04/18/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The former Head of the Presidential Administration Klyuev was cleared of charges of organizing the Maidan shooting

Klyuev and ex-president Yanukovich

04/18/2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Aews Agency

Topics from the Media and Social Networks

• The former Head of the Presidential Administration Klyuev was cleared of charges of organizing the Maidan shooting.
• OSCE observers left Shirokino after the fight started.
• Putin admitted the possibility of recognition of the Donbass “republics”.
• Chief of General Staff Muzhenko finally admitted that the Russian troops are present in the Donbass.
• Belarusian President Lukashenko will not arrive in Moscow to celebrate WWII Victory.
• Ukrainian boxer Usik knocked out Russian boxer Knyazev.

Key Events of Ukraine

• The former Head of the Presidential Administration Klyuev was cleared of charges of involvement in the deaths during Maidan events.
• Donetsk Regional State Administration considers the demolition of the monument to Lenin in Kramatorsk a vandalism.
  In Kharkiv after demolition of two monuments to Lenin police opened a criminal case under the article "hooliganism".

Ukraine at War

• The intensity of the fighting has dramatically increased. Militants are shelling the settlements and the Ukrainian army positions along all the contact line: Avdiyivka, Peski, Trehizbenka, Olhovo and Gorlivka outskirts are under the fire. Several Ukrainian soldiers were injured.
• OSCE mission had intention to put a permanent control post in Shirokine, but they had to leave the settlement after the fight resumed. Mission administration keeps insisting that the shelling is fault of some "third force" which intends to disrupt the peace process.
• DNR militants leader Zaharchenko threatens to disrupt Minsk Agreement in the event of non-recognition of Donbass "republics" by Ukraine.

Ukraine and the world

• President Putin during an interview to the central Russian TV channel stated that he admits the possibility of recognition of the Donbass "republics", and threatened Israel with negative consequences for the supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine in response to the supply of S-300 air defense systems to Iran.
• Belarusian President Lukashenko announced about his refusal to take part in a military parade in Moscow on May 9, and banned the use of the St. George’s symbols during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the World War II in Belarus.

The Trends

• Attempts of the Ukrainian authorities to "bury" the criminal cases against the organizers of the Maidan shooting and harassment of Maidan activists during the events of the winter 2013-2014 could lead to the growth of social tension and resignation of the heads of security agencies initiated by the Verkhovna Rada.