Ukraine News in brief. Wednesday 27 December. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY HEADLINES:
The software of the FBI found the Russian code.  In Russia, they say they will not allow UN peacekeepers throughout the Donbas.  The Russian hacker has accused the FSB of involvement in the creation of the WannaCry virus. Austrian Supreme Court granted Firtash a detention order for extradition in the United States before the appeal.  The exchange of prisoners began: 16 Ukrainian hostages of terrorists "LNR" arrived from the occupied territory.  Russian mercenaries have sent Ukrainian prisoners to the venue of an exchange.  Foreign Ministry of Ukraine criticized the statement of the German minister about a new model of relations between the EU and Ukraine after Brexit.  The mercenaries of Russia under the guise of a New Year truce are preparing for hostilities.  Russian Central Election Commission registered presidential candidate Sobchak Russia.

WEATHER:
Kyiv, Ukraine
4c / 38f HI | RealFeel 2c / 36f
Cloudy this morning, then clouds and sunshine this afternoon

The FBI fingerprint recognition program includes traces of Russian programmers
This is reported by The Hill.

The fingerprint analysis software used by the FBI and another 18,000 other US law enforcement agencies may contain Russian code.

Two former employees of the French firm Safran Group said that the agency recently acquired a code in the Russian cyber security company Papillon Systems.

The Russian code was then used for fingerprint analysis and sold to the FBI. Sources indicate that Papillon Systems often cooperates with law enforcement agencies in Russia, including the FSB.

"They told me:" We will have big problems if the FBI learns about the origin of the algorithm. There was always a feeling that we did something bad, that is a secret between us and we should not tell it to anyone, "one of the disclosers said.

-In October, the Russian company Kaspersky Lab recognized that it copied information from the US Agency for Security.

-Therefore, the US Senate has banned state agencies from using Kaspersky's products.

-The government of Britain has also taken precautionary measures. He warns all government agencies that the software can be used by the Russian government.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

Russia will not allow the work of UN peacekeepers across Donbass, captured by militants, including the Ukrainian-Russian border

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Hryhoriy Karasin, stated in an interview with Kommersant.

"With the resolution we proposed, it became clear that the main task of peacekeepers should be to secure the security of the OSCE special monitoring mission. We see artificial attempts to change this concept towards the introduction of some foreign administration in the south-east with the crossing of the border between Donbass and Russia. Russia will never allow this, "said Karasin.

He stressed that Russia is in favor of ensuring that UN peacekeepers guard only OSCE observers.

Recall that on September 5, following the meeting of American diplomat Kurt Volker with the assistant to the Russian president, Vladislav Surkov, Vladimir Putin supported the idea of ​​deploying peacekeepers in the zone of the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict in the Donbass. However, he insists that the peacekeeping contingent should be placed only on the line of demarcation.
Ukraine opposed such a scenario. As the first deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko stated, peacekeepers must be deployed throughout the occupied Donbas area , not just on the line of demarcation.

-On September 20, President Petro Poroshenko repeatedly appealed to the UN Security Council to deploy an international peacekeeping contingent in the area of ​​fighting in eastern Ukraine. For the first time Ukraine asked about it in the spring of 2015.

-The United States Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, said that Russia could not take part in a peacekeeping mission in the Donbas.

Ukraine, the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany have in fact prepared a draft resolution on the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Donbas.

-Russia and the United States discussed the possibility of deploying a UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine, with only 29 left-handed paragraphs recognized by the Russian side.

-The Ministry of Defense excludes the possibility of Russia's participation in a future peacekeeping mission in the Donbas.

-Volker said that the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine will be relevant to local elections , after which the responsibility for security in the region will pass to the Ukrainian government.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

The hacker from the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, Kostyantyn Kozlovsky, said that the creation of the WannaCry and Lurk viruses was supervised by the FSB officers of Russia.

About this Kozlovsky said in an interview with "Rain".

Kozlovsky is, among other things, one of the main defendants in the Lurk group, whose members are accused of numerous bank failures. The incidents of this case were detained in 2016. Kozlovsky is currently arrested.

He said that the FSB's Major-General Dmitry Dokuchaev, who was arrested in December 2016 in the state-run case, was involved in the spread of the virus among the FSB officers.

"The specifics of the work of the so-called Lurk and its modifications, as well as the software I have created for myself, is such that Dokuchaev, and those whom he gave access, could independently work with infected objects," Kozlovsky said.

Previously, Kozlovsky said that Dokuchaev oversaw the crackdown on the computer network of the US Democratic Party Committee. Dokuchaev himself throws away what is familiar with Kozlovsky.

Among the hackers created under the patronage of the FSB "products" Kozlovsky also called the WannaCry virus.

"When I watched a television story about WannaCry, I saw a locker like me (a demanding program, ed.). "Mord" of this virus was made by people from my group. "Morde" is what is displayed on a computer at the moment of the blocking", - he said.

According to him, computer systems of the largest companies - "Rosneft", "Gazprom", "Lukoil" and "Savings Bank" - were used for "routing" of viruses.

WannaCry "Routing" was held at "Aircraft Development Company", Kozlovsky told. The "Aircraft Development" responded that the company "created and implemented a system of information security using the means of information protection, certified by the FSB of Russia and FSTEK of Russia."

Kozlovsky himself did not deny allegations of abduction with the help of the Lurk virus. "Yes, my structures by cashing in cash funds from there. However, technically theft was carried out by Dokuchaev and the company, "he said.

The FSB did not respond to the request of "Rain" to comment on Kozlovsky's statement.

Previously, Kozlovsky reported his involvement in hacker attacks in the United States, in particular, to the fracture of the US Democratic Party Committee.

Recall that on May 12, a new virus requiring redemption struck tens of thousands of computers in different countries. The largest number of such cases was detected in Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan.

The Telegraph reported that hackers whose virus attack blocked files that are likely to be linked to Russia .

It was also reported that a British specialist accidentally suspended a new buy-ins virus . However, later information appeared that an updated version appeared on WannaCry.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Austrian Supreme Court ruled that Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian businessman, has appealed against the verdict of the Austrian Appellate Court, which allowed him to be extradited to the United States.

This is stated by the defenders Dmitry Firtash, reports Tsensor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.

"The Supreme Court decided to suspend Mr. Firtash's extradition to review his appeal," the lawyer of the Ukrainian businessman, co-founder of Davis Goldberg Galper PLLC (Washington), Lanny J. Davis, who was a lawyer of the White House in the time, Bill Clinton.

According to him, the Supreme Court of Austria also suspended its own trial until the European Union court made a preliminary ruling about the possibility of applying the EU Charter of Human Rights to the appeal against the extradition of Dmitry Firtash.

Lenny D. Davis also points to two other positive latest news for the Ukrainian businessman. First, referring to the publication of The Hill on December 21, he reports on the withdrawal of a coalition of [23] human rights groups of the complaint, in which she requested the United States to include Dmitry Firtash in the list of sanctions, in accordance with the Global Act of Magnitsky.

Secondly, he reminds that on December 19 the Vienna Highest Court finally rejected the request of the Spanish prosecutors to issue a Ukrainian businessman. The defender claims that the request was based on allegations similar to those charged against his client by American prosecutors and based on information provided by US investigators.

As reported, Chairman of the Board of Group DF Group D.Firtash was arrested in Austria March 12, 2014 at the request of the US authorities, issued in 2013. During the former US administration, a Ukrainian businessman was accused of having sought bribes for a total sum of $ 18.5 million to obtain permits for the extraction of titanium raw materials in India for the sale of finished goods in the United States. D.Firtash denied all allegations and called them politically motivated, aimed at limiting his influence on the processes in Ukraine.

The Land Court of Vienna in criminal cases chose D. Firtash as a precautionary measure in the form of extradition arrest, but then agreed to release him on bail of EUR 125 million and the obligation not to leave Austria. On April 30, 2015, the same court dismissed a request by the US Department of Justice for the extradition of D.Firtash to this country, indicating the inability to exclude the political motives of a request for the Ukrainians to be extradited by the United States. In September 2015, the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office (Austria) appealed against this decision, on February 21, 2017, the Vienna Highest Court of Landed Court granted it.

However, the final decision to extradite by the Austrian Federal Minister of Justice, which was awaiting the completion of consideration of another request for extradition of D. Firtash - from Spain, which was detained by the Vienna prosecutor's office immediately after the hearing of the Court of Appeal on February 21, 2017. On February 23, the Land Court dismissed a businessman for an obligation to file a lawsuit on a regular basis and not leave the territory of Austria, as well as a pledge of EUR 125 million in extradition proceedings in the United States. After dismissal from the investigative detention facility, Dmitry Firtash again stated that he was not to blame, but inquiries from the United States and Spain called him part of the campaign for his political persecution.

According to the European arrest warrant issued by Spain, after the court decision on the measure of restraint, there are 30 days for the decision of the court of first instance on the issue of the extradition of Dmitry Firtash to Spain, and then another 30 days for consideration by him in the second instance in case filing an appeal. However, according to the media, the trial of the court of first instance was delayed due to the request for additional materials from the Spanish law enforcement agencies.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Near Gorlovka, near the checkpoint of entry-exit "Mayorskoye", the exchange of prisoners began.

This is reported by the correspondent of "Gromadsky" from the scene, reports Censor.NET.

"We see 7 buses in which there are people who pass Ukraine ... A very tense situation, everyone is very worried that the exchange will take place. The list has been agreed upon," she said.

"Exchanges are ongoing: 43 people, who should be among the 306 from the Ukrainian side, were sentenced and released from custody, therefore they did not come to an exchange, said the Human Rights Commissioner Valerii Lutkovska. There is also a part of the people who came for exchange, but refuse to return to the territories occupied by the terrorists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, with about 10-15 people, Lutkovska said that each of them would be asked in the presence of representatives of the Red Cross whether he wants to return to the occupied territories,"- edition.

"The territory of Ukraine controlled by Ukraine returned 3 buses with 16 Ukrainians who were captured by the terrorists" LNR. "In one of the buses Russian, separatist media, in one more - representatives of the ORDLO. Among the released hostages are Vladislav Ovcharenko, Valentin Bogdan, Artem Akmerov and Edward Nedelyaev: Ukraine transfers 99 people to the occupied Luhansk, "the newspaper reports.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The mercenaries of the Russian Federation bring the Ukrainian prisoners to the place of the exchange.

Ukrainian troops detained in captivity in the territory occupied by terrorists "DNR" left Wednesday from the places of detention to the place of exchange for mercenaries from the Ukrainian side, the correspondent of Interfax-Ukraine reported, reports Tsensor.NET.

Now a colony with Ukrainian prisoners moves towards Gorlovka.

The separatist agency LIC with reference to the representative of "LNR" in the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the situation on the Donbass Olga Kobtseva reported that Ukrainian hostages had already been sent to the place of exchange, writes Gordon.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on European Integration Olena Zerkal called speculation the statement of Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany Zigmara Gabriel a new model of relations between the European Union and Ukraine, which should be developed on the basis of a future agreement on the exit of the UK from the EU.

This is reported by Tsensor.NET with reference to UNIAN.

"This model has not yet been formed. It is actually a speculation as to which model they can form based on the outcome of all negotiations and the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union," Zerkal said.

"But, given the processes taking place within the European Union, it was more likely to be said for Turkey in connection with the latest statements regarding the future of Turkey than for Ukraine," the diplomat said.

"That is, we go along with Turkey in the sense of Gabriel... As the countries are interconnected, which are identical in size, in population and in terms of the desire for integration," said Zerkal.

She said that the head of the German Foreign Ministry has the right to express the position that she personally forms as Foreign Minister.

"But is this a common view of the European Union, is there any general understanding in the European Union of how it will take place, for example, the trade relations with Britain after its withdrawal from the European Union? Not yet, so it can now be said that it is, thoughts are aloud"- said Zerkul.

As previously reported, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel proposed to use the future EU-UK agreement on Brexit to develop a new model of relations with other countries, in particular with Ukraine and Turkey. "If we succeed in reaching a reasonable deal with Britain that regulates relations with Europe after Brexit, this can be a model for other countries: Ukraine, as well as Turkey," Gabriel said. He stressed that he could not imagine the membership of Ukraine or Turkey in the EU in the coming years. "Therefore, we must think about alternative forms of close cooperation," said Gabriel.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

According to the Defense Intelligence Directorate, Russian-terrorist troops in the Donbass are trying to use a ceasefire to prepare for further combat operations.

According to  Tsensor.NET  , referring to Ukrinform, the spokesman for the Defense Ministry Alexander Motiuzianik told a briefing.

According to him, measures to create an artificial psychological tension among the population of the occupied Donbas are being held under the Russian informational and propagandistic influence to keep the local population.

Thus, on December 22-25, the command of the Russian-occupying forces conducted work with the heads of so-called local self-government bodies on inventory of bomb shelters for the purpose of equipping them with the necessary means in the event of the so-called offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For the intimidation of the local population, appeals to homeowners who, in case of fire, should provide free access to their basements.

 ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Central Election Commission issued the authorization TV host Ksenia Sobchak at the opening of a special account for a campaign fund, thus endorsing its participation in the presidential elections.

As the Tsenzor.NET, reported  RIA "Novosti".

"Allow candidate for president of Russia Ksenia Sobchak Anatoliivna open a special election account to create election fund additional office of JSC" Sberbank", - stated in the decree of the CEC.

Thus, Sobchak allowed to start collecting signatures in his support.

Previously reported that Sobchak filed to the CEC documents necessary for registration as a candidate in the presidential elections in March 2018.

ua.censor.net.ua    In Ukrainian/український

The Canadian Government is looking for ways to expand its military assistance to Ukraine.

This was stated by the Minister of Defense of Canada Hardtie Satjan, reports Tsensor. NET with reference to Ukrinform.

"We are constantly looking for opportunities to improve the support of Ukraine in this complex crisis for her time, provoked by the aggression of Russia," said Sajjan.

According to him, the opening of Ukraine's access to the Canadian arms market has become one of the stages of cooperation.

"I do not stop interacting with the Minister Poltorak, and Ukraine's inclusion in the Checklist of countries that are allowed to supply automatic weapons has become only one element. Our agencies are currently working on further steps to provide possible support," the Canadian Defense Minister said.

He promised "to move forward on this issue." "The permission for the sale of weapons is just one of the steps necessary to give Ukraine the right opportunities", - summed up Sadjan.

We remind you that this month, Canada announced the inclusion of Ukraine in the Checklist of countries, which allowed the delivery of automatic weapons.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український