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US representative to the OSCE: There is evidence that Russia prepared the Avdiivka offensive a week ahead of the attack
According to the reports of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission there is evidence that Russian forces were preparing a massive offensive the day before the situation escalated at Avdiivka. US representative to OSCE Kate Byrnes made a statement to this effect during the meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna on the 9th of February.
There is clear evidence of a military buildup of separatist forces in this region ahead of the attack.
“A week before the start of the assault, in separatist- …
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Media: Ukraine purchased Russian BTR engines through a Moldovan firm
A Russian engine for Ukrainian military equipment is being bought at an inflated price through a firm from Moldova.
The story is outlined on Slidstvo.Info (independent journalist investigative project) on Hromadske TV (Ukrainian TV Channel).
“(…) the Moldovan company bought 20 engines at the KAMAZ factory, and this company brought these engines into Moldova with two trucks. The company which imported these engines is a Moldovan-Ukrainian company. A few days later it resold these engines to …
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Foreign Intelligence Service of Estonia announced that Russia is the only threat to the country’s security
The ERR.ee news portal reported that Russia is the only country that can pose a threat to the independence and territorial integrity of Estonia, according to the Yearbook of the Estonian Information Board - Foreign Intelligence Service, published on February 8. The Director General of the Information Board, Mikk Marran, said that particular emphasis was placed on Russia due to the assessment of potential threats to Estonia.
According to estimations of the Estonian Information Board, the …
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Chairman Parubiy suggested inviting an interpreter to the Verkhovna Rada for the benefit of those who do not speak Ukrainian
People's deputies from the Opposition Bloc had an argument with the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Andriy Parubiy, regarding speeches in Russian.
As UNIAN reports, during a session concerning one of the current problems, a deputy from the Opposition Bloc Natalia Korolevska got up on rostrum and began her speech in Russian. Parubiy encouraged her to speak the state language. Korolevska agreed, but asked to apply such approach to all MPs.
Later, Deputy Oleksandr Dolzhenkov began …
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Ukrainian intelligence: Russian TV prepared anti-Ukrainian documentaries to influence opinion about the Donbas
According to Ukrainian intelligence officers, Russia’s main propaganda TV channels prepared high-profile “documentaries” in the Donbas in order to slander the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the press service of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported.
“Russian command has intensified its measures to create provocative materials aimed at defaming the ATO forces and accusing them of violating the Minsk Agreements,” the Main Directorate of Intelligence says. …
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Estonian Foreign Minister: EU should be ready to strengthen sanctions against Russia if situation in Ukraine continues to worsen
The Estonian Foreign Minister, Sven Mikser, called on the European Union to strengthen sanctions should the situation in Ukraine continue to deteriorate, as he stated in an interview with Interfax.
"The situation in Avdiivka is very serious and should be internationally condemned. The international community must be ready to respond," Mikser stated.
According to him, the best way to influence Russia is through the strengthening of sanctions. "We are convinced that sanctions have the ability …
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Ukraine and Australia to pursue peaceful usage of nuclear energy
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, approved an agreement with the Australian Government on their cooperation towards the peaceful usage of nuclear energy, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman, read the order among others adopted by the Cabinet without debate.
In March 2016, in Washington, the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, Volodymyr Demchyshyn, and Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, signed the …
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Media: Estonia and Finland to purchase heavy artillery from South Korea
The Armed Forces of Finland allocated EUR 100 million for the purchase of heavy artillery, which will replace old post-Soviet weapons. According to the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, at the end of 2016, the Finnish army tested South Korean K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers. Those are equipped with a 155 mm gun, and their range of fire is 40 km. The Howitzer's maximum speed is about 70 km per hour.
Moreover, the newspaper noted that Helsinki plans on purchasing used howitzers. The Finnish Defense …
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French intelligence thinks Russian hackers may attempt to influence elections in favor of Le Pen
Employees of the General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) of France are not ruling out the possibility that Russia may intervene in the presidential elections with the help of cyber-attacks in favor of Marine Le Pen.
The secret service announced that Moscow also allegedly intends to use social networks to support the Chairman of the National Front (FN), having arranged for the mass publication of messages in support of the National Front party leader. Russian hackers, finally, may try …
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Krymenergo: About 30 settlements were left without electricity in the Crimea
As reported by the press service of Krymenergo, about 30 settlements in the Crimea were left without electricity due to adverse weather conditions.
"On the eve of February 8th as a result of the deterioration of the weather conditions (gusty winds up to 25 m / s, frost, icing, a storm warning declared for February 8-9) the electricity supply was disrupted in 27 Crimean settlements, in 8 of them the disruption was partial (mostly in the Rozdol'ne, Pervomaiske and Saki regions)," the statement …
