08/09/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights -Cease-fire being used by Russia and Ukraine for regrouping of the military units

08/09/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digest & Analytics” News Agency

Cease-fire being used by Russia and Ukraine for regrouping of the military units. Ukrainian politicians are getting ready for the early parliamentary elections.

Ukraine

• President Poroshenko visited Mariupol, where he met with industrial workers and soldiers of the territorial defense, promising support and protection.
• Military exercises “Sea Breese 2014”, conducted jointly with NATO, started in the Black Sea. Ground maneuvers “Rapid Trident 2014” are planned from 13th till 26th of September in Lviv Region.
• President Poroshenko signed a law, allowing the state gas transportation system and underground storage facilities to be rented by foreign enterprises from Europe and the USA, conditional to the control package being kept in the State ownership.
• Official exchange rate of Ukrainian Hryvnya stabilized: 12.82 UAH/USD, 16.60 UAH/EUR (+9 cop), 3.47 UAH/10 RUR (-1 cop).

War in Ukraine

• Despite declarations of President Poroshenko, stated after the talks with president Putin, that the cease-fire regime being successfully implemented, terrorists continue shelling of Ukrainian military positions. In particular, shellings happened in Mariupol, Makiivka, Avdiivka, Nizhnya Krynka, Kirovske, Popasna, Schastye and within Debaltsevo district, automobile bridge was blasted on the Mariupol-Telmanovo highway near Mariupol.
• President Poroshenko informed, that 1,200 civilian and military hostages were released during the cease-fire, previously detained by DPR and LPR terrorists. As per the SSU information, illegally detained film director Sentsov and pilot Savchenko are both absent from the hostages exchange list.

International

• European Union approved a new package of sanctions against Russia but delayed publication and implementation. As per announcement of the European Council President Van Rompay, this will allow Russia to avoid them fully or partially if the conflict deescalates.
• Defense Minister of Poland stated that his country is ready to supply arms to Ukraine if official request is received.
• President Poroshenko stated, that the numbers of OSCE observers will soon increase by another 500 people.
• US Department of State representative Psaki stated during a briefing, that United States are skeptical to the perspectives of the truce reached in Minsk.

Trends

• Ukrainian political environment being re-formatted to fit President Poroshenko. “Narodny Front” leaders Yatsenyuk and Turchynov are ready to  join the efforts with his party, and at the same are time willing to change the name of the party and attempting to get at least 30% of the places within the candidates list, including some of the top ones.
• The statement of the presidential party leader Lutsenko about special status of Donbass, controlled by DPR and LPR terrorists, de facto launches the process of region conversion into analogue of Abkhaziya.