Contents tagged with Donbas
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Donbas blockade organizers plan to block railway line to Russia
Yehor Soboliev and Semen Semenchenko, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada from the Samopomich party, went to Konotop on Saturday. Judging by their communication on Facebook, they are preparing to block the railway line to this cross-border station.
“Only today, at least three hundred train cars came over from Russia with liquid gas, fertilizers and coal. The local railway workers are not allowed to show us documents about the contents of the closed wagons and the destination stations. Veterans of …
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US State Department condemns Russia for violating human rights in the Crimea
The US State Department released its annual report on the status of human rights in the world.
Out of almost 200 countries reviewed in the first report by the new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, some of the harshest criticism is directed towards Russia, which contrasts sharply with the largely reconciliatory rhetoric of US President Donald Trump with respect to Moscow and his avoidance of public statements about human rights in Russia or anywhere else in the world.
In the section devoted to …
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Media: Property of Ukrainian oligarch in separatist republics is 'nationalized' to create an energy holding subordinate to the Kremlin
Seperatists “nationalized” Rinat Ahmetov’s companies in the Donbas as revenge for his refusal to take part in the meeting organized by Viktor Medvedchuk, where a “plan of action for the Donbas” was discussed.
According to the publication INSIDER, at the end of January a meeting of the key players of the former Ukrainian government took place in Moscow, including Oleksandr Klimenko, former Minister of Revenue and Duties, Vitaly Zakharchenko, former Minister of Internal Affairs, Oleksandr …
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U.S. Representative to the OSCE: Russia has transferred heavy weapons to front line in the Donbas
Russia and pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas have strengthened their position along the contact line, partially through the use of heavy weapons that had previously been kept in storage facilities.
The Chargé d'Affaires at the US Mission to the OSCE, Kate Byrnes, announced the development on Thursday during a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, according to Ukrinform.
"Russia regularly attempts to convince the Permanent Council that it bears no responsibility for the conflict …
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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 …
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Tensions rise as separatist 'nationalize' Ukrainian companies in the Donbas
On March 1, separatists introduced "external management" to Ukrainian enterprises located in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions not controlled by Kyiv. This action is the fulfilment of an ultimatum given the day before to the organizers of the trade blockade of the Donbas. The blockade is has been manned by veterans of the war in eastern Ukraine since the end of January.
The separatists placed about 40 Ukrainian companies under "external management." This was stated by the head of …
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Media: Poroshenko and Putin continue communication
Despite the tough political situation between Russia and Ukraine, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko have maintained continuous contact, according to the newspaper Kommersant.
Citing sources in Kyiv and Moscow Kommersant reported that the two leaders have spoken on the phone four times since the beginning of the year.
The penultimate call was on February 11, the day after the President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, visited Moscow. The most recent conversation took place on February 21, …
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How Ukraine finances separatists
Author: Dmytro Snegiryov, Head of Prava Sprava public initiative.
The trade blockade with separatists is necessary in order to cease trade relations with territories that are beyond Ukraine’s control. Unfortunately trading is the business of law enforcement agencies and it involves large sums of money. The trade blockade should be carried out at the government level but not by volunteers and veterans of the war in the Donbas.
The fact that the so-called masses took the initiative demonstrates …
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Russia threatened Kyiv with retaliatory measures for the blockade of the Donbas
The permanent representative of Russia to the Trilateral Contact Group on the peaceful settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine, Boris Gryzlov, stated that Ukrainian authorities should take measures to cease the blockade of the occupied territories of the Donbas.
“Today, on the eve of the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, I urge Kyiv to take immediate effective measures to stop the transport and economic blockade of the Donbas,” Gryzlov said in his interview with journalists. …
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Unknown persons tried to capture the Donbas blockade activists’ redoubt
On the 28th of February, unknown persons stormed two redoubts of the Donbas blockade in the Donetsk region: the “16 volunteer battalion” in Kryvyi Torets and “Zaporizhia” in Bakhmut [at the end of January, war veterans in Eastern Ukraine blocked several railway crossings, demanding that Ukrainian prisoners in the Donbas be freed and trade with separatists halted]. The blockade Headquarters posted on its Facebook page about the attacks on the redoubts.
The blockade Headquarters claims that the …