Ukraine News. Wednesday 3 September. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY HEADLINES:
Four years passed since Minsk Protocol was signed, - US urges Russia to immediately cease combat operations in Ukraine’s Donbas region. The suspect in the poisoning of the former intelligence officer of the Violinist work in the intelligence of Russia. The troops of Putin and Assad arranged a slaughter in Syria: many died.  Russia renews airstrikes on Syria's Idlib province killing 13 civilians.  Zakharchenko fled? The OSCE issued an alarming statement on the elimination of the leader of the DPR.  Filaret is confident that the only local church in Ukraine will be created by the end of 2018  Russia and China interfere with the denuclearization of North Korea, Haley.  

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The suspect in the poisoning of the former intelligence officer of Russia Sergei Skrypala and his daughter, Julia, are employees of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Russia.

This was stated by Prime Minister of Great Britain Teresa May, reports Sky News.

"Having studied the intelligence information, the government concluded that the two men indicated by the police and the prosecutor's office were members of the Russian military intelligence known as the "GRU", said May.

Premier added that, given the hard discipline in this intelligence service, the actions of individual employees can not be the manifestation of their initiative.

"And almost certainly their actions were approved outside the GRU, at the highest level of the Russian leadership," the prime minister said.

According to her, Britain sent a red message to Interpol and a European arrest warrant for two suspects. However, Russia does not allow extradition.

May also said that there were opportunities and motives in Russia to commit this crime, and attempts to hide the truth reinforce her guilt.

The Prime Minister recalled that the government had repeatedly asked Moscow for explanations about what happened in Salisbury, and in response "received distortion and lies." She noted that "the Russian side tried to place responsibility for the poisoning in Salisbury on terrorists, partners of Britain and the future introspective Yulia Skripal"

"They even claimed that the" Newbie" "I invented", - added May.

British prosecutors believe they are involved in poisoning former Sergei Skripal's Russian intelligence officer and his daughter Julia, two Russians -  Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.

The investigation suggests that suspects could come to London not under the real names. Both men are about 40 years old. According to the police, on March 2 they entered the territory of Britain and two days later returned to Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that information about the involvement of two Russians in poisoning in Britain of the former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal is "information manipulation" .

Recall that the British investigation believes that the  poisoning of the former Russian intelligence officer  Sergei Skripal could not be carried out without the approval of the Kremlin.

August 7, The Guardian reported that Britain is ready to sue Moscow for the  extradition of two Russians suspected of being poisoned by Novice.

In March 2018, a 66-year-old citizen of Russia, a former intelligence officer, Sergei Skryppal, went to a hospital  with severe poisoning. With him  was his daughter Julia.

Sergei Skripal is Colonel of Russian Military Intelligence in retirement. In 2006, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for spying in favor of Britain. Russia stated that it had transmitted to London information about Russian secret agents in Europe. In 2010, a group of four Prisoner inmates exchanged 10 accused US espionage people. Subsequently, the violinist moved to live in Britain.

British Prime Minister Teresa May announced that Russia is  likely to be involved  in the poisoning of the Violinist, and the crime was committed with the help of the paramilitary paralysis of the "Novice" class developed in the Russian Federation.

International experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have confirmed the findings of Britain that Violin and his daughter were  poisoned with neuroparalytic substances .

After poisoning,  Britain expelled Russian diplomats . Britain also declared freezing of Russian assets in the country. It was reported that sanctions could affect  Putin's immediate surroundings.

Subsequently, Ukraine, the United States and EU countries announced they were  expelled by Russian diplomats  because of the Violence Poisoning in Britain. On March 27, NATO Secretary General announced the  deportation of 7 Russian employees.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced the  expulsion of 23 British diplomats  "in response to Britain's actions." Also, the Russian Foreign Ministry has announced the  closure of the British Council .

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko called on the world  to react to political prisoners of the Kremlin as a  Violinist poisoning.

 hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

On the fourth anniversary of the Minsk Protocol signing, the Kyiv-based U.S. Embassy called on the Kremlin to immediately put an end to the war it wages in Ukraine’s east.

The U.S. diplomatic mission tweeted on Tuesday, Censor.NET reports.

The Minsk Protocol was signed four years ago today to bring peace to eastern Ukraine. But the fighting never stopped, threatening lives and livelihoods of innocent Ukrainians. Russia must live up to its commitments and end the fighting now! #Peace4Ukraine #UkraineNotForgotten

— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) September 5, 2018

The Minsk Protocol was signed on Sept. 5, 2014 in Minsk, Belarus. It provided for the cessation of hostilities in the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. The second Minsk agreement (a set of measures to implement the Minsk accords) was signed on Feb. 11-12, 2015.

en.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russian and Syrian aircraft struck in the province of Idlib, which is being held by armed groups opposed to the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

This is with reference to the data from the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights on the ground, reports Reuters.

According to the publication, the victims of the strike on the western border of the province of Idlib were 13 people who were not militants.

Aviatodar was launched a few hours after the announcement of US President Donald Trump, in which he warned the Russian Federation of a reckless attack on Idlib.

The Kremlin rejected Tramp's warning, stating that Jihadist group is dominant in Idlib.

According to human rights groups, more than 6,000 non-combatants were killed in Syria during the eight months of 2018; Of these, almost 4,500 were killed by the Syrian-Russian forces.

Syrian government troops, along with foreign groups and militia, are preparing a step-by-step offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib and the surrounding areas. It will first unfold in the southern and western parts of the rebel enclave.

As you know, Turkey, which has installed several observation points along the perimeter occupied by the rebels of the territory, has warned Damascus from the storm. At the same time, they claim in the Kremlin that they have agreed with Ankara on the operation against the terrorists of the Front of al-Nusra with the participation of the forces of Assad.

Sept. 7 in Tehran, a meeting of leaders of Turkey, Iran and the Russian Federation, which will decide the fate of north-west Syria.

Recall that on September 4, 2018, Russia began to bomb the last insurgent territories in Syria.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

British-based watchdog the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says Russian warplanes resumed bombing Idlib province after a 22-day pause.
As reported by Censor.NET citing Deutsche Welle, the Kremlin restarted its bombing campaign on the Syrian city of Idlib with Tehran's support on Tuesday, over objections from the United States.

"Russian warplanes resumed bombing Idlib province after a 22-day pause," said SOHR chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

The White House had warned that a "reckless attack" on one of the last rebel-held areas in the country would be a "grave humanitarian mistake" that could destabilize the peace process and kill thousands. Top U.S. generals also cautioned that without more precise planning, Russia was risking the deaths of an untold number of civilians.

Iran, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said it would also be helping remove militants from Idlib with the least amount of casualties possible.

Watch more: Israel Defense Forces destroy Iran’s Russian-made Uragan MLRS based in Syria. VIDEO

Moscow responded by accusing the administration of President Donald Trump of lacking "a comprehensive approach" to the Syrian conflict and called Idlib "a hornets' nest of terrorists."

In light of the strikes, Turkey announced that it was moving tanks to its border with Syria and reinforcing its observation posts near Idlib.

The SOHR and a rebel source told Reuters that the warplanes bombarded countryside around Jisr al-Shughour on the western edge of the rebel enclave of Idlib after weeks of lull, killing 13 civilians but no fighters.

The White Helmets also report civilian casualties as a result of the airstrikes.

Five children were killed, and more than 12 others are injured in a new massacre unleashed by Russian aircraft in the city of #JisralShughur in #Idlib western countryside. #WhiteHelmets teams mobilized quickly to retrieve the dead and transfer the wounded to medical points. pic.twitter.com/5DD2tsFZRj

— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) September 4, 2018

en.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission did not see the body of the leader of the DPR, Oleksandr Zakharchenko and his guard, who died as a result of the explosion in the cafe "Separ" in Donetsk on August 31.

This follows from the reports of the mission, UNIAN reports.

According to the report, the explosion occurred less than 200 meters from the OSCE office in Donetsk.

When they arrived at the site of the explosion, the observers saw that the area around the restaurant was fenced.

One of the militant commanders told them that Zakharchenko was killed in the explosion and another militant was seriously injured. They were also told that nine more were injured. On September 3, the day after Zakharchenko's funeral, the OSCE observers clarified the information on the victims and those killed in the explosion.

In the morgue of the Donetsk Regional Clinical Hospital named after M.I. Kalinin, they were told that they had been delivered to the body of the leader of the DPR and his bodyguard. Other victims of the explosion in the hospital refused to talk without the permission of the militants.

Doctors of the Institute of Urgent and Restorative Surgery named after VK Gusak said that they received six victims of the explosion, but refused to provide additional information.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret (Denisenko) is convinced that the only local church in the country will be created by the end of this year, and those churches that do not join it should be called the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

As informs Censor.NET, informs Interfax-Ukraine.

"Tomos will be: after Tomos, there will be the Cathedral of those bishops who have addressed the Ecumenical Patriarch to give Tomos an autocephaly, and those who did not apply to the Council will not have the right. The cathedral means that all three churches have united into one single local Ukrainian autocephalous the church, and he will choose his primate and there will be one Ukrainian church in Ukraine, and those who do not join this Ukrainian church, should be called the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine", - said the head of the UOC-KP.

When asked about the prospects of creating a single local church in Ukraine, he replied: "This year."

As reported, on April 17, 2018, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced his intention to address the Archbishop of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to call on Tomos of the United Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine and urged the Verkhovna Rada to support his initiative at the earliest possible time.

On April 19, people's deputies supported the President's appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch to give Tomas on autocephaly.

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople has taken into consideration the appeal of the President of Ukraine and has decided to begin the procedure necessary for granting autocephaly of the UOC.

Archbishop Yevstraty (Zorya), the head of the information management department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate, Archbishop Yevstraty (Zorya) said that on September 2, the general meeting (Synaksis) of the bishopric of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is considering the issue of giving Tomas on autocephaly for Ukraine in the foreseeable direction:"... the case is Tomos moves like necessary".

The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, emphasized that the Ecumenical Patriarchate at its meeting decided to grant the right to the states to create a local congregation of the Orthodox Church (in particular, in Ukraine) without taking into account the position of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in October may decide to give Tomos an autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nicky Haley, said that Russia and China are preventing their actions from solving the nuclear issue of North Korea.

As informs Censor.NET, referring to the Correspondent , she said on Tuesday, September 4, at a press conference on the US presidency in the Council.

"Russia and China continue to create problems, in particular, in the work of Committee 1718 (regarding the enforcement of sanctions against the DPRK)," Hayley said.

She also noted that the United States and South Korea "continue to be in contact with sanctions against the DPRK" and "will continue to hold consultations on the issue of denuclearization."

Earlier, the United States' ambassador to the United Nations said that Russia had issued work permits for several thousand DPRK citizens and thus violated UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea.

Let's remind, Russia has blocked the approval of the report on North Korea in the UN Security Council.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Russian Federation refused to exchange its citizens serving prison terms in Ukraine for Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia.

First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Iryna Herashchenko, wrote on social media following today’s meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk, Censor.NET reports.

"Today, four years after the Minsk accords were signed, the Ukrainian side observed complete disregard for their implementation by the Russian Federation and its puppets. The release of hostages has been blocked. Russia’s representatives to the humanitarian subgroup refused to take Russian nationals from Ukrainian prisons in exchange for our political prisoners, saying that ‘the Russian Federation has nothing to do with the conflict and there are no Russian forces [in Ukraine]’," Herashchenko said.

According to her, this means that "the Motherland officially abandoned Russians in Ukrainian prisons."

"We will continue to appeal to both Russia and the international community that no country has the right to disown its citizens," the lawmaker stressed.

She also said that Russia refused to provide its expert to develop a mechanism to help find the missing persons.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

русском

Российская Федерация отказалась обменять своих граждан, удерживаемых в украинских тюрьмах, в обмен на наших политзаключенных.

Как передает Цензор.НЕТ, об этом по результатам работы Трехсторонней контактной группы в Минске на странице в Facebook сообщила вице-спикер Верховной Рады Ирина Геращенко.

"Сегодня, в четвертую годовщину подписания минских соглашений, украинская сторона зафиксировала полное игнорирование выполнения соглашений РФ и их марионетками. Заблокирован процесс освобождения заложников. Представители России в гуманитарной подгруппе ответили ОТКАЗОМ забрать граждан РФ из украинских тюрем в обмен на наших политзаключенных, заявив, что "РФ не имеет отношения к конфликту, и нас там нет"", - написала Геращенко.

Она добавила, что это означает, что "Родина официально бросила россиян в украинских тюрьмах".

"Мы будем продолжать апеллировать и к РФ, и к миру, что ни одна страна не имеет права отказываться от своих граждан", - написала Геращенко.

Также, по ее словам, Россия отказалась предоставить своего эксперта для создания механизма по поиску пропавших без вести. Источник:

censor.net.ua  In Russian/русском