19/02/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Gazprom arbitrarily started gas deliveries to Donbass militants

19/02/2015 Daily Highlights by the "Digests & Analytics - Ukraine" News Agency

Topics of the Day

Gazprom arbitrarily started gas deliveries to Donbass militants. SBU found a Russian trace in the crimes commited at Maidan a year ago. Poroshenko tries to organize a UN peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

Key Events ofUkraine

• The head of the SBU Nalyvaychenko said that the Russian secret service agents participated in the executions of activists at Maidan squire, and that they had acted on the orders from Russian presidential aide Surkov. Most heads of the Ukrainian Security Service under former President Yanukovych were recruited by the FSB of Russia, and some of them are currently wanted or arrested.
• The Court hearing to decide on the restraint measures against the former head of the Party of Regions faction in the Parliment Efremov, held behind the closed doors, is rescheduled for Monday, February 23.  The  Interior Minister Avakov criticized the actions of judges and stressed that releasing high-profille case suspects de-motivates crime-prevention police force.
• The IMF board meeting to approve a new loan program to Ukraine will be held in late February - early March.
• National Bank reported that the official currency purchases halved, while significant growth is reported on gray and black markets operating with no restrictions and taxes imposed by the NBU. The official hryvnia exchange rate continues to plummet: 27.36 UAH/USD (+0.56 USD ), 31.11 UAH / EUR (+0,52 UAH) 4.38 UAH / 10 RUR (+0.11 UAH).
• The NBU is to increase the monetary base by 30% (100 billion UAH), "taking into account the recommendations of the IMF," as the confidence in the banks is low and the demand for cash hryvnia is growing.

Kyiv Life

• The First Deputy Governor of the Kyiv region is appointed a controversial developer Partshaladze - Business Partner of the current mayor Klitschko.  Partshaladze previously was a  member of the  Tigipko’s party "Strong Ukraine" (later joined with Party of Regions), and now is a member of the Block Poroshenko.

Ukraine at War

• As leaders of ATO report, the Ukrainian military completely withdrew from the Debaltseve foorhold, but volunteers and direct participants in hostilities refute that. The total destruction of the railway junction and railway cars at Debaltseve is also repported. After capturing Deblatseve,  militants sharply intensified activites towards Mariupol direction.
• The General Staff said that several dozen Ukrainian servicemen were captured at Debaltseve. The rebels categorically refuse to exchange prisoners based on the principle "all for all".
• "Gazprom" started gas deliveries to the areas controlled by the DNR and LNR militants "on account of the contract with" Naftogaz ".  Ukraine stated that there will be no payments for these deliveries.
• The OSCE observers recorded new columns of military equipment pouring through the uncontrolled borders between Ukrain and Russia and the movement of a large number of military convoys within the conflict zone in the Donetsk Basin, including heavy weapons. This confirms the deliberate failure of so-called LNR and DNR controlled by Russia to implement the Minsk Agreement. In many areas, the observers are not permitted to enter, which complicates the efforts to estimate the number of troops fighting against the Ukrainian army.
• The rebels continue shelling of Donetsk. The OSCE Mission reports that firings originate from various points within the city.
• Russia sent a convoy with the "help" to Donetsk and Debaltseve consisting of more than 30 trucks. According to experts, the purpose of the convoys is to facilitate a speedy restoration of the rail and road links to allow efficient movement of military equipment between  Donetsk and Lugansk regions by Russian fighters.

Ukraine and the World

• The commander of the combined forces of NATO in Europe Breedlove said that the Alliance is aware of the presence in Donetsk Basin and along the eastern border of Ukraine's of a huge, well-armed and equipped army under Russian command. Russia has no intention of the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the conflict zone and is ready for military escalation any time.
• Ukraine holds consultations to put peacekeepers in Donbass using various diplomatic channels, including the presidential. However, the terrorist leaders said they would not allow any peacekeepers on the territory under their control.

The Trends

• According to the German Foreign Minister Steinmeier the initiative to put the UN peacekeepers on the ground requires a consensus among european nations and the establishing of a stable ceasefire in Donbass. Experts say that the minimum time required for asembling the peacekeeping force - six months, whiich would effectively "freeze" the conflict. This would also finalize the division of Ukraine and Donbass, and would greatly complicate the process of returning the occupied territories to Ukraine. In addition, the peacekeeping mission will be under the full control of Russia, and that can make it ineffective. Alternatively, the policing mission by the EU can not and has no right to separte the warring parties at the front line, as that would lead to direct fire contact with Russian militiary, which Europe wants to avoid.
• The direct deliveries of gas and electricity to the militants can be considered as a direct interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine and should  lead to sanctions against Gazprom and RAO UES.