03/02/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - OSCE calls to declare a truce for three days for the evacuation of the civil population from Debaltseve

02/03/2015 Daily Highlights by "Digests & Analytics - Ukraine" News Agency

Topics of the day

The Verkhovna Rada has announced the creation of civil-military administrations in the Donbass. OSCE calls to declare a truce for three days for the evacuation of the civil population from Debaltseve. Health of Ukrainian deputy Savchenko, starving in a Moscow prison, has deteriorated. Oil prices on world markets have risen sharply. Ukrainian voters are dissatisfied with the work of the Parliament.

Key Events In Ukraine

• Verkhovna Rada gave the President the right to appoint the Chief of the National Guard based on the proposal of the Interior Minister. National Guard is reinforced with tank, artillery and anti-aircraft units.
  Civil-military administrations are established in Donetsk and Lugansk regions as part of anti-terrorist center at SBU.
  The bill on anti-corruption bureau was approved in the first reading, for the second reading it has to be seriously modified. The law on criminal responsibility for violence in military units ("hazing") and other war crimes was considered. Amendments to the law on volunteering were made in the first reading, in particular, provision for the establishment of the central executive body for the leadership of the movement will be deleted from the law.
  The deputies did not support the draft law on the right of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting of withdrawing of the broadcasting license for TV and radio calls for separatism, war, genocide and propaganda in favor of the aggressor.
• President Poroshenko appointed deputy head of his administration Rainin as a governor of the Kharkiv region. His place was taken by one of the officials of Yanukovych which supposed to fall under lustration - former Deputy Minister Dneprov.
• The Venice Commission after the analysis of the law "On the cleansing power" requires its revision and suspension of the lustration process during revision.
• More than 50 people pretending to be a head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
• Production of steel and metal in the country decreased by 25% compared with January last year. During the same period imports of natural gas decreased by 20%. However, taking into account the loss of the Crimea and events in the Donbass, the specific volume of imports increased.
• From 1 January 2016 non-bank financial institutions are required to disclose their data on the special website of state register and on their own websites.
• Ukraine must repay $1.4 billion of the principal to the IMF in 2015 together with the interest.
• The official hryvnia exchange rate continues to fall: 16.24 UAH / USD (+0.09 UAH), 18.37 UAH/EUR (+0,12 UAH) 2.33 UAH/10 RUR (-0,01 UAH).

Ukraine at War

• The situation in the conflict zone remains extremely tense. Militants supported by units of the army of the Russian Federation, using the latest weapons and ammunition with increased damage effect continue ongoing attacks and shelling positions of the Ukrainian army and settlements all along the front line.
  NATO expects the deterioration of the situation in the Donbass and predict increased Russian pressure on the Ukraine using this conflict.
  After fierce battles near Uglegirsk and Debaltseve head of the OSCE Dacic has called for a truce for three days for the evacuation of the civilian population and the resumption of the consultations of the contact group to resolve the crisis in the Donbass. President Poroshenko is ready to give the order to cease fire.
• Numerous video evidence of participation of the units of Russian army in hostilities in the  Debaltseve area on the side of the militant was published on the Internet.
• Exodus of the population from Debaltseve, Uglegirsk and Avdiivka continues, insurgents are trying to move people to the territories under their control.
• President Poroshenko presented awards to combatants who are being treated at the Kharkiv hospital.
• The UN says more than 5.3 thousand killed in the hostilities in Donbass.

Ukraine and the World

• Oil prices on world markets have soared by 20% amid the ongoing oil trade union strike in the USA.
• Russian Air Force will receive more than 200 new aircraft and helicopters in 2015. The proportion of combat-ready machines planned to be reached  ⅔ of all staff.
• German Chancellor Merkel denies the possibility of arms supplies to Kiev, nevertheless the US administration officials and members of Congress are promoting the delivery of lethal weapons Ukraine.
• State of the Ukrainian pilot, Verkhovna Rada deputy Savchenko, captured and transported to Russia and starving in a Moscow prison, becomes critical.

Trends

• Voting in the Verkhovna Rada on the draft Law on Anti-Corruption Bureau uncovered the fight between President and Prime Minister to control the new law enforcement structure.
• More than half of voters are dissatisfied with the Verkhovna Rada according to the poll performed by Razumkov Center,.