Ukraine News in brief. Monday 12 February. [Ukrainian sources]

MONDAY HEADLINES:
Britain blew up US sanctions, allowing Russian Deripaska company to raise a billion pounds on the exchange. “Russians told us they had no forces there,” – top US military Mattis on Russian mercenaries killed in Syria.  In Russia, suspected a terrorist attack in the disaster An-148 in the Moscow region.  Russia's reluctance to fulfill its obligations is what scraps Minsk agreements, - Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on Lavrov's statement.  The border guards detained Saakashvili and expelled him to Poland.  "This is first step to junk Minsk agreements," – Russia’s Lavrov on Ukraine’s law designed to put end to Donbas occupation.  Poroshenko says Ukraine willing to swap Sushchenko for Russian soldiers captured in Donbas. Russia sent a batch of anti-tank guided missiles to the Donbas, an intelligence agency. Ukrainian corn drives the US out of the Chinese market. We warned, but the Russians denied everything and said that nothing was happening, - the Syrian opposition general Hassan on the defeat of the mercenaries of the Russian Federation.  

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Washington was worried by the November release to the London Stock Exchange of the Russian energy company EN +.

According to Tsensor.NET with reference to Inopressa , according to Daily Telegraph.

EN + belongs to the oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who is closely linked with Vladimir Putin, says journalist Con Coglin. He also notes that half the "Rusal" belongs to EN +. Until recently, the website of the company indicated that the metal powder it produced ("aluminum powders, powders and granules." - ed.), Was used "in the manufacture of military equipment".

"Employees of the American security services are particularly concerned about the fact that EN + used the money involved in entering the exchange to repay loans to VTB, a Russian state-owned bank under US sanctions," the article says.

A senior US official said to the publication: "What sense does the United States impose on Russia sanctions if the Russians can get around them in Britain?" The sanctions were imposed to show Russia that it would not be able to escape punishment for serious violations of international law, they have evaded sanctions when they raised funds in London."

"We understand that the British government is locked into Brekziti, but Brekzit does not justify ignoring the urgent issues of national security," added the official.

The representative of EN + said: "The way EN + provided for the use of funds raised did not violate US and EU sanctions."

Employees of the MI-6, reminiscent of the edition, raised the question of why they were not consulted about the company's exit to the stock exchange. One high-ranking British official called the scandal a permit to place shares.

Deripaska is becoming an increasingly controversial figure in Russia, according to Daily Telegraph. Last week, Oleksiy Navalny published details of a likely secret meeting between Deripaska and Russia's deputy prime minister, who are associated with investigations of possible agreements between Donald Trump and Russia.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

U.S. Defense Secretary, four-star General James "Mad Dog" Mattis commented on the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes that killed about 100 pro-government troops who had attacked coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near Syria’s Deir el-Zour on the night of Feb. 8, 2018.

"It was self-defense. Obviously, we are not getting engaged in the Syrian civil war," the Voice of America quoted Mattis as saying, Censor.NET reports.

U.S. military officials said the coalition was in contact with Russia before, during and after Wednesday's attack and had alerted Russia to the presence of SDF forces in that area.Mattis said the Russians had told American military officials that they did not have any Russian forces there.

"You can’t ask Russia to deconflict something they don’t control. The fact that somebody chose to attack us, and the Russians are saying, ‘’It’s not us,’ and we are firing on them to stop the artillery fire, that, to me, is not a failure of the deconfliction line," Mattis explained.

"Mattis showed Ukrainian generals how to comment on the war in the Donbas while the U.S. special operations forces, artillery and assault aircraft showed how to eliminate the Russian mercenaries. If you say that you have no forces there, you will no longer have them," Censor.NET Chief Editor Yurii Butusov wrote on social media recalling Mattis’ best quotes.

As reported, from 300 to 500 pro-government forces attacked an SDF headquarters near Deir el-Zour, Syria on the night of Feb. 8, but retreated after the U.S.-led coalition knocked out their artillery and two of their tanks. The U.S. military suspects the pro-regime forces were trying to move in on oil fields previously held by the Islamic State group for the past three years, but are now controlled by U.S.-backed fighters. The news agencies run by the Syrian government, the Russian Defense Ministry, and the Pentagon confirmed the devastating strike on the pro-regime forces.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The catastrophe of the AN-148 aircraft in the Moscow region was likely to be a terrorist attack.

According to the pilot of "Saratov Airlines", earlier he flew on a similar aircraft along this route, along with a lost pilot of the aircraft, reports Radio Liberty.

"This is a terrorist attack, in my opinion, and this is not only my version, but also many of the pilots of our airline, with whom I spoke. Neither the piloting error, nor the untreated fluid (if it was) would not collapse in the air, and Its fragments would not scatter within a radius of one kilometer. You see, the AN-148 was at an altitude of 1800-2000 meters, at that time the sign "fasten the straps" is lit, the passengers and the board carriers and the crew are fastened and seated in the chairs. She is only on the so-called Hundred Eclipse, at an altitude of 3050 meters, but the plane did not even have time for it. We also know that wreckage scattered for a kilometer, the body can not be recognized without genetic expertise, as the Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov said. What does this say? If the plane collapsed from a blow to the ground, then the bodies and fragments would lie close, compact, in such cases many deaths are found in their armchairs. And here in parts all gather", - he said.

The pilot believes that this suggests that an explosion occurred on board the aircraft

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine responded to the statement by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov regarding the so-called “Donbas reintegration bill” regulating certain aspects of state policy to ensure Ukraine's state sovereignty in temporarily occupied areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that was passed by the Verkhovna Rada on Jan. 18, 2018.

"Scrapping the Minsk agreements is non-fulfillment by Russia, by their side, of their obligations, and the ongoing aggression," a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine, Mariana Betsa, wrote on Twitter, Censor.NET reports citing UNIAN.

As reported, Lavrov said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel that Ukraine "will make a huge mistake by reneging on the Minsk agreements, if the bill on the reintegration of the Donbas is signed into law."

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

On Monday, February 12, people in masks and jackets with the inscription "State Border Guard Service of Ukraine" detained Mikheil Saakashvili, leader of the "Movement of New Forces" party, and are now preparing for deportation.

This is reported by colleagues policy in social networks.

It is noted that the detention took place in the restaurant "Suluguni" in the Museum lane.

As aristocratic politician Ruslana Chornolutsky told "Apostrophe", Saakashvili is likely to be taken to the border. At the same time, he assured that while there is no accurate information on the subsequent actions of the security forces.

At the same time , Ukrainska Pravda, with reference to sources, reports that politics can be deported to one of the European countries.

"He will now be deported to Europe, all of the courts have already gone. As soon as he lost in court, the services received the right to deport," the source said.

It believes that all procedures for expulsion will not take much time, because there is already a court decision.

As the "Country" specifies , Saakashvili can be deported to Poland. The choice of this country is not a coincidence - the politician illegally penetrated into Ukraine from the territory of Poland and under the agreement on readmission he can turn back.

17:34 Speaker of the SBGS Oleg Slobodian stated that Saakashvili had returned to Poland.

17:20 Saakashvili supporters in Borispol threatened to crush the airport. They also require "senior" to talk. At the same time, there is information that Saakashvili has already sent a charter to Poland .

17:00 Miho's comrades arrived at the Kyiv (Zhulyany) and Boryspil airports, waiting for his deportation. There is also a photocopier of "Apostrophe" in Borispol.

In turn, politician's friend, Lisa Bohutsky, says that Saakashvili can send him to Poland today.

"Before leaving for Boryspil Airport, the flight to Warsaw is at 17:25, it seems that they want to take out of this flight, and at the same time we need to control the western direction, we will block the roads, the general mobilization," she wrote on her Facebook page.

This information was confirmed by Yuri Derevyanko, one of the leaders of the Movement of New Forces party "Apostrophe".

According to the press service of the Movement of New Forces party, Saakashvili's comrades arrived at Boryspil and Zhulyany airports on their Facebook page.

"The latest information from" Zhulyan ": about 10 police cars, there is the board of 02 National Guard, which illegally taken away the comrades Mikheil Saakashvili to Georgia," the statement said.

As reported by the "Apostrophe", on February 9, members of the Special Forces of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) "Alpha" arrived at the Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv, where Mikheil Saakashvili, leader of the Movement of New Forces party, was staying, but soon left.

At the same time they did not present any court decisions, documents.

In addition, before the Minister of Justice of Ukraine Pavel Petrenko made a loud statement regarding the extradition of Saakashvili.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Ukraine will make a huge mistake by reneging on the Minsk agreements, if the bill on the reintegration of the Donbas is signed into law.

"I think that the one taking the first step to junk the Minsk accords will make a huge mistake. Kyiv is only a short step away from making this mistake if it finally adopts the bill on reintegration which has just passed through the second reading," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Lavrov as saying, Censor.NET reports.

He also called controversial the Ukrainian law on education.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada passed the bill on certain aspects of state policy to ensure Ukraine's state sovereignty in temporarily occupied areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (the so-called "Donbas reintegration bill") on Jan. 18, 2018.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Ukraine is ready to swap Russian soldiers who were captured in the Donbas for the Russian-held Ukrainian hostages.

As reported by Censor.NET citing Ukrinform, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said in an interview with Austrian news agency Profil.

"We are ready to release the Russian soldiers, who came to our soil to kill our people, in exchange for cutting Sushchenko loose," the president said recalling that on Feb. 8 the Ukrainian journalist marked his second birthday being held in a Russian pre-trial detention facility.

Poroshenko also stressed that Ukraine sought to liberate all Ukrainians held in Russia. He also recalled that soon it will be four years since the Kremlin imprisoned well-known Crimean filmmaker Oleh Sentsov.

"Sushchenko, Sentsov, many Crimean Tatars: we want to have all of them back," Poroshenko stressed.

As reported, France-based correspondent for Ukrinform news agency Roman Suschenko, who came to Russia for personal reasons, was detained on espionage charges by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow on Sept. 30, 2016. The FSB claimed he was a Ukrainian agent who allegedly gathered intelligence on the Russian troops and National Guard.

On Jan. 24, 2018, a Moscow-based court extended Sushchenko’s pre-trial detention until March 30, 2018.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Russian Federation continues to supply ammunition and weapons to the temporarily occupied territories of the Donbas.

According to Tsensor.NET , referring to the press service of the Ministry of Defense, such information from the Main Directorate of Intelligence was voiced by Dmytro Gutsulyak, a spokesman for the MOU on ATM issues.

"One of the parts of the Russian occupying forces has been assigned another batch of anti-tank guided missiles," he said.

He also noted that the repair and restoration of military equipment of the so-called 1st and 2nd Army Corps of Russian-occupying troops in the absence of specialists and resources is carried out in Russia.

In particular, on February 8-11 from the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk region in the Rostov region the movement of military equipment was carried out, which requires capital and average repairs.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Some Chinese buyers canceled the purchase of corn from the United States and switched to a competing supplier from Ukraine, as Beijing has tightened control over the processing of genetically modified crops

Reuters reports citing three sources and analyst.

"Traders are more likely to buy corn in Ukraine this year, because it has no GMOs and does not require permission to reprocess. Even those who ordered American corn, canceled orders and switched to Ukraine," said Shanghai JC Intelligence analyst Cherry Zhang.

As the agency writes, any long-term change in the mood of one of the major cornsters will make American farmers worry about picking up a big harvest this year and may increase the tension in trade between China and the United States.

It is noted that China last year increased purchases of American corn, which is mostly genetically modified, which contributed to the growth of domestic prices.

However, sources this year indicate that getting permits for the processing of genetically modified maize in China has become increasingly difficult. This has prompted companies to turn to unmodified corn procurement in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Agriculture of China has not responded to the request to comment on this information.

Last year, Ukraine supplied two-thirds of Chinese imports, which in total was 2.38 million tonnes, while the United States supplied a quarter of its imports of corn.

According to one of the traders, export prices from Ukraine have jumped due to an increase in demand and reached the highest level since July 2016, at $ 180 per ton.

"Today, it's hard to get GM maize from corn from the United States, and I ordered 7,000 tons of American corn, but I had to cancel the order and come to Ukraine," said a corn trader from eastern China.

Recall Ukraine has increased the export of agricultural products in the EU by 40%.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

General Hasan, commander of the Kurds led by the Kurds of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the area of ​​the city of Deir-ez-Zorah, notes that attacks on Russian mercenaries in Syria preceded a series of warnings about strike targets in the event of further advancement of the pillar.

This was written by the columnist The Washington Post David Ignatius, according to Censor. NET.

According to Hassan, Ignatius writes, he received intelligence on the preparation of an offensive by the formations that support the regime. At 21:30 on Wednesday, approximately half an hour before the start of the offensive, he called the Russian communications officer in Deir-ez-Zori, with whom he maintained contact, in the hope that he would be able to stop this operation. "We said that there was a certain movement and that we would not want to attack the participants of these actions. They (the Russians) did not accept our proposals, they all objected and said that nothing was happening," Hasan said via an interpreter.

Moreover, it is noted that US officers made a similar attempt to prevent a collision. As the Pentagon's statement made on Thursday, "the representatives of the coalition constantly maintained contact with their Russian counterparts before, during and after the" offensive, " emphasizes . "The Russian military assured the representatives of the coalition that they would not attack the nearby coalition forces," the statement said.

"Hasan said that in the midst of this bloody massacre, he was called back by a Russian communications officer and asked him to stop temporarily fighting to take the dead and wounded - in the course of the offensive that he objected. The Kurdish commander saw the treachery in that. "We do not trust more Russians," Hasan said, and when one of the reporters noted the paradox of the situation - the Russian officer initially denied the attack, and then asked for a ceasefire - Hassan remarked: "It's funny that the superpower does not know what makes it forces on earth", - says in the material.

Recall that on February 8, US troops destroyed a number of Russian mercenaries in numbers, according to various estimates of 300 to 500 people, with tanks, artillery and light armor, targeting the seizure of oil fields in the Syrian area of ​​Deir-ez-Zorah. The Assad News Agency and the Ministry of Defense of Russia confirmed the fact that the US forces attacked a colony near Deir Ez-Zor in Syria. Also, information about the fight has been confirmed by the US Department of Defense.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

As the Ambassador informed, the Voice of Ukraine informs the knowledge and skills of Ukrainian beekeepers from the All-Ukrainian Brotherhood of Beekeepers of Ukraine and Ukrainian bees themselves will help Canadian beekeepers to respond to the challenges facing the Canadian population of useful insects.

A partner of Ukrainian beekeepers will be the Canadian project Niagara Beeway, which aims to restore and preserve the original environment in Canada. Researchers report a decline in the population of bees in North America as a whole.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russian President Vladimir Putin has had a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump.



According to RIA Novosti, Tsensor.NET reports.

"I had a telephone conversation with the President of the United States, Mr. Trump," Putin said during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Putin said he had negotiated a Palestinian-Israeli settlement by telephone with Trump.

However, the topic of the talk could be to discuss the situation in Syria, when on February 7 the US Army repulsed an attack on pro-Asian forces, among which were Russian mercenaries from the Wagner PVC.

As a result of this battle in the media there was information about 200 to 600 dead Russian soldiers attacked by Americans.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

On the web there was a video of Mikheil Saakashvili, leader of the Movement of New Forces leader, in the Kiev restaurant "Suluguni".

On the record it is visible, as men in the form with lanterns run in the institution. Subsequently, Saakashvili, who actively opposes, "puts" on the floor, after which he is taken out of the room, holding his hair.

Watch in full screen

Як затримували Міхеіла Саакашвілі в київському ресторані pic.twitter.com/ZJacBY5xaW

— Hromadske.UA (@HromadskeUA) February 12, 2018

On the afternoon of February 12, Mikheila Saakashvili detained people in camouflage when he was in the restaurant "Suluguni" in Kiev. After detention, the policy was taken in an unknown direction.

As it turned out, Saakashvili was brought to Boryspil airport to return by coming flight to Poland.

Later, the State Border Guard Service reported that Saakashvili was no longer in Ukraine and was "returned to the country of his previous stay". As you know, Poland was the last country from which Saakashvili came to Ukraine.

Saakashvili's lawyer has filed a statement about the abduction policy.

Let's emphasize that at the next day, that is, on February 13, Saakashvili had to testify in the case of shooting at the Institute.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The reaction of foreign politicians to the extradition of Saakashvili, leader of the "New Forces Movement", to Poland , which was detained on February 12 at the Suluguni restaurant, became known .

This is written by Voice of America.

Some time in the information space there were talks that Saakashvili could deport to Georgia. There he was already sentenced in absentia to three years in prison on charges of abuse of official authority.

According to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Carpenter, such a result would have a negative impact on Ukraine and even worse on Georgia.

"It's bad for Ukraine and worse for Georgia," he wrote on Twitter, "it's bad for Ukraine and worse for Georgia." The use of the law due to low political motives can and does have a legal aura, but it is a bad decision from the point of view of politics. "Saakashvili is not a hero, but it's a bad decision," he wrote in his Twitter.

Bad for Ukraine and worse for Georgia. Applying the law for ulterior political purposes may have an aura of legality but it always makes for bad politics. Saakashvili is no hero but this is a bad outcome. https://t.co/9BqhE5V937

— Michael Carpenter (@mikercarpenter) February 12, 2018

Later it turned out that the ex-president of Georgia was sent to Poland. But this option was negatively accepted by some European politicians, in particular the former Foreign Minister of Sweden, Poroshenko's adviser, Carl Bildt.

Depriving Saakashvili of his only citizenship was a clear violation of his human rights. Forcible deporting him makes things even worse. https://t.co/fARZbsX381

— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) February 12, 2018

"Saakashvili's deprivation of his single citizenship is a manifest violation of his human rights. Forced deportation only worsens the situation," writes Carl Bildt in his Twitter.

As reported by the "Apostrophe", a new video of Saakashvili's arrest appeared in Kyiv. See also the first video of Saakashvili's detention at a Kyiv restaurant.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український