27/12/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Terrorist threat increasing in Ukraine

12/27/2014 Daily Highlights byDigests and Analytics - Ukraine" News Agency

Topics of the day

Terrorist threat increasing in Ukraine. Ukrainian humanitarian aid was delivered to the occupied territories. Former members of the Party of Regions sabotage Budget process.

Key Events In Ukraine

• The Verkhovna Rada will deliberate on budget on Sunday, December 28. Numerous protests are expected to occur in front of the Parliament on this day. According to activists, the traffic police is trying to prevent arrival of groups of protesters from Western Ukraine. Police preparing to strengthen security measures in the city center.
• After repairs the nuclear reactor at South-Ukrainian NPP is connected back to the electric grid. It will reduce power shortage in the country. Two units are scheduled for the maintenance on the Zaporizhzhya NPP at the end of February.
• State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting allowed Russian opposition channel "Dozhd " (“Rain”) to broadcast in Ukraine.

War in Ukraine

• Eight hostages, including four civilians were handed over to the Ukrainian authorities by the militants. A total of 154 people were released during recent exchanges.
• "Humanitarian" convoys from Crimea and Abkhazia arrived in Donetsk.
• The first part of Ukrainian humanitarian aid has been delivered to the occupied territories in Donbass.
• Positions of Ukrainian troops have been under fire 10 times during the day. Three soldiers were wounded. Russian troops and militants carried out regrouping and concentrated forces in the areas of possible attacks using radio-silence regime as a cover for their actions. Additionally, they increase their ranks from fresh troops arriving from Russia and deploy a number of field hospitals.
• Wave of terrorist attacks is spreading in Ukraine. Grenade launcher was used in the assault on the house of the Lviv mayor, two terrorists blew themselves up on their own explosive devices in Odessa and Kherson. The oil pipeline "Druzhba" was damaged in Transcarpathia, and the oil pumping halted in order to avoid an ecological catastrophe in case any leaks. Ukrainian military stepped up security at strategic objects in Mariupil and blocked the eastern exit from the city.

Ukraine and the World

• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Burkhalter urged representatives of the Minsk contact group to resume negotiations in order to settle the situation in Donbass as soon as possible .
• At the onset of presidential elections in Belarus President Lukashenko changed all top government officials, including the Prime Minister, his deputies, ministers and their principal deputies, and the chairman of the National Bank.

Trends

• The Parliment Economic Policy Committee, where former members of the Party of Regions have sizable majority, sabotages discussions on changes and amendments to the legislative measures, required for timely adoption of the budget. Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy refuses to consider bills introduced by the Cabinet because they lack detailed cost estimates. Members of the committee found evidence of corruption in the draft budget and in 12 bills proposed by the government.
• Kasich, who is the former top manager of the Russian oligarch Grigorishin, is appointed to lead state enterprise "Ukrenergo". Oligarch Grigorishin is a business partner of President Poroshenko and holds the controlling interest in several Ukrainian regional power distribution companies. According to observers, the new director will oversee the delivery of coal and electricity from Russia. Experts believe that President Poroshenko is trying to gain control over cash flow in the energy sector, in the absence of existing large gas supply contracts.