Contents tagged with Donbas

  • Russia urges Ukraine to extend Donbas special status law

    The Russian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) has urged Kyiv to enter into direct negotiations with the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics about enshrining the special status of the Donbas in Ukraine’s Constitution, said Russian representative to the TCG Boris Gryzlov, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine.

    The Russians are concerned that the Ukrainian law on the special status of the Donbas expires on December 31.

    “The Russian delegation urged Kyiv to ensure that this law …

  • Merkel demands more money for German Armed Forces because of situation in Eastern Ukraine

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a weekly televised statement, which is published on German Government's website, that the situation in Eastern Ukraine forces NATO member countries to reconsider the Alliance's defense strategy.

    "Because of the conflict in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, the topic of national defense and Alliance defense came into focus," said German Chancellor. According to her, the German Armed Forces need financial resources to perform the defense functions.

    " …

  • Suspect in MH-17 case is willing to testify if Dutch investigators come to Donbas

    The retired Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) militant Vladimir Tsemakh is willing to testify to the Dutch investigators about the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 catastrophe, but only if the investigators come to the part of the Donbas that is controlled by pro-Russian militants, Interfax reports, citing Tsemakh’s attorney, Anatoly Kucherena.

    “Naturally, the questioning can only take place in his homeland, in the Donbas,” the attorney said.

    However, Kucherena added that Tsemakh will only testify …

  • US Ambassador to Ukraine: Zelensky’s team blames Poroshenko for consequences of war in Donbas

    Former US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker hinted to the Office of the President of Ukraine that they should abandon the idea of prosecuting former president Petro Poroshenko.

    This was learned from the testimony which US Chargé d’Affaires in Kyiv William Taylor gave to Congress, a survey of which was published by Evropeiska Pravda.

    Taylor spoke of a meeting that he and Volker had with President Zelensky’s advisor Andriy Yermak and freelance advisor Ihor Novikov.

    “Ambassador …

  • Austria allocates 1 million euros for Donbas

    The Austrian Federal Government has allocated 1 million euros of humanitarian aid to Ukraine for the Donbas, reports the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on its Twitter.

    It is noted that the funds are intended for the daily support of residents of Eastern Ukraine and mine clearance in the region.

    "We thank the Austrian government for the new tranche of humanitarian aid of 1 million euros for daily support of residents of Eastern Ukraine and mine clearance in the Donbas," reads …

  • Ukraine to start withdrawal of forces in Petrivske on November 8

    The withdrawal of forces along the third, Petrivske-Bohdanivka stretch is scheduled to begin on November 8, as long as there are no ceasefire violations over the course of the week, said Volodymyr Kravchenko, Commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation, at a press conference, as cited by Ukrinform.

    “We have already submitted a letter to the OSCE. On the 7th (of November) we will begin, and on the 8th we will effectively withdraw, if there is no breach of the silence regime,” he said.

    At the …

  • Ukraine invents supersonic missile that ‘cannot be shot down’

    Ukrainian engineers at the Dnipro-based Yuzhnoye Design Office have unveiled the Bliskavka (“lightning”) supersonic missile, which they claim is virtually “impossible to shoot down”, Dnipro Panorama reports.

    The designers presented the missile at the Weaponry and Security 2019 exhibition. They claim that the missile has a speed of 2,000-2,500 km/h. It will be used by the Su-27 and Su24M aircraft in Ukraine’s Air Force. Only minimal equipment modifications will be required to install them. The …

  • Finland promises Ukraine €600,000 for mine clearance in Donbas

    “Eastern Ukraine is one of the most mine-polluted conflict zones in the world. We are preparing an additional €600,000 [assistance] package for mine clearance,” Interfax-Ukraine cites Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto as saying.

    The minister promised to allocate the funds to Kyiv during a visit to the conflict region. A Finnish delegation led by Foreign Minister Haavisto visited disengagement section No. 1 in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation headquarters announced on …

  • Ukraine intends to demand reparations from Russia for war in Donbas

    The Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure, Vladyslav Krykliy said in the program Right to Power on Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel that Kyiv intends to demand reparations from Russia in order to the restore the Donbas.

    According to the Ukrainian Minister, after the conflict resolution in the Donbas and when the region comes under Kyiv's control, Ukraine will require the funds for its restoration, which, of course, must be paid in the form of "reparations" by the "aggressor country," which is Russia. …

  • Kyiv: Russia strengthens troops in Donbas

    Russia continues to reinforce its troops in the Donbas by supplying weapons, which is prohibited by the Minsk agreements, reports the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, citing Ukrainian Intelligence Service.

    "The Russian command continues to strengthen the occupation troops on the frontline with weapons, which are prohibited by the Minsk agreements. So, under the guise of preparation for large-scale joint military exercises, the opponent carries out the deployment of tanks and 122 …