10/09/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Founding congress of new party "Narodny Front" headed by prime-minister Yatsenyuk took place in Kyiv - Fragile truce in the Donbass

10.09.2014 Daily Highlights from “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Russia is going to open the second gas front in war with Ukraine. Cease-fire in eastern Ukraine could be terminated at any moment.

Ukraine

• Prime minister Yatsenyuk became the head of the new party "Narodny Front" at the founding congress took place in Kyiv. Formed deputies of the "Batkivshyna" party and members of the Government joined the party, the congress have been attended by commanders of the volunteer battalions.
• Official exchange rate of the NBU didn’t change significantly: 12.96 UAH/USD (-3 cop), 16.71 UAH/EUR (+2 cop), 3.49 UAH/10 RUR. Head of the National Bank Gontareva claimed, that the regulator possesses all the levers to counteract the attacks on the currency market from the side of pro-Russian entities.
• The building of two lines of fortifications started on the Russian border.
• Ukraine will start the industrial exploration of local gas fields due to reduction of gas supply from Russia and from the combat areas.

Kyiv

• City authorities decided to created energy passports of all city buildings and created the anti crisis energy office for fast reaction to emergency situations, that could come during the heating season, as gas supplies will shrink by 30%.

War in Ukraine

• Situation in Donets’k during the truce is stable but tense, militants continue shelling Ukrainian positions and residential areas with artillery and multiple missile launchers "Grad". Few coal mines are flooded, water isn’t being pumped, that might lead to the flooding of big areas of the city. Donets’k metallurgical plant works in the maintenance regimen, fuel and raw materials will go out of stock in few days, supply is impossible as terrorists destroyed the railroad infrastructure.
• Exchange of prisoners of war and hostages is ongoing during the truce, 26 men have been released during the day.
• Cease-fire regimen being en masse breached by terrorists that are shelling Ukrainian army positions.

International

• President Poroshenko received the invitation to speak at the Congress during his official visit to the USA on 18 of September.
• German Chancelor Merkel during the speech in Bundestag urged for immediate introduction of sanctions against Russia, but noting that sanctions are not the aim, and could be delayed if all elements of the Minsk protocol will be fulfilled.
• Reverse gas supplies to Ukraine from Poland have been blocked by Gazprom, that reduced supply to Poland without any notification.

Trends

• Russia influence the EU member states politics via limiting gas supplies thus blocking reverse gas supplies to Ukraine. Liquified gas supply from the USA, previously approved by the Congress,  could be the alternative for the Europe.