president, said on Tuesday.

Rasmussen said he hoped Ukraine would get a firm commitment at an EU-Ukraine summit on Thursday on waiving visas for Ukrainians making short visits to EU territory. EU member states gave conditional approval to the move last week but agreed it would be implemented only after the bloc beefs up a mechanism to suspend visa-free deals in any emergency.

A mass influx of migrants last year made the EU warier of visa-free travel from outside the bloc and there are fears in Kiev, especially with France and Germany heading to elections next year in which anti-immigrant parties could surge, that the visa-free deal might be kicked into the long grass.

In addition, Donald Trump's election victory in the United States has Ukrainians worried that he might - based his warm rhetoric towards Russian President Vladimir Putin - look to mend U.S. relations with Russia at Kiev's expense.

Ukraine has been the heart of tensions between the West and Russia since Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and went on to support separatist rebels in the east of the former Soviet republic.

"I do believe that, taking into account the uncertainty that has been created with the election of Trump, it's even more important that the EU demonstrates to Ukraine that EU policy is unchanged," Rasmussen told Reuters by phone................

Access complete text of the editorial:  channelnewsasia.com In English

The Russia-backed militants extended the list of detained persons that they demand to be released to an approximate number of 700, Ukraine's representative to the Trilateral contact group in Minsk Iryna Herashenko claimed on Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian side had made a certain proposal to release several severely ill and aged persons, particularly I. Kozlovsky, a religious studies scholar and a historian, who's health had deteriorated significantly," Herashenko wrote on her Facebook page.

Despite this, the separative militant representatives rejected this proposal, she adds, so there's no compromise on exchanging 57 Ukrainian prisoners and hostages................

uatoday.tv

The program on Kremlin channel ex-MP hit Polish journalist

The program includes discussion on the average salary in Russia grew into an aggressive argument and then a fight

The program of the "right to vote" on the Russian TV channel TVC odious Ukrainian politician, former MP Igor Markov broke the Polish journalist Tomasz Matseychuka.
Full video of the program posted on YouTube.

The program includes discussion on the average salary in Russia grew into an aggressive argument, then a fight.

After Tomas Matseychuka phrase "Ukrainian - they also want to live like normal people, not the g * vni as the Russians," leading Roman Babayan asked him to leave the studio.

After this verbal altercation continued and then Matseychuka Markov hit in the face.



glavcom.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

"Sponsors in the church are not permanent, they change"

Role Vadim Novinsky and Andriy Derkach at the UOC MP and now lives reposed Metropolitan Volodymyr not comparable. For Novinsky Metropolitan Vladimir - a flower, but no trunk and no roots, he knew it from the beginning. Instead Andriy Derkach always helped the church. In an interview with "Ukrinform" said UOC MP, Metropolitan Alexander Drabynko.

According to him, it Derkach made a presentation, which began with the case (regarding removal attempts Metropolitan Vladimir of church governance).

"He (Derkach) came to him (Metropolitan Vladimir) from, which was an appeal to the Prosecutor General about the pressure on the former government of Metropolitan Vladimir, and asked," Your Beatitude, I hesitated - whether to submit or not to submit. Here you bless and be, say the prosecutor to bear - bear, bear no say - do not bear. I do not know what to do, because, in fact, involved and our Orthodox friend, Vadim V.. "God bless." Metropolitan blessed it, "- said Bishop Alexander, recalling that eight witnesses of the talks. "Blessed sitting in a wheelchair, Derkach came near him knelt, asked and received an answer. I have a photograph,"- said Bishop Alexander.

The election "race" as a primate started in 2012. But after the bid was made to Metropolitan Anthony, who in 2012-2013 was positioned as a successor. "Novinsky this time already denied Bishop Paul, that he did not participate in the race, to which Bishop Pavel was very offended at him" - says Metropolitan Drabynko. According to him, Vadim Novinsky negatively perceived that the next head of the church can become Metropolitan Anthony.

Particularly acute reaction MP was the decision of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr strengthen Metropolitan Anthony, that prescribe him certain powers that are actually duplicate almost predstoyatelski. "On the Novinsky came from Bishop Paul a little drunk if you can call it" a little", read these powers and says," Oh, okazыvaetsya, How the church easily taxis,"- said Metropolitan Alexander.

Those present during this conversation was Andrei Derkach, who is seen. "It was a long time such as to almost kinship with the Metropolitan, with me, that a man with a narrow circle of close friends who are very worried by what is happening; we Beatitude home he had, his parents, Vladimir was crowned"- shared frankness spokesman now reposed Metropolitan Vladimir.

"For Novinsky Metropolitan Vladimir - a flower, but no trunk and no roots, he knew it from the beginning. For him it is - as primate. But the experiences that we have experienced for decades communicate with the Metropolitan, he was, he knew it visually. For it is now one primate is good, tomorrow - the second in this context. For me Derkach from a completely different person and totally different attitude, "- said Metropolitan Alexander. According to him, the church sponsors are not permanent, they change. "Some sponsors today, tomorrow others. We have such Nusenkis (Victor Nusenkis - businessman, founder of group "Donetskstal" called it the biggest donor to church UOC MP, - "Glaucus") survivors who wanted to be steering in the church. Remember the cathedral in 2009 when he shouted that no autocephalous and never will be. "This sborysche, this is not the cathedral," - he shouted. What I heard from Metropolitan Volodymyr: "Do not zabыvaytes, Victor L.", - said Alexander Drabynko.

glavcom.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Minister of Defense of Finland underlined that "negative spiral of action," and appropriate measures can lead to certain consequences

Minister of Defense of Finland Jussi Nyynyste said that he sees no direct threat to the deployment of Russian missiles in the Baltic Sea, reports the Associated Press .

Nyynyste said that such redeployment missiles already occurred, but at the same time stressed that "negative spiral of action" and appropriate measures may lead to certain consequences, "albeit accidental."

The head of the Ministry of Defense of Finland also stated that his country supports the easing of tension and stabilize the situation in the region.

Recall earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin at a joint with President of Finland Sauli Nyynyste press conference, said that Russia will not remain indifferent if NATO membership.

ua.112.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові