12/22/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The Parliament adopted in the first reading the amendments to the Constitution on the judicial reform

The Parliament adopted in the first reading the amendments to the Constitution on the judicial reform

12.22.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The Parliament adopted in the first reading the amendments to the Constitution on the judicial reform.
• US imposed additional sectoral sanctions on Russian companies and banks.
• The “enforcer” of oligarch Akhmetov’s  business in Donetsk was killed in Crimea.

Key Events in Ukraine

• Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading the presidential bill to amend the Constitution and submitted it for approval to the Constitutional Court.
• Ministry of Finance has denied the withdrawal of government guarantees to the depositors of Savings Bank.
• National Bank has strengthened the hryvnia: 23.15 ₴/$ (-0.37 UAH), 25.35 ₴/€ (-0.21 UAH), 3.25 ₴/10 ₽ (-0.05 UAH).

Kyiv

• Kyiv City Council approved the transfer of the capital’s debt in the category of government debt. The budget for next year has been approved in the amount of UAH 27 billion (about $1.2 billion).

Ukraine at War

• Militants seized the village of Kominternovo located 35 km from Mariupol  in the "gray" zone. Their further advancement has been stopped. The headquarters of the Antiterrorist Operation reported the accumulation by the rebels in this area of ​​heavy weapons, including MLRS "Grad" and tanks. Two soldiers were injured in the fighting during the day. A sniper’s bullet wounded a resident of Maryinka.
• The Contact Group at the Minsk negotiations called on the parties to the conflict to declare a ceasefire in Donbas starting December 23. The OSCE Special Representative at the negotiations Saydik said that the next meeting of the group would be held on January  13. The Minsk Agreements have been extended to 2016.
• Head of Luhansk Military and Civil Administration Tuka said that in the event the provocations and attacks of the militants stop, another entry point to the occupied territory will be opened in the town of Zolote.

Ukraine and the World

• US introduced new sectoral and individual sanctions against two leading Russian state-owned banks, VTB and Sberbank (including their branches in Ukraine) and a number of individuals from the leadership of the Donbas Republic and Russian military-industrial corporations, including Izhmash concern. Secretary of the Russian President Peskov said that Russia will respond with counter-sanctions.
• Oil prices on world markets fell to the 2004 level and continue to decline. The price of Brent crude oil is just over $36 a barrel.
• Amnesty Internatipnal believes that the Russian bombings in Syria that killed hundreds of civilians constitute war crimes.
• The State Duma has allowed the FSB officers use firearms to disperse mass demonstrations, in the event of terrorist attacks or group attacks on critical facilities and public authorities.
• Foreign Minister Klimkin said that Oschadbank and Naftogaz have already filed lawsuits against Russia demanding damages for the Russian annexation of Crimea, a number of Ukrainian companies are also preparing lawsuits.

The Trends

• Our analytical report "The Prospects of Occupied Donbass" has been presented at the Maidan of Foreign Affairs. The text of the report will be published on our website.
• The introduction of US sanctions against the affiliates of the Russian banks VTB and Sberbank of Russia will probably result in a massive outflow of customers and the downscaling of their activities in Ukraine.