Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Wednesday 15 March. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY

Please scroll to view news items added during the day.

NEWS:
US Senate Committee to hold Russia public hearings.  "We do not need democracy. Today, Russia needs the monarchy" - Kremlin puppet Aksenov.  PGO refers Yanukovych treason case to court.  Poroshenko on the draft law on occupied territories: "This will destroy the Minsk process and bury sanctions against Russia. We will propose a law".  PGO refers Yanukovych treason case to court.  Number of Ukrainian citizens want to go to work in Russia decreased 4 times - poll. Horst Seehofer’s trip to Russia a challenge to Angela Merkel.

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The head of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Richard Burr said he plans to hold public hearings on possible relations between Russia and President Donald Trump's election campaign.

Censor.NET reports citing Reuters.

"It will happen," Republican Senator Richard Burr told reporters after a closed committee meeting. Asked if he knew when, he said, "I don't yet, but soon."

The House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, which, like the Senate panel, is conducting its own investigation of the possible Russia ties, will hold its first public hearing on Monday.

Congressional Democrats have called for a special prosecutor or non-partisan select committee to investigate the matter. But Trump's fellow Republicans, who control majorities in both the Senate and House, say the various probes by congressional committees are sufficient.

Read more: FBI looking into possible communication between Russian Alfa-bank and Trump's company, - CNN

U.S. intelligence agencies said in January that Russia had conducted cyber attacks on Democrats in an effort to influence the 2016 U.S. election on Trump's behalf. Russia has denied this.

Burr also said he did not now plan to follow the lead of other congressional committees that have requested any warrant applications or court documents related to Trump's assertion that former President Barack Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower.

Trump gave no evidence to support his charge, which former Obama administration officials have denied.

When asked to explain why he had not asked for such evidence, Burr said he felt it was unnecessary.

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

The president of Russia should be more human, until the dictatorship.

Said Kremlin stooge in occupied Crimea Sergey Aksenov on the First Crimean channel, reports Tsenzor.NET referring to the rain .

"We have such democracy in the form in which it is fed by Western media, is not necessary. We have our own traditional Orthodox spiritual values ​​... Today, in my opinion, Russia needs the monarchy" - said Aksenov.

In his view, democracy "in today's environment" and the presence of "external enemy" - "is unnecessary."

"I do not mean democracy as understood by normal people and permissiveness as many treats democratic regime", - he added.

He added that the Russian president in modern conditions should be more powers.

"As long as there is an external enemy, in my opinion, necessary unity of command. Today, the president should be more human, until, sorry dictatorship" - said the Kremlin stooge in occupied Crimea Aksenov. He also called for a life presidency of Vladimir Putin.

"We hope that by the end of his days he (Putin) was our president. I just, honestly, the other can not see. I think that it life should be given the post - president. The other candidates and alternatives to it there" - said the puppet of the Kremlin in occupied Crimea Aksenov.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

A criminal proceeding has been launched on the fact of yesterday's conflict between the police and participants of the blockade led by people's deputy of Ukraine Volodymyr Parasiuk.

National Police Deputy Head Viacheslav Abroskin wrote on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.

According to him, a criminal proceeding under part 2, article 345 (threat or act of violence against a law enforcement officer) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine has been launched regarding yesterday's incident with Volodymyr Parasiuk, a parliamentarian and former Maidan activist.

"They [blockaders] threatened to slaughter the families of police officers at the checkpoint, insulted and humiliated them. 'You are all Donetsk separatists,' the people's deputy said to law enforcers," Abroskin wrote.

"I will not allow to demean the Donetsk region police officers ... We'll continue to fulfill our duties at checkpoints, because it is here that we seize a large number of illegal weapons, thereby saving the lives of our citizens in the peaceful cities of our country," the official said.

Earlier, Abroskin said the blockaders provoked a conflict with the police outside Kharkiv and at a checkpoint near Sloviansk in the Donetsk region.

Jan. 25, anti-terrorist operation (ATO) veterans shut down the Luhansk-Popasna haul, launching a trade blockade of the terrorist-held areas in the Donbas.

Feb. 2, participants of the trade blockade barred another railroad track near Bakhmut.

Feb. 16, protesters started to shut down highways.

Feb. 27, separatist websites published a joint statement by the leaders of the so-called "Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics," demanding Kyiv to lift the blockade by March 1. Otherwise, Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky promised to seize control of all Ukrainian enterprises and stop deliveries of coal to Ukraine.

March 1, the "DPR" announced the introduction of "external administration" at the Ukrainian enterprises located in the occupied part of the Donetsk region. As a result, a subsidiary of French company Air Liquide halted its work in occupied Yenakiieve.

March 13, a Donbas blockade checkpoint at the Kryvyi Torets railway crossing was dismantled by law enforcers. The information was confirmed by Samopomich MP Semen Semenchenko. A video footage with the seized weapons of blockade participants was released later.

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi faces dismissal from his post and criminal liability on suspicion of negligence that led to death of several people.

As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by Prosecutor General Yurii Lutsenko on air of ZIK.

Lutsenko said an expertise found that the fire in Hrybovychi dump site near Lviv last summer was caused not by an arson, but by failure to comply with safety requirements.

"So the issue of negligence by officials of the Lviv City Council that caused the situation is on the agenda.... It is aggravated with the fact of three deaths. The families have the right to ask who of the Lviv City Council is responsible for that. At the moment, a pretrial investigation by the regional prosecutor's office is looking for the "who." I do not rule out it might be the mayor, his deputies, and other officials," Lutsenko said.

The prosecutor general added that if an indictment is served to Sadovyi, he might face dismissal and criminal prosecution.

Earlier, a large-scale fire broke out at Hrybovytske dump site in the vicinity of Lviv May 30. A waste pile slid and swamped several firefighters after the fire was extinguished and they were gathering the equipment and examining the site. Bodies of three killed firefighters were later found in the slide. Criminal proceedings into the tragedy were initiated.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Ukrainian authorities must provide the society with clear strategy regarding trade with the occupied Donbas.

As reported by Censor.NET, this opinion was voiced by independent MP, leader of Diia (Action) movement Dmytro Yarosh in an interview with Gazeta.ua.

"From the very start of hostilities we have been consistently standing for break of all economic relations not only with the occupied territories but with the Russian Federation as the aggressor state. It makes perfect sense, since any trade has no justification during the war, including the fact that people will be left without heating. The government's huge mistake was that it failed to do so thus causing such a spike in civil disobedience," he said.

"We provide medical assistance to the blockade participants and all who require it. I instructed our military doctors to provide aid if necessary regardless of whether it is a person blocking a railroad or a highway or a member of the National Guard or police. The wedge is being driven between us too often. We must not allow discord to be sown between us. We must find something that would unite the nation. Otherwise Russia will crush us if everyone hogs the blanket," the politician said.

"We lend moral support to blockade participants although their methods seem to be wrong. It had to be done in a different way - with minimal damage to the state and economy. Though there is a great virtue - a serious blow being dealt to the Ukrainian oligarchs since Ukrainian state will not actually be Ukrainian as long as we have oligarchs," Yarosh said.

"As for the way out of the situation: there are no simple solutions here. It is necessary to negotiate. The force should in no way be used to unblock these trade routes. A single drop of blood can trigger a civil conflict. Society should be provided with a clear strategy taking into account that there is the aggressor state and we are now dependent on Russia or the occupied territories on certain points. However, we have a plan today and a completely different one tomorrow. People should understand that we make efforts to become completely independent of that same anthracite coal supplies," Yarosh said.

As reported, the checkpoints at Kryvyi Torets railroad crossing established to prevent trade with the occupied Donbas were overrun by the law enforcers on March 13. The police later showed weapons seized from the Donbas blockade participants.

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

The Prosecutor General's Office has sent the case against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to court.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yurii Lutsenko said at a briefing, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrainski Novyny.

"Today, March 14, as promised, representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office and the military prosecutor's office referred the case against Viktor Yanukovych to court," Lutsenko said.

According to him, the prosecution will be represented by 27-year-old military prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko.

Lutsenko also stressed he meant the trial of Yanukovych in absentia.

"I believe this event to be extremely important since the Ukrainian court will be hearing high treason charges against the leader elected by the nation for the first time ever and the court will pass its verdict not 50, 100, or 300 years after the treason, but literally hard on the heels, " Lutsenko said.

According to the law enforcer, the PGO has collected all the necessary evidence to bring charges against Yanukovych and substantiate suspicion of high treason.

"We have collected enough evidence of this disgraceful treason that our court must scrutinize and assess. Attention is drawn to the fact that we act in line with civilized European standards. The guilt will be proved in an open, competitive, and transparent trial," he said.

"We, as the prosecution, will do our best to ensure this process to meet these standards and to be successfully concluded, so that the whole Ukraine feels the rule of law and justice. I want us to understand that it is probably the first time when the PGO appears for the defense of the state and nation in such high-profile case. We will be defending our common national and state interests in court," he summed up.

On Jan. 30, the PGO completed a special pre-trial investigation against Yanukovych and provided the case materials to the defense lawyers. Prosecutor Kravchenko noted that the investigation had obtained many valuable testimonies, in particular from two deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

The President of Ukraine will offer a law on restoration of territorial integrity, alternative law on occupied territories.

This is stated in the text of the speech Poroshenko at a meeting of the National Security Council, released on the website of the President, reports Tsenzor.NET .

"Our partners do not understand why we ask for support in restoring the integrity of Ukraine outside when inside (country - Ed.) A number of political forces set out to get rid of Donbass and vyphaty to Russia several million Ukrainian. Legally legalize proposed law on occupied territory. Just imagine other consequences of such a legislative initiative! such a law would destroy the Minsk process. bury international sanctions against Russia because they are tied to Minsk. The OSCE will of Donbass. We will stay alone with the aggressor against the background of imminent military escalation actions. Therefore, we will propose a law that meets the national interests of Ukraine - the law on restoration of territorial integrity of our country "- said Poroshenko.

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Number of citizens of Ukraine who want to go to work in the Russian Federation decreased by more than four times and is 6%.

As the Tsenzor.NET referring to Ukrinform, it said the head of the sociological group "Rating" Alex Antypovych during the "round table" on "The role of migrant workers in the economic development of Ukraine and the conditions for their reintegration."

"Almost three-quarters of those who have been abroad for the last five years, would like to go back to work. Do not stop the people nor the challenges they face, or possibly lower wages ... But changing vector which would like to go if Russia were about a quarter of surveyed workers, now in Russia are ready to go just 6%. That is a decline of more than 4 times. at the same time, people want to work in Germany and Poland and other EU countries " - said Antipovich.

According to sociological group, this time 36% of workers went to work in Poland, followed by Russia (25%), 5% worked in the Czech Republic and Germany, 3% - in Italy, the rest - in other countries, mainly and Western Europe. Almost 30% of respondents refused to answer this question. "About a third, or more precisely 29% said no, where do they go to work. People are afraid of this topic. Maybe some public bodies that could monitor this subject," - said Antipovich.

Thus, among the residents of the West and the Centre, most worked in Poland, especially in the South and East - Russia. "Central Ukraine goes the same way - that aside Poland, towards Russia," - said the sociologist. Most Ukrainian leaving for seasonal work, and only every sixth employee was working on a permanent basis.

Almost every second employee engaged or construction or repair. About 23% work in agricultural jobs, 10% for domestic work, 3% had experience in IT, childcare, restaurant industry (cooks, waiters, cleaning).

"Among the people who worked in Russia for the past five years, 75% worked in construction and repair. However, those who worked in the EU, there is already a choice - there and agriculture, household chores and so on. There are diverse areas involved in Ukrainian, "- said Antipovich.

However, he added, Ukrainian workers are not very satisfied with their work in Russia: "Satisfied employees? Yes, most satisfied. Otherwise, people would not go to work. But more than a third of workers from the east are not satisfied when working abroad. Why? Because they mostly went to Russia, and in Russia and probably about earnings such as in Ukraine, with certain characteristics. "

According to the survey, one third of Ukrainian workers working abroad officially, two-thirds - unofficially. Thus every fifth encountered fraud at the time of official documents for employment abroad, one third of workers - from inconsistencies conditions specified in employment, and the conditions have been when arriving at the place of work. "This is a huge problem - the Ukrainian is vulnerable on employment abroad", - said Antipovich.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

German chancellor’s Bavarian ally pursues domestic political agenda with Putin meeting

As Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares for her first meeting with Donald Trump in Washington this week, the man who should be one of her main domestic allies is making his own foreign trip: to see Vladimir Putin.

Horst Seehofer’s visit to Moscow, just as Ms Merkel is embarking on a crucial diplomatic foray, maintains the leader of the Christian Social Union’s hard-earned reputation for calculated awkwardness.

The CSU is the sister party to Ms Merkel’s Christian Democrats, an electoral ally and a fixture of politics in Bavaria, the conservative southern state where it operates. But as Ms Merkel ramps up to fight more obvious opponents in her campaign for a fourth term in office, Mr Seehofer — a truck driver’s son who has grudgingly backed the chancellor — is proving an uncomfortable political friend.

His trip to Russia, with a 60-strong delegation, has the stated aim of reviving commercial links damaged by EU sanctions imposed in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. But Mr Seehofer is also challenging the chancellor’s grip on Russia policy with plans to discuss with Mr Putin easing tensions in eastern Europe and beyond.

“Many trouble spots in the world will not be resolved without Moscow,” Mr Seehofer has said, in an apparent attempt to carve out a role for himself as a more moderate voice on Russia than the chancellor.

Ms Merkel is maintaining a tough stance, insisting that sanctions must remain until the implementation of the Minsk Agreement aimed at bringing peace to eastern Ukraine. The Bavarian leader, by contrast, has called for sanctions to be lifted by the end of the year.

Some of Mr Seehofer’s critics, including those in Ms Merkel’s CDU, mock his lavish foreign trips. “If Seehofer wants to make a fool of himself, let him,” says one CDU lawmaker.

Mr Seehofer also plans to visit China and the US before the German election.

Diplomats in Berlin say, however, that Mr Seehofer’s real interest is not in foreign affairs but in pursuing his domestic agenda. One says: “He wants to prove he is independent from Merkel. He wants to test how far he can go and establish a new profile for himself.”

The CSU has for decades been an uneasy partner for the CDU, taking more conservative positions and fighting Bavaria’s corner in Berlin.

These tensions ripped into the open in the refugee crisis of 2015, when Mr Seehofer hit out at Ms Merkel’s decision to keep Germany’s borders open and allow in more than 1m migrants. Even though she has since hardened her approach and reduced migrant inflows, Mr Seehofer has kept sniping. He pressed Ms Merkel, unsuccessfully, for an annual refugee quota. In January he endorsed her candidacy for the chancellorship only on condition that he retains the right to argue for quotas..............

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

Authorities in the U.S. plan to indict four people — including two members of a Russian intelligence agency — alleged to have played a role in one of Yahoo’s two huge data breaches, according to media reports.

The Justice Department is set to announce the indictments in Washington D.C. on Wednesday morning, according to the Washington Post. The indictments are part of the largest hacking case brought by the United States, and the first U.S. cyber-crime charges ever against Russian officials, the Post said.

One man could be arrested in Canada as early as March 14, while the other three suspects are in Russia, which has no extradition treaty with the U.S. The alleged crimes are unrelated to hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the FBI’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Yahoo last year revealed it had suffered a 2013 hack of more than a billion user accounts and a 2014 breach of at least a half billion accounts. A subsequent regulatory disclosure revealed the firm knew about the 2014 hack that year, but failed to inform users, investors or the public for nearly two years.
The breaches are the two largest to ever come to light. Stolen was information that according to Yahoo may have included names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, scrambled passwords and security questions and answers.

The indictments related to the hack in 2014 of at least a half billion user accounts. Officials said it was unclear whether that attack was linked to Yahoo’s 2013 breach of more than a billion accounts.

The Post said that in the 2014 hack, the FSB — Russia’s Federal Security Service, and a successor to the KGB — sought the information for intelligence purposes, targeting journalists, dissidents and U.S. government officials, but allowed criminal hackers to use the email cache for the officials’ and the hackers’ financial gain, through spamming and other operations.

The indicted FSB officers are Dmitry Dokuchaev and his superior Igor Sushchin. Especially galling to U.S. officials is that the men worked in the cyber investigative arm of the FSB — roughly equivalent of the FBI’s Cyber Division. That the agency charged with probing computer intrusions in Russia is engaged in hacking is “pretty sad,” one official said.

Dokuchaev, whose hacker alias was “Forb,” was arrested in Moscow in December, according to the news agency Interfax, on charges of state treason for giving information to the CIA. He had reportedly agreed to work for the FSB to avoid prosecution for bank card fraud...................

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

Two officers with Russia's intelligence service (at least one who works in a unit designed to fight cybercrime) directed a far-reaching hacking and espionage scheme that targeted Yahoo users, swiping personal information from hundreds of millions of people, including accounts belonging to Russian and U.S. government officials, the U.S. Department of Justice announced this morning.

This marks the first time Russian government officials have been charged by the U.S. for a cyber crime, a breach which officials say affected at least 500 million accounts. Officials said some of the information had intelligence value but some was also leveraged for financial gain.

"The defendants targeted Yahoo accounts of Russian and U.S. government officials, including cyber security, diplomatic and military personnel," said the head of the DOJ's National Security Division, Mary McCord. "They also targeted Russian journalists; numerous employees of other providers whose networks the conspirators sought to exploit; and employees of financial services and other commercial entities."

Just before this morning's announcement, McCord attended a cyber event in Washington, D.C., where at least three Russian diplomats were in the audience. When the moderator mentioned “Russian hackers,” the head of the Russian embassy’s military political section, Konstantin Serednyakov, visibly chuckled.....................

Access complete text of the editorial: abcnews.go.com  In English