01/02/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The intensity of the fighting in Debaltseve and Uglegorsk not diminished.

02/01/2015 Daily Highlihgts by "Digests and Analytics - Ukraine" News Agency

Topics of the day

The intensity of the fighting in Debaltseve and Uglegorsk not diminished. The Cabinet approved the award for the destruction of enemy military equipment. OSCE accused rebels of DNR and LNR, controlled by Russia in failure of the negotiations in Minsk.

Key Events In Ukraine

• The Cabinet has approved an additional payment for taking part in military hostilities and the destruction of terrorists’ military equipment. A register of the killed soldiers' families which has not housing will be created.

Kyiv Life

• Hundreds of volunteers helped to renovate the NICU of  the Central Military Hospital during their weekend.

Ukraine at War

• The situation in the Donbass remains extremely tense. Fierce fighting continued at the Debaltseve foothold and Vuglegirsk. Popasna, Kryms’ke, Schastya, Stanitsa Luhans’ka, Peski, Vodyane, Granite are continuously shelled and attacked by militants.
• Dozens of civilians were killed and injured during random mortar shelling of Donets’k, Makiyivka, Gorlivka . Experts say that the attacks are carried out by militants from areas controlled by the DNR to intimidate the population and fail peace talks in Minsk.
• 5 Ukrainian troops exchanged for the same number of civilians arrested for spying for the DNR.

Ukraine and the World

• OSCE stated that the tripartite talks of the contact group were thwarted  by the representatives of terrorist republics DNR and LNR and called for the full implementation of the early signed Minsk agreements.
• During the telephone conversation of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany and France, it was stressed that there should be no preconditions for a meeting of the tripartite contact group. President Poroshenko said he is waiting for an official response  from Russia to the escalation of the situation in the Donbass and the breakdown of talks by militants under its control.
• US President Obama in an interview with CNN vowed to increase pressure on Russia and support Ukraine, while he ruled out the possibility of a military conflict between the US and Russia.
• Russian Deputy Prime Minister Shuvalov said that disconnection from SWIFT system of international payments will not change the policy of the Russian Federation and threatened that conflict in the Donbass will increase in response to such actions of the West.
• Mass tripping of transponders by Russian military aircraft recorded in Europe airspace. It will lead to increased danger of civilian air travel. NATO states a constant increase in the number of interceptions of Russian aviation invading the airspace of the Alliance.

Trends

• Head of Department of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said that Ukraine is close to default and political will of its leaders is missing to get out of the crisis. According to "The Economist" Ukraine will require at least $20 billion to cover its obligations in 2015 which West will be ready to give in response to a fundamental political and economic reforms.