Ukraine News in brief. Sunday 24 December. [Ukrainian sources]

SUNDAY HEADLINES:
Russia is not laughing at all: two variants of the consequences of the new US sanctions are named.  US will suspend trade preferences for Ukraine due to copyright infringement.  NATO Secretary General: The activity of Russian submarines - the highest since the Cold War.  Volker: Long-term policy of preserving sanctions against the Russian Federation is necessary.  Russia: opposition to the apartment police came Yashin.  Ukraine has made a statement about production of "Javelin".  On the Independence, about 300 people staged a rally against "Saakashvili marches".  Russia has declared a military deserter, Armed Forces, who asked for asylum.  In the "DPR" Christmas is preparing provocations in Western Ukraine.  Russian mercenary told about the huge losses of PVG "Wagner" in Syria.  Thieves, murderers and former cops, mercenaries from AHC "Wagner" told from Russia who went to fight in Syria. Chechen Leader Accuses Social Media Of Bowing To Pressure After U.S. Sanctions Tightened. Wizz Air will launch flights from Lviv to London in May instead of September.

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Russian journalist Igor Yakovenko responded to the introduction of new sanctions against the Russians by the US, noting that the American rollout is slow, but not stopped.

He wrote about this in his blog.

"The rollout of American sanctions moves annoyingly slowly but inevitably, including the list of all new detectives, including Russian enterprises, key to the Russian economy, cutting them off from world markets. Veselun (head of Chechnya Ramzan-" Apostrophe") Kadyrov may giggle at patriotic thoughts can as much as you like to talk about "adequate responses", threatening Americans with a ban on the use of station lounges, maybe in the onslaught of powerless rage kill more peaceful lives. Live in Syria and Ukraine, put in jail several Russian bloggers"- Yakovenko wrote.

The journalist believes sanctions can lead to two results in Russia.

"Russia is not Gambia, so it's impossible to eliminate an impostor dictator with the help of an external military invasion, so that the results of sanctions of pressure can be two, or the American roller will push Putin out of Russia (Vladimir Putin's" Apostrophe ") with his gang, or he'll just crush Russia: I would like the first version to happen, "he concluded.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The US does not temporarily maintain the regime of duty-free import of goods from Ukraine until 2018.

This is reported by the Air Force.

The regime acted within the framework of the Generalized System of Preferences, decisions were taken in connection with the discontent in Washington with the situation of compliance with copyright in Ukraine.

In a letter from US President Donald Trump to the US Congress, the administration recalls that one of the conditions for duty-free trade is the protection of intellectual property rights.

In April 2017, the US Trade Representative Office released the Annual Special Report 301 on the world copyright situation, in which Ukraine was once again on the list, under which the agency is conducting a primary monitoring.

Among the other countries included in this list are Russia, China, India, Venezuela, Thailand, Algeria, Argentina, Chile, Kuwait and Indonesia.

The authors of the report note that Ukraine is under primary observation for several reasons. In particular, the non-transparent system of collective management of copyrights governing the payment of royalties, in particular, to American licensors. The second reason is the use of pirated software in public institutions in Ukraine. The third is the lack of an effective system of measures to combat Internet piracy.

It is noted that trade preferences will be suspended for 4 months - until Ukraine improves its intellectual property rights protection system.

In 2015, Ukraine received a permit for the duty-free import of about 5,000 US goods for the period from July 29, 2015 to December 31, 2017, as part of the restoration of the US Generalized System of Preferences.

The program deals with the most widespread in the production of goods: chemical products, minerals and building stone, jewelry, as well as certain products of agriculture and fisheries.

In 2015, it was reported that the United States would help Ukraine to fight against copyright infringement on the Internet.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The North Atlantic Alliance is concerned about the growing activity of Russian submarines in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with FAZ.

"Russia has made significant investments in the fleet, in particular submarines, with an additional 13 submarines launched in 2014. The activity of Russian submarines is now the highest since the Cold War," the NATO Secretary General said.

According to him, Russian submarines are active in the Atlantic and "close to the shores" of the member states of the alliance.

"We are a transatlantic alliance, and for this reason, we must be able to transport troops and equipment across the ocean, for which we need safe sea routes," said Stoltenberg.

In this regard, he said plans for the creation of a NATO command center responsible for the Alliance's activities in the Atlantic, as well as for logistics in Europe, which should guarantee the transportation of personnel and materials in the event of an escalation of the conflict with Russia. Decisions on the organization and location of structures should be taken in 2018.

Stoltenberg also emphasized the shortage of the Alliance's naval forces.

"After the end of the Cold War, NATO reduced its capabilities at sea, especially in the area of ​​submarine confrontation, we spent fewer exercises and lost skills," he said.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that 2017 was the most bloodthirsty since the beginning of the conflict in the Donbass, and the question of annexation of the Crimea is a long-term problem.

In an interview with La Stampa, he noted that it was necessary to keep pressure on Russia to continue sanctions.

"This is a long-term problem. We can not accept the annexation: it is unacceptable for the country to take over the territory and change the borders by force. I do not think that Russia will soon agree to return the Crimea, so we have to have a long-term policy not to recognize it and keep sanctions, "he said.

Earlier, Volker stated that Russia does not receive anything from aggression in Ukraine and suffers from high costs.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

In Moscow, the police came to the apartment to the opposition leader Ilya Yashin, an organizer authorities banned "Day of free elections."

It informs Tsenzor.NET, this politician had said on Twitter.

The reason for the visit to the police Yashin currently unknown.

The festive event "Day of free elections" scheduled for 24 December. Yashin organized it as a head Krasnosel'skii district of Moscow. After participation in the action called for opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the government declared the illegality of the event.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Antitank rocket systems are being manufactured in Ukraine, which are not much worse in quality than American Javelin.

Director of military programs at the Razumkov Center Mykola Sungurovsky told about this "Apostrophe".

"Ukraine receives quite a lot of help, for example, this year we received 70 million communications, which I believe is no less important than the promised Javelin. Because Ukraine is in a position to develop Javelin-type defense weapons, at our enterprises such antitank products are produced, and they are not worse, in any case, not much worse than American ones, "he said.



apostrophe.ua    In Ukrainian/український

In Kiev, near Stella Nezalezhnosti passes the action Coffee on Khreshchatyk, organized by opponents of the weekly protests by Mikheil Saakashvili

This is reported by the Ukrainian Truth.

Participants brought tea and cookies, communicate. A total of several hundred people gathered to the west.

Representatives of the National Corps hanged on the walls of the TC Globus a huge poster with the inscription "Misha in Georgia, Petya in Gagauzia."




espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

FSB Border Guard directorate in the Bryansk region said that the Ukrainian army soldier turned to the Russian border guards asking for refugee status.

It is reported TASS.

"The soldier Ukraine applied for obtaining refugee status in Russia. His request, he announced to employees of Russian border guards in one of the checkpoints in the Bryansk region," - said the press service department.

In the words of Ukrainian military, the Armed Forces, he served under contract and voluntarily left the military unit. His act, he said such relations in part.

However, the General Staff of the Armed Forces denied this information.

"The information that the alleged Ukrainian soldier appealed to the Russian border guards to grant him refugee status is not true", - stated in the department.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Territories temporarily uncontrollable in Kiev create sabotage groups for provocations in peaceful regions of Ukraine

This was announced by Facebook's first deputy head of the National Police Vyacheslav Abroshkin.

"On the eve of the celebration of the Catholic Nativity, the National Police has credible information that, according to the order of the leader of the DPR, Zakharchenko created sabotage groups who must take an active part in the custom actions in the peaceful regions of the country to destabilize the situation, according to legend, the participants of the so-called actions" will not have "no relation to the terrorist group" DPR", - he wrote.

According to Abroshkin, "under the guidance of the crazy" curators "it is planned to block transport routes, especially on the western border of Ukraine, desecration of monuments, synagogues and Catholic temples."

"I appeal to the citizens of Ukraine - be attentive and cautious, in case of the appearance of suspicious persons and objects, turn to the police," - wrote the deputy head of the National Police.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

The waggons of the Wagner PVC told about their terrible weapons and huge losses.

Their stories have been published by WarJournal.

It is noted that in Syria, every tenth of the mercenaries who went there died. Each brigade killed 20 to 50 people. Twice more were injured.

"Losses would be much less if the provision of the PLC grouping was not such an ah, simply aho-o-ovo." Broken armored vehicles lost three trucks in three days, and even transported personnel, and the loss of it high ... and everyone - got up! The collapse: No one goes anywhere, let the wounded God take out, and the experience says that it's time to transplant fighters to armored cars, designed for no more than 10 people.Although a year ago, the equipment was decent - and weapons, and technique", - said mercenary Sergey.

"This is just a beautiful TV picture: in the desert rods tanks in a row, followed by BMP, over them circle helicopters. In fact, the technology was very small. Our" armada "moved partly on foot, and partly on Kamaz and" Ural Mountains. "If The ATV hit the truck, then losses are, of course, huge. And this saving of our military plushki turned into huge losses, "added Stepan, a mercenary.

The mercenaries also told that the militants of the Igli were armed often much better. For example, only one in ten mercenaries of the Wagner PVC had a night sight, whereas in the Igli they were widespread.

"Personally, I saw a unit armed with trilionaires, hackers, machine guns Degtyarev, even the machine guns" Maxim "really were. And for me, the first time was a three-line." Armored watches "of the time of the capture of Kabul. All the" prize money "tanks, that is, captured by the Arabs, are somewhat reminiscent of the colonel "- described one of the Russian mercenaries arming of his colleagues.

Previously, Wagner's mercenaries reported that some of the cities were taken on their own, without the help of Syrians.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Soldiers of the Russian AML "Wagner" who go to fight in Syria are mostly former soldiers, special forces, police or prisoners.

It was reported earlier PMC soldiers in an interview with Channel Telegram-WarJournal.

"Despite the fact that many soldiers AHC served in the army and special forces, will not be mistaken if I say that 90% do not understand where to go. Desire to earn money reflects brain off. Therefore, once in real trouble, they say they came here not die, and money. Those are called "five hundred", that deserters and conscientious. They were immediately sent to the rigging crew, ie truck shells, etc., "- said the former" vahnerovets "named Sergei.

Another soldier AHC "Wagner" named Gennady said that many mercenaries had previously been convicted of serious crimes.

"And for the life of those who arrived in Syria, mostly losers. Typically, former cops, zeki and military. Approximately 40% of personnel vidsydily for serious crimes - murder, robbery and so on. P. Soldiers AHC even so greet each other "Hi, loser!" it is noticeable that many months before the trip, and even years, they Bukhalo not prosyhayuchy. Syria is not allowed to drink, head slightly prosvitlyayutsya give pledges tie for life. they return to Russia with millions in his pocket and thwarted a peak in a month prypovzayut the base without pants"- said Gennady st.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, has accused social-media networks of bowing to pressure from Washington and disabling his Russian-language pages after the U.S. Treasury Department hit him with financial and travel sanctions.

Kadyrov said he found his Russian-language Instagram and Facebook accounts were not functioning on December 23 and that he never received a response from Instagram after sending a request for service support. His English-language Instagram account was unaffected.

"Instagram's move, which still wants to pretend it is independent from official Washington" is weird, he wrote on the social-media site Telegram.

"They wanted to stir my indignation, but were wrong, and this is the only thing which pleases me in actions Instagram and their patrons in the White House are undertaking. I have planned already to quit the network. But I thought I could fail my friends and subscribers, as on Instagram and Facebook I have more than 4 million followers," Kadyrov added.

Representatives from the social networks and the U.S. government have yet to comment on whether the accounts were officially blocked.

However, Dzhambulat Umarov, Chechnya's press and information minister, called the issue a "vile sabotage cyberattack" by U.S. authorities.

"Each word, every look from Ramzan Kadyrov instills fear in the greedy hearts of overseas cowards, capable only of behind-the-scenes geopolitical fuss and bleeding nations," Umarov was quoted by the RBC.ru news website as saying.

Kadyrov said on Telegram that a new social network, Mylistory, was being tested in Chechnya and should be up and running in the New Year. He added that in the meantime he would continue to communicate through other social networks such as VKontakte, Twitter (RKadyrov), and Telegram.

One of the last Instagram postings before the page went down was a video recording by Kadyrov in which he responded to the sanctions, brought about under the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 law that aims to punish Russians alleged to be involved human rights violations, by saying he had no current reason to travel to the United States.

Human rights groups say Kadyrov has used threats and abuses to maintain control over Chechnya, the site of two post-Soviet separatist wars and years of insurgent violence stemming from the conflicts since Putin appointed him to head the region in 2007.

The U.S. sanctions law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was arrested after blowing the whistle on what he said was the theft of $230 million from Russian state coffers through tax fraud.

He died in jail in December 2009, and relatives and rights activists said he had been tortured and denied medical care. A Council of Europe investigation concluded the conditions leading up to his death amounted to torture..................

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Wizz Air launches flights between L'viv and London's Luton airport on May 1, 2018, and not on September 1, as announced earlier.

This is evidenced by updated information in the booking system, reports avianews.com.

The company confirmed the information that flights will begin in May and will run at a frequency of three times a week.

Airport Luton is located 48 km from the British capital. In 2009, Wizz Air operated direct flights from Lviv to London, but flights were discontinued.

Earlier it became known that Wizz Air had two months to fly from Kiev to Lisbon and Tallinn.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український