Contents tagged with Donbas

  • State Duma intends to simplify process of granting Russian citizenship to residents of the Donbas

    On Tuesday, the deputies of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) again introduced a bill at the State Duma, which proposes a simplified procedure for granting Russian citizenship to residents of the Donbas, TASS reported.

    "The initiative concerns the citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons who previously permanently resided or are residing now in the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine, and who, according to Russian law, are classified as compatriots; and, …

  • Hug: Minsk agreements are violated 8000 times each week

    The situation in eastern Ukraine has escalated since the beginning of the year with the Minsk Agreements being violated nearly 8,000 times in recent weeks.

    Inosmi.ru reported that this was stated by the Deputy Head of the Special OSCE monitoring mission in Donbas, Alexander Hug, during an interview with the Bild newspaper.

    “We started this year with a small number of violations of the ceasefire agreement. However, we have seen a steady increase in that number since that time. The largest …

  • Verkhovna Rada Chairman: Bill on decentralization must be approved, but only after removing 'special status' for the Donbas

    The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Parubiy, expressed confidence that the draft bill on decentralization will be approved, but without the clause regarding the "special status" of the Donbas region.

    As 112 Ukraine reports, the parliament speaker says that decentralization is one of the key reforms in Ukraine, receiving support both from the Parliament and the public, but it should not be approved together with the paragraph about the specifics of local self-government in the breakaway …

  • The Verkhovna Rada is unlikely to approve a draft law on elections in Donbas

    The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Parubiy admits that the draft law on elections in Donbas can appear in the Verkhovna Rada and can be placed on the session agenda. However, Parubiy sees no prospects for its adoption.

    “Theoretically, it can appear, especially if it is placed on the agenda by the President, who has a right to present draft laws for urgent consideration… but I see no prospects for emergence of this draft law in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and also I see no prospects …

  • Separatists attacked Ukrainian positions during Poroshenko's visit to the front

    Andriy Lysenko, Presidential Administration spokesperson, stated at a daily briefing that separatists from the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic shelled military positions in the area Vodyane while President Poroshenko was there.  

    "There were mortar fires near Zaitseve, Mayorsk, Avdiivka and Vodyane, and in Pisky, illegally armed groups opened fire from cannon artillery. Yesterday, the Ukrainian President visited these areas," he stated.

    Lysenko added that Poroshenko inspected some of the …

  • Lysenko: The bodies of 26 Russian soldiers were transported across the border from Donetsk

    According to the Ukrainian Spokesman of the Presidential Administration on ATO [conflict zone] issues, Andriy Lysenko, the bodies of 26 Russian soldiers were transferred across the border from Donetsk to Russia, RBC-Ukraine reported.

    He also noted that three Russian soldiers were killed and three were injured in the Donbas over the weekend.

    "Yesterday the soldiers were killed and three injured. They served in the so-called 6th regiment, 11th regiment and 100th brigade of the enemy. The day …

  • Separatist leader compared Brexit with events in the Donbas in 2014

    The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, congratulated British citizens on the result of the referendum to withdraw from the EU, at the last meeting of the spring session of the DPR People’s Council.

    "In fact, this [the results] is a very significant thing, because now Britain has done what we did two years ago: we also held a referendum, voted, and withdrew from Ukraine," Zakharchenko said.

    He added that he also congratulates UK citizens on the …

  • Ukrainian Foreign Ministry demands that Russia cease provocations against OSCE SMM

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands that the Russian Federation cease provocations against observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM). Russia must also guarantee their access to all occupied territory of separate areas of Donetsk and Lugansk.“We demand that Russia implement its obligations within the Minsk Agreements, that they immediately cease provocations against OSCE observers and that they guarantee full, safe and unhindered access to all occupied territory of …

  • Ukrainian Azov and Donbas National Guard regiments will return to the front line

    The Adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, Zorian Shkiriak, stated that the National Guard regiments Azov and Donbas will soon return to the frontline in eastern Ukraine.

    “First of all, it is about operative rapid brigades of the National Guard and the special-task regiments Azov and Donbas. They will return to the frontline and fulfill their functions of direct contact with the enemy,” the Ministry’s press service reported.

    According to Shkiriak, these regiments have repeatedly proved …

  • Ukraine expels JCCC officer for giving intel to separatists

    Colonel Vladimir Cheban informed separatists about the routes of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission

    The Security Service of Ukraine expelled the head of the Russian office of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of Cease-fire, Colonel Vladimir Cheban.As was reported on the website of the agency, Russian Colonel supplied the deputy staff commander of the so-called first army corps of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Pepublic called "Yakub" with the monthly schedules and routes …