08/11/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The situation in the Donbas remains tense

08/11/2014 Daily Highlights from “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

The situation in the Donbas remains tense. Russian troops are regrouping their forces. Verkhovna Rada elections campaign is finished.

Ukraine

• CEC plans to announce the results of the elections on November 10th.
• MIA investigates violations in constituencies number 59 and 60 in the Donetsk region.
• A new head of police in the Donetsk region has been appointed. The previous one resigned to not fall under the law "On the cleansing power."

War in Ukraine

• For the third consecutive day the Ukrainian army and the volunteers of the “Right Sector” are fighting off powerful attacks on the Donetsk airport. Militants attacked Ukrainian army positions in the areas around Mariupul, Granitne, Staromykhailivka, Debalceve, Schastya.
• Russian army is regrouping in the zone controlled by LPR and DPR militants, bringing to the line of fighting artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ammunition. OSCE has documented the movement of several convoys of heavy weapons.
• In the last day Ukrainian army lost three men killed and several wounded. As a result of shelling in Donetsk, one woman was killed and several civilians injured.
• According to the head of the Center for the exchange of prisoners Ruban, about four to five hundred Ukrainian citizens are still held captive by terrorists of DPR and LPR. SBU declares nearly 1,700 are missing.
• OSCE Mission ceased its monitoring of areas of combat operations due to the activity of radio suppression systems deployed by Russian forces.

International

• Former Soviet President Gorbachev at the events dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall called what is happening a new "cold war" and called on the West to "understand Russia" and to lift the sanctions.
• OSCE Chairman Burkhalter called on the side of the conflict in eastern Ukraine to observe the Minsk agreements and expressed concern about the resumption of active combat operations.
• Russia announced the preparation of a new "humanitarian convoy" in Ukraine.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands said that the remains of nine people are still not found at the crash site of the Boeing MD-17 flight, which was shot down by terrorists near Thorez.
• Russia does not object to the importation Ukrainian foods to the territory of Crimea. Delivery through the Kerch ferry is practically shut down due the beginning of the storms season.
• China plans to invest $40 billion in the construction of the Trans-Asian Railway "Silk Road".

Trends

• The government is going to help forced migrants by paying for housing and utilities for three months but has no plans for developing conditions for the growth of business and employment.