Contents tagged with Ukraine

  • DPR announces its own trade blockade with Kyiv

    Since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, residents of the Donbass have learned to live under the Kyiv instituted blockade, now the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has announced their own blockade of Kyiv, the head of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Alexander Zakharchenko said.

    “We have cut off all contact with Ukraine, with whom we are fighting. Yes, we are selling coal to get money to pay our wages here. But by virtue of this we have learned to live in the blockade, …

  • State Border Guard Service of Ukraine: More than 100 marine border guards to take part in Sea Breeze-2017

    More than 100 Ukrainian marine border guards and as many commanders of the Izmailsky border guard rapid reaction detachment will take part in the Ukrainian-American Sea Breeze-2017 military exercises, the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported.

    The border guards will conduct training on planning operations according to NATO standards, inspection team tactics, diving descent, airdrop missions and other training elements.

    “Nearly a dozen ships and boats and an air …

  • Proposed U.S. military aid to Ukraine may be cut in half

    The United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations prepared a draft defense budget that promises to allocate $150 million to support the armed forces of Ukraine, according to a document posted on the House of Representatives website.

    The project proposal states that the money must be spent on training, equipment, lethal defensive weapons, logistics and intelligence. A separate paragraph makes clear that the funds allocated to Ukraine cannot be spent on the purchase or …

  • Ukraine is ready to sign a memorandum with the IMF paving the way for the fourth tranche

    On the evening of March 1st, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sent Ukraine the final version of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies under an Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Its signing will allow the Fund to consider the allocation of a fourth tranche to Ukraine amounting to $1 billion within the program as announced on Thursday, March 2nd, by the Chairwoman of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), Valeriya Hontareva, during a press conference in Kyiv. "On the part of the NBU, …

  • Bellingcat has found new data about the role of former Russian officer in the downing of MH17

    The international group of investigators from Bellingcat has released new data about the involvement of the former Russian officer, Sergey Dubinsky, also known as Khmuryi (Grumpy), in the use of a Russian Buk missile system in the occupied Donbas. In 2014, a Malaysian airliner was shot down from this Buk missile system and all 298 passengers on board were killed.Since the publication of their preliminary report last month, investigators have obtained new data that additionally confirms the …

  • The Kremlin confirms that Putin and Poroshenko conducted phone conversations

    According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, have talked on the phone, but have not discussed the question of the a cease-fire in Avdiivka, as reported by Russia's TASS news agency.

    "It is a fact that the cease-fire in Avdiivka was not discussed. What took place was an exchange of views and expression of mutual concerns at the escalation of the tension, " said Peskov.

    Earlier on Thursday the media, citing …

  • Kravchuk: Ukraine's war with Russia has been ongoing for centuries

    Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of Ukraine, spoke about losses that have happened during Ukrainian confrontations with Russia, which, according to him, have continued for over three centuries. He expressed his views during an interview with Channel 112 Ukraine.

    "If we talk about cultural and spiritual warfare, then it began during the time of the Pereyaslav Council; during which we, in fact, lost the Ukrainian Church and Ukrainian power. It is necessary to know history since it continues [ …

  • Muzhenko explained when Ukrainian forces can open retaliatory fire

    The Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Viktor Muzhenko associates the escalation at the demarcation line with the defeat of separatists near Avdiivka. Muzhenko reminded that Ukrainian servicemen have the right to open fire, as stated in his commentary to Ukrayinska Pravda in response to questions about the recent escalation in the ATO zone since the 29th of January.

    “I think that this is all a response to the defeat that separatists experienced near Avdiivka. They …

  • Russia tops the list of foreign direct investment into Ukraine in 2016

    According to the figures on the website of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, Russia topped 2016 as the primary investor into Ukraine.

    Russian businesses invested 1.67 bln USD, or 38% of the total share of investment, into the economy of Ukraine last year.

    In total, foreigners invested 4.4 bln USD directly into the Ukrainian economy, a 17% rise over 2015.

    These investors represented more than 77 countries, the primary ones being Russia (1.667 bln USD), Cyprus (427.7 mln USD), Great …

  • Naftogaz of Ukraine wants to join Poland's lawsuit against Gazprom’s access to OPAL

    NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine requested that the European Court of Justice allow them to join the case on appeal by Poland's PGNIG Supply & Trading against the decision of the European Commission to expand Gazprom’s access to the OPAL gas pipeline, according to the Naftogaz website which reads: “According to the statute of the European Court of Justice, a legal entity can enter the case if it is able to prove an interest in the outcome of this case.”

    In its request, Naftogaz specified the potential …