Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Thursday 9 February. [Ukrainian sources]

THURSDAY

Please scroll to view news items added during the day.

NEWS:
US to keep "Crimean" sanctions against Russia. Seventeen Russian terrorists’ leaders eliminated in Donbas over two years in operation similar to Mossad’s ‘Wrath of God’.  Ukraine’s Poroshenko deems impossible holding elections in Donbas in Russian troops’ presence.  IMF chief Lagarde praises Ukrainian authorities' anti-corruption efforts.  Not near the toilet: Tymoshenko disclosed details of his meeting with Trump.  The scandal surrounding the German Ambassador and the elections in the Donbass, the reaction was Poroshenko.  

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U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has confirmed its stance regarding sanctions on Russia imposed following its occupation of Ukrainian Crimea.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Wednesday in Washington, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.

According to him, Ambassador Nikki Haley made it very clear in the United Nations that these sanctions will continue until Russia withdraws from Crimea.

Spicer also reminded there was another set of sanctions against Russia over its aggression in eastern Ukraine, noting he would not like to run ahead of legislation in this regard.

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

17 high-ranking Russian terrorists were eliminated or mysteriously died in Russia or in the Donbas over the two years of the war in Ukraine’s east.
As reported by Censor.NET, Mossad's 'Wrath of God' operation is considered to be one of the most famous in the history of secret services. It was a covert operation authorized by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the autumn of 1972 and directed by the Israeli secret service Mossad to assassinate individuals suspected of being involved in the 1972 Munich massacre in which 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed. The targets were members of the Palestinian armed militant group Black September and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) operatives. 13 terrorists' leaders were eliminated in the operation that lasted for about 19 years.

According to Censor.NET estimates, confirmed by the Russian media and social media reports, 17 leaders of the Russian terrorists were eliminated or mysteriously died in Russia or in the Donbas over two years including:
One ex-head of the "Luhansk People's Republic"
One ex-prime minister
One minister
One first deputy commander of the 2nd Army Corps
Three brigade commanders
Two deputy brigade commanders
One regiment commander
Three battalion commanders including two "DPR heroes"
Three city commandants
One "DPR " cash-flow manager




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

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko insists on impossibility of holding elections in the Donbas without prior withdrawal of the Russian troops.

He said at a joint briefing with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras commenting on the statement by German Ambassador to Ukraine Ernst Reichel, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrainski Novyny.

"As for the statement of German ambassador... Holding elections in the occupied territory in the presence of the occupying foreign troops is clearly impossible," he said.

Poroshenko also stressed that the occupation of the Donbas by the Russian army could not be compared to the situation in the German Democratic Republic as it was done by Reichel.

"It's one thing when foreign troops are present with the consent of a state. It is possible to draw a parallel with the Russian base in Sevastopol. We held many elections with the Russian troops being present at the base in Sevastopol with the permission of Ukraine. But it is totally unacceptable when the occupation forces try to impose holding of elections at a gunpoint," he added.

The president also reminded that holding referendum in Crimea under occupation in the presence of the Russian troops was completely unacceptable.

Poroshenko noted that security section of the Minsk agreements provides for the withdrawal of Russian troops as a prerequisite for holding elections in the Donbas.

Earlier, Reichel said in an interview that the elections in the Donbas don't have to be held only when there will be no Russian troops or when the Ukrainian flag will be flying over each city council building.

The ambassador cited the example of the last parliamentary elections held in the German Democratic Republic in 1990 in the presence of the Soviet troops.

About 30 members of the Verkhovna Rada reportedly urged Ukraine's Foreign Ministry to summon Reichel over his statements.

First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Iryna Herashchenko also demanded explanations.

On the same day, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine summoned Ambassador Reichel and explained him the inadmissibility of his statements about the possibility to hold elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the presence of the Russian troops.

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

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko condemned the statement of the Ambassador of Germany in Ukraine Ernst Reichel on elections in the Donbass, which, according to the diplomat, could lead to the withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied territories.

"Holding elections in the occupied territory in the presence of foreign occupation forces is determined, absolutely impossible," - said Poroshenko.

Also, the president commented on the work of the deputy faction "Block Petro Poroshenko" Alexey Goncharenko, who painted section of the Berlin Wall in front of the German embassy in Kiev to protest against the words of Ambassador Ernst Reichel.

"However, it is totally unacceptable behavior of the MP, it is his personal position. It is, as I know, was sentenced faction and does not reflect the position of the political forces," - said the president.

As reported, "Apostrophe", before it became known about the reaction of prosecution trick MP Goncharenko Embassy in Germany.

apostrophe.ua/ua , In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Leader of "Batkivshchyna" Yulia Tymoshenko said that the meeting with US President Donald Trump in a separate room, not near the toilet.

This is the website of the Ukrainian TV channel 112.

"If anyone near the toilet could meet with the US President, I think there would have been the world today and have caught the president near the toilet. I'm just sick of this," - she said.

According to him, the meeting was planned and took place in a separate room where events were held prayer breakfast.

As reported, "Apostrophe", formerly head of the sociological service "Ukrainian barometer" Victor Nebozhenko said about the impact of the meeting Yulia Tymoshenko on future negotiations of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko US leader Donald Trump.

apostrophe.ua/u, In Ukrainian / на українській мові

She's a sick puppy. She still that obsession for power. She's been nothing but problems for Ukraine since 2006 or so. I hope Ukrainians remember, when she actually wanted to share powers with Yanukovich via the next election after that. I remember it quite well. She's danger for Ukrainians.

Russian jet has "accidentally" struck building with Turkish soldiers near the town of Al-Bab in Syria, killing three and wounding 11.

Censor.NET reports citing CNN Turk.

BREAKING Turkish Armed Forces: Russian jet "accidentally" struck building with Turkish soldiers near #ElBab, 3 killed 11 wounded. pic.twitter.com/eBx7iS248a

— CNN Türk ENG (@CNNTURK_ENG) February 9, 2017

Reuters reports that the incident occurred during an operation against ISIS in northern Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already called his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdogan to offer sympathy in connection with the "accidental" air strike and its consequences, media reported.

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

"DPR" militants offered the Ukrainian military to cease fire at midnight, Feb 9. According to "DPR's operations command" representative Eduard Basurin, not a single shot has been fired since 3 a.m.
Censor.NET reports citing kp.ru.

"As for today, we proposed the Ukrainian side to cease fire at midnight, Feb. 9 ... Not a single shot has been registered since 3 a.m.," Eduard Basurin told Russia 1.

He noted a written proposal had been handed over to the Ukrainian side through the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and the Joint Centre on Control and Coordination of issues related to the cease-fire regime.

Earlier, militants came up with a plan to normalize the situation along the contact line in the Donbas, as agreed with the OSCE. The document seeks to establish a cease-fire and halt any offensive operations.

The recent spike in hostilities around Avdiivka was registered on Sunday morning, Jan. 29.

After two days of fighting, Ukrainian soldiers managed to take enemy positions and improved their tactical set-up in the area.

In the evening of Jan. 30, a state of emergency was declared in Avdiivka.

Presidential Administration Deputy Head Kostiantyn Yelisieiev said the situation in eastern Ukraine had taken on international importance, and if Russia vetoed the deployment of a U.N. police mission in the Donbas at the next Security Council meeting, it would show its real attitude to the situation.

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

A group of Republican senators released a stern letter to President Donald Trump on Thursday calling for a "tough-minded and principled policy" toward Russia.

Censor.NET reports citing CNN.

Senators said Trump "should maintain the current U.S. sanctions regime" until Russian policy in Ukraine and Syria is changed.

The group also raised the controversial Russian hacking activities during the 2016 election.

"We must recognize and counter the active cyber and information warfare Russia is conducting, including attempted interference in our democratic elections process (with a) firm response," the letter said.

They further warned that the US "should not enter into any military or diplomatic agreement with Russia regarding Syria's future" until the Russian military ceases human rights abuses.

The group of seven Republican senators featured Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Sen. Joni Ernst Iowa, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a senior member of the GOP senate leadership.

"It's important that we highlight the beliefs of many senators, our colleagues, across the national security committees - that we do have certain lines that cannot be crossed when it comes to Russia," Gardner told CNN on Thursday.

The letter comes after a group of U.S. senators introduced legislation that would make it harder for President Donald Trump to lift sanctions imposed on Russia for its actions in Ukraine if he seeks to do so.

The bipartisan bill was introduced on Feb. 8 amid mounting concerns in Congress about the Trump administration's policy intentions toward Russia.

censor.net.ua , In Russian / На русском

The elimination of militant warlord Mikhail "Givi" Tolstykh was organized by fighters of his own Somalia battalion.

As reported by Censor.NET citing Novaya Gazeta, this was announced by "DPR" fighter Igor "Frantsuz" Myltsev, who claims to be a battalion member.

Myltsev said the attack on Tolstykh was organized by him and three other Somalia fighters.

"Anyone would have avenged on him," he said, calling "DPR's" allegations toward the Ukrainian secret services "ridiculous." Givi's murder came as a revenge by his own men after he ducked the Avdiivka battle in late January 2017 by shooting himself in the leg, according to the militant.


"He thought no one would notice, but we noticed. Then he was taken to hospital. After that, already in Donetsk, he ordered to spray [our] positions with artillery, despite our staying there. He thought we were no longer alive!" Myltsev said.

He recalled that after the assassination of Arseny "Motorola" Pavlov, the Somalia commander seriously feared for his life and, for safety reasons, had taken his family to Transnistria, and planned to go there himself.

Terrorist Mikhail "Givi" Tolstykh was killed by explosion in his office in occupied Donetsk on Feb. 8. "DPR's operations command deputy commander" Eduard Basurin said: "We do not rule out the involvement of Ukraine's Interior Minister Adviser Shkiriak in this terrorist act."

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

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde has praised the Ukrainian authorities' anti-corruption efforts, citing the example of Ukraine where, in response to endemic levels of corruption, the IMF had recommended a number of remedies, including anti-corruption measures, anti-corruption agencies, and judicial reform.

"Ukraine is a good example where because of corruption which had endemic proportions we suggested to the authorities and luckily they accepted that anti-corruption measures, anti-corruption agencies, change of the public procurement rules, sorting out a particular company that was the nest of a lot of illicit flows, as well as reforming judicial systems were part and parcel of the economic recovery that was desired. The authorities agreed," she said at the Atlantic Council on February 8. "And we just need to keep at it. It was one of the examples of where our entry into this anti-corruption activity is – I hope – going to be more prevalent in the future," she added.



unian.info/politics

US President Donald Trump during a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, held on 28 January, criticized the agreement on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms, signed in 2010 during the administration of Barack Obama.

It said a source in the administration of US President familiar with the contents of a telephone conversation, according Tsenzor.NET with reference to Reuters.

When Putin raised the issue of a possible extension of the contract of 2010, known as START III, Trump paused and asked his assistants what it did for the contract.

After receiving a response from his assistants, Trump continued his conversation with Putin and Russian President said that SNO- III is an example of bad agreement, which entered into administration are former head of state Barack Obama. In this case, Trump said that the current agreement is primarily beneficial Moscow, not Washington.

The White House does not comment on details of the agency. Instead, the administration Trump advised to turn to an official statement published is January 28, taken immediately after the conversation between the two world leaders.

The current agreement on the reduction of offensive weapons signed in Prague on April 8, 2010 US President Barack Obama and Russia Dmitry Medvedev and last for 10 years. The agreement provides that each party will promptly deployed to 1,550 nuclear warheads.

In addition, Russia and the US agreed to limit 700 strategic nuclear weapons carriers - intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles on submarines and bombers that were used on duty.

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