23/11/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Lithuania fully supports Ukraine

23/11/2014 Daily Highlights from "Digest & Analytics" news agency

Topics of the day

Lithuania fully supports Ukraine. On the territory of self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk "republics" the dissatisfaction is maturing and the humanitarian catastrophe is impending . Residential areas of Donetsk, Avdeevka and Debaltseve  is the main target of the terrorist attacks.

War in Ukraine

• DNR terrorist attacks resulted in five civilian deaths in Avdiyivka. Donets’k, Debaltseve and Stchastie are also the targets. The shelling of the Ukrainian army positions from Russian side in the village of Lugansk has continued. In Donetsk airport and Debaltseve Ukrainian defenders discouraged many attacks by DNR and Russian troops. During only one day there were more than 30 attacks, four soldiers were killed.
• The head of Donetsk breakaway "republic" refuses to pay teachers salaries, despite them doing their job since the beginning of the school year. At the same time LNR is offering some settlement in issuing  rations or cash wages up to 270 UAH.
• Train with the collected debris and the remains from the flight MH-17 shot down in Thorez in July, arrived to Kharkov, accompanied by Dutch experts and police, OSCE observers and DNR militants. After that, collected  remains will be transferred to Netherlands for examination.

International

• UNICEF, together with other UN agencies will issue a strategic plan describing response to the crisis in Ukraine for 2014-2017 on December 9 in Geneva,.
• Lithuanian President Grybauskaitė said that the priority issue for Ukraine is the eradication of corruption. She believes that the EU is obligated to provide Ukraine with all possible assistance, including military.
• Russian President Putin announced that he would not be president for life, but he is willing to be for another 10 years. The annexation of the Crimea, is considered by Putin to be a strategic decision.
• The United States decided to leave its troops in Poland and the Baltic States in relation to the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine.
• Deputy of Secretary General of NATO Vershbow said that Western countries should strengthen sanctions against Russia, as its systematically undermines and destroys the existing world order.
• In Munich, the monument to Stepan Bandera, wich was destroyed by vandals in August is now restored .
• Norway froze political and military ties with Russia because of its annexation of the Crimea and the escalation of aggression in eastern Ukraine.
• German Foreign Minister Steinmeier said that he sees no options of Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO. He cautioned other states about the deterioration of relations with Russian President Putin.

Trends

• Local elections in Ukraine will be held in the first half of 2015, mayoral elections scheduled for the largest cities are to be voted in two rounds.
• The Zasyadko mine, owned by the member of new Parliament Zviagilskiy, continues to operate in Donetsk, despite the hostilities.