09/30/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The leaders of the militants signed the agreement on withdrawal of light artillery and tanks from the demarcation line in the Donbass

The leaders of the militants signed the agreement on withdrawal of light artillery from the demarcation line

09.30.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The leaders of the militants signed the agreement on withdrawal of light artillery and tanks from the demarcation line in the Donbass.
• Russia bombed the residental areas in Syria.
• The court arrested and released on bail former Minister Shwaika.

Key Events in Ukraine

• The Cabinet decided to open all the property registers starting from 6 October 2015, which will make it possible to find information not only by the object, but also by the name of the owner.
• During the first six months of 2015 the net loss of DTEK Energo owned by oligarch Akhmetov amounted to UAH 20.8 billion (about $ 950 million), UAH 9 billion of which account for  forex losses . The company's debt on loans exceeded  USD 57 billion, of which more than 95% are foreign currency loans.
• The Cabinet decided to reduce the price for the first 200 m3 of natural gas for the households with the compensation of the difference from the state budget.
• Former Minister of Agriculture Shvaika from the“Svoboda”  party ("Freedom") was released by the court on bail of UAH 1.2 million . He is accused of actions that led to the deaths of four National Guard soldiers on August 31 near the Verkhovna Rada.
• "Finance and Credit" Bank, owned by oligarch Zhivago, defaulted on international financial obligations and stopped paying the foreign debt for the period of  work of the interim administration appointed by the NBU.
• The official hryvnia exchange rate slightly increased: 21,30 ₴ / $ (-0,23 UAH), 23,86 ₴ / € (-0,25 UAH), 3,24 ₴ / 10 ₽ (-0,01 UAH).

Kyiv

• Mayor Klitschko dismissed the chief architect of the capital Tselovalnik and two of his deputies.

Ukraine at War

• The leaders of the self-proclaimed republics of the Donbass signed a memorandum on the withdrawal of artillery with the caliber of less than 100 mm and tanks from the demarcation line. Russian media have already informed that this marks the end of the war in the Donbass. According to "Information Resistance" group  experts, such actions will not lead to de-escalation of the conflict, as the main militants forces, including heavy artillery,  are not withdrawn from the combat zone, and it would take less than an hour to engage the tank units into combat.
  Intelligence reports on further supplies of ammunition to the occupied territory from Russia. Militants are still in control of the border and prevent the OSCE drones to monitor the border areas. At the same time, they observe the withdrawal of the units, consisting of local residents, from the fighting line, and their replacement by the soldiers of regular Russian army.
  As well, the  preparations for "elections" in the occupied territory do not stop in the “republics” .
• According to the official reports, during the day militants violated the ceasefire twice. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded.

Ukraine and the World

• The Russian Federation Council unanimously supported the use of the Russian Armed Forces abroad in response to the appeal by President Putin on the participation of the army in the war in Syria.
  Russian aviation bombed the residential areas in the provinces controlled by the opposition to President al-Assad, and not by the troops of the Islamic State, as it was claimed. According to the media, dozens of civilians were killed in the bombing . The US said that they continue to monitor the situation in Syria, from where the conflicting reports on the use of military force by Russia are received. Pentagon Head Carter said that Russia is acting  illogically in Syria, declaring the fight against the terrorists of the Islamic state, while supporting President Assad. US Secretary of State Kerry believes that the airstrikes, inflicted by Russia, hinder the settlement of the Syrian crisis.
• The US increased the military aid to Ukraine and by the end of the year will deliver the radar systems to fight the artillery.
• Press Service of the Commissioner for Foreign Affairs of the EU Mogherini stated that the withdrawal of weapons with the caliber of less than 100 mm from the demarcation line in the Donbass will contribute to strengthening of the ceasefire and the full implementation of the  Minsk agreements. On the eve of the Normandy Four summit on October 2, it is important to achieve further progress in the implementation of other positions of the Minsk-2, especially of the issue regarding  the local elections.

The Trends

• Experts believe that the Russian aircraft bombing in Syria is intended to increase the flow of refugees to Europe, thereby diverting Europe’s attention from participation in countering the Russian aggression in Ukraine.