20/10/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Powerful explosion took place in Donetsk at one of the bases of militants

20/10/2014 Daily Highlights from “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Verkhovna Rada adopted a law, wchich secures the rights of internallly displaced persons. Powerful explosion took place in Donetsk at one of the bases of militants. Shelling of the city and  attacks on the airport continued. The head of the investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada blamed Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff for the tragedy in Ilovaysk.

Ukraine

• Verkhovna Rada adopted the law "On ensuring the rights and freedoms of displaced persons", which was developed by the Kharkiv Human Rights Group with the participation of the United Nations, the OSCE, the State Migration Service and representatives of public organizations.
• Verkhovna Rada deputies did not even include to its agenda a bill authorizing  combat operation participants to vote at their places of service, thus limiting their right to vote.
• Verkhovna Rada has canceled the previously announced re-registration of medications and adopted a National Program of AIDS prevention.
• President Poroshenko asked Vice Prime Minister Groysman to start the heating season before the end of the current pre-election week.
• Official exchange rate of Ukrainian hryvnya remained relatively stable: 12.95 UAH/USD, 16.60 UAH/EUR (-9 cop) and 3.15 UAH/10 RUB (-2 cop). NBU sold 200 mln. USD at auctions. Deputy Head of the National Bank explained that decrease of the speculative demand for foreign currency will allow to eliminate some of the administrative restrictions in the future.

Kyiv

• As weather conditions have worsened and temperatures dropped, Kyiv authorities started to heat the infrastructure objects - schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and are getting ready to start heating residential buildings.
• SBU announced the introduction of enhanced security regime in Kiev in connection with the plans of spies to destabilize the situation and disrupt the elections.

War in Ukraine

• Ukrainian army positions in Luhansk and Donetsk regions are continuing to be subject of powerful shelling and attacks by militants.
  Border guards are capturing subversive groups and evidencing Russian drone air reconnaissance activities.
• In Donetsk, around noon there was a huge explosion in the warehouses of the plant for the production of explosives, which insurgents used as a base. According to some reports, the explosion was arranged by the guerrillas. Explosion had shattered windows in homes throughout the city and damaged part of the glass exterior of "Donbass-Arena". Ukrainian Defense Ministry denied reports of the shelling of the city with tactical missile complex "Tochka-U"  (SS-21 Scarab).
• Social media spread the message of the DPR militants leader Zakharchenko that the cease-fire has been terminated, which he denied afterwards.
  After the explosion, gunmen staged a severe bombardment of the city and the airport from heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers located in residential neighborhoods.
• Defense Minister Poltorak said Donetsk airport is a strategically important place and will remain under the control of Ukrainian military, and that no agreements on its exchange for other territories exist.
• Interim report of the temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada on the Ilovaysk events indicates attempts by the Ministry of Defence and Anti-Terrorist Operation leadership to conseal real casualties numbers.
  Commission Chairman Senchenko said that the tragedy was caused by mistakes of the Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff.

International

• The president of one of Europe's largest energy corporations Total SA died in jet crash in Moscow airport "Vnukovo". Previously after the imposition of sanctions against Russia, he announced a shutdown of the cooperation with Russian companies in exploration of oil and gas fields.
• Baltic states joined Swedish special operation to capture presumably Russian submarine located in its territorial waters.
• Senators of two major US parties urged the US leadership to provide Ukraine with defensive non-lethal weapons, which, in their opinion, will not be a threat to Russia, if it withdraws its troops from Ukrainian territory.
• During a visit to Kiev by EU Energy Commissioner Oettinger, Ukraine and the European Commission have agreed on a common position for the upcoming negotiations with Russia. An interim agreement is planned, which will ensure gas supplies to Ukraine and stability of its transit to EU member states.
• Polish Foreign Minister Schetyna said after the EU Council meeting, that the EU is not going to withdraw sanctions against Russia, and their review is possible only after a real de-escalation of the Donbass conflict.

Trends

• Former Defense Minister, leader of the "Civil Position" party Grytsenko said that officials who violated laws should be subject not only to lustration, but also judicially prosecuted for their crimes.