09/03/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Russian Investigative Committee announced the extension of its jurisdiction over a part of the Ukrainian territory

Russian Investigative Committee announced the extension of its jurisdiction over a part of the Ukrainian territory

09.03.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Russian Investigative Committee announced the extension of its jurisdiction over a part of the Ukrainian territory.
• Three books about the war in Ukraine presented.
  

Key Events in Ukraine

• The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on e-commerce defining the general principles of e-commerce, parties to relationships, procedure for concluding agreements, mechanism of dispute resolution, and the responsibilities of the parties.
• The Ministry of Justice said that only 20% of judgments are satisfied in the country.
• Investigation has "lost" evidence against the former Minister of Revenues and Duties Klymenko suspected of theft of more than UAH 3 bln ($140 mln). The data were stored on the hard disk of the server belonging to Kapital bank.
• The Ministry of Defense announced that retired servicemen could receive financial compensation to purchase housing in their preferred region instead of receiving state-provided apartments.
• Books Strong Name Nadiya by Nadiya Savchenko, Airport by Serhiy Loyko about the events at Donetsk airport, and Ilovaysk by Yevhen Polozhyi were presented in Kyiv.
• National Bank left the national currency exchange rate almost unchanged following several days of decrease: 22.0 ₴/$ (+0.02 UAH), 24.72 ₴/€ (-0.02 UAH), 3.29 ₴/10 RUR (-0.01 UAH).

Kyiv

• The State Service for Emergency Situations reported it has extinguished the fire in the forest near Kyiv that produced the poisonous smog, which spread over Kyiv and its suburbs. Several hectares of peat land outside of the capital keep smoldering.

Ukraine at War

• The situation in Donbas remains tense. The use of artillery and mortars by the militants has been reported. OSCE mission observers reported the violation of the ceasefire by the militants near ​​Donetsk and Horlivka. According to intelligence and NATO officials, the militants’ armed forces and the Russian troops keep pulling armored vehicles, heavy artillery systems and MLRS to the front line.
• Another tripartite meeting of the Contact Group to resolve the Donbas conflict was held in Minsk behind the closed doors. The withdrawal of the heavy weapons of less than 100 mm caliber from the demarcation line was discussed.
• Head of Luhansk military and civil administration Tuka said that the management of the 92nd Brigade was involved in the shooting of the patrol car of illegal trafficking fighters the day before.
• Chief Military Prosecutor Matios said that Savchenko, Sentsov and other political prisoners could be exchanged only after the legal trial of the Russian soldiers taken captive in Ukraine.

Ukraine and the World

• Head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Bastrykin said that his agency is entitled to the so-called "universal jurisdiction" and that it can legally prosecute Ukrainian citizens, including senior management of the country, on the part of the territory of Ukraine.
• Foreign ministers of eight north-Baltic states (NB8) said that the aggression of Russia against Ukraine is challenging the security in Europe, including the countries of the North and Baltic regions. They stated that the adherence to the Minsk agreement of all parties and the respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine is of paramount importance, and supported the work of the OSCE monitoring mission in the region.
• Head of IMF Lagarde on September 6 will visit Ukraine to negotiate with Ukrainian authorities. The IMF mission will start work in Ukraine on September 22, and to verify the country's commitment to continue reforms, implement the new tax policy, and fight corruption.
• The transit of Russian gas to Europe increased by almost 50% over eight months.
• The EU and the US are considering the strengthening of sanctions against Russia should the terrorist Donbas "Republics" refuse to hold local elections on October 25, the Election Day on the territory of Ukraine.