04/02/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The 'open sky" regime comes to Lviv

Lviv International Airport

04/02/2015 Daily Highlights by the "Digests & Analytics - Ukraine" News Agency

Topics from the Media and Social Networks

• Iran folds nuclear program, oil becoming cheaper.
• Poroshenko staff shortages.
• Occupants are searching homes of the Crimean Tatars.
• The 'open sky" regime comes to Lviv.
• Agreement between Akhmetov and terrorists.
• Investors found immediately for concessional roads.
• Russian troops are preparing to attack.

Key Events in Ukraine

• President Poroshenko signed laws on the ease of business (deregulation), to ban the broadcasting in Ukraine TV shows and movies that promote Russian power structures adopted at the beginning of February 2015 by the Verkhovna Rada .
• The Constitutional Court is still considering the abolition of parliamentary immunity in the closed mode.
• Energy Minister Demchishin said that Ukraine will continue to buy gas in the EU, despite the signed contract with "Gazprom" in the second quarter.
• Minister of Infrastructure Pivovarsky announced the introduction of "open skies" at the airport in Lviv. Now for flights to Lviv foreign airlines just need permit from air services in their countries.
• NBU predicts decline in inflation by the end of 2015 comparing to the previously planned.
• The official rate of hryvnia slightly decreased again: 23.51 UAH/USD (+0.03 UAH), 25.46 UAH/EUR (+0,21 UAH), 4,13 UAH/10 RJR (+0.11 UAH).

Kyiv Life

• The deputies of Kyiv City Council appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers for the creation of municipal police.

Ukraine at War

• Fighting does not stop in the Donbas. Militants are using heavy artillery and tanks against the Ukrainian army. Active hostilities were in Avdiivka and Shirokino.
• ATO Deputy Force Commander states that Russia has sharply increased its supply of mercenaries and LPR and DPR fighters with military equipment, ammunition, fuel and preparing to attack. The reason for the attack could be a terrorist attack in the passenger bus with a large number of victims.
• OSCE Mission did not confirm the complete withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line in the combat zone. Militants do not allow observers to inspect Gorlivka.

Ukraine and the World

• Western leaders have announced the achievement of a framework agreement with the Iranian Government about folding their nuclear program and reducing the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment in exchange for easing of international sanctions. The decision will come into force after approval by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Israel strongly opposes the conclusion of this transaction, as it believes that this will strengthen the position of Iranian terrorists.
  The news on the signing of the agreement led to a sharp drop in oil prices on international markets.

The Trends

• Despite the denial by the press service of the oligarch Akhmetov information of one of the leaders of the DNR Boroday about cooperation with terrorists, facts about guarding of his residence and work of his enterprises on the territory controlled by the militants indicate that relationship.
• According to most military experts, the freezing of the conflict in the Donbass is not beneficial to Putin, as it increases the burden on the Russian economy with the fall in energy prices and the results of Western sanctions. Therefore, the offensive of the Russian troops in eastern Ukraine under the guise of militants DPR and LPR can begin immediately after Easter to get positive results before the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II.