01/07/2016 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Traffic is restricted on the highways on the south and east of Ukraine

Traffic is restricted on the highways on the south and east of Ukraine

01.07.2016 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Traffic is restricted on the highways on the south and east of Ukraine because of the snowdrifts.
• Cabinet approved a new procedure for the electronic GST administration.
• US investigates cyber attacks on Prykarpattyaoblenergo.

Key Events in Ukraine

• Ukraine is covered with snowdrifts. Movement restricted on highways across the country.
• Cabinet approved a new procedure for the electronic administration of the GST on the basis of changes in the tax code, which comes into force on 1 January.
• The National Anti-Corruption Bureau has reported on the investigation of the case against the ATO chief military prosecutor Kulik upon acquisition of expensive real estate while working in the prosecutor's office.

Ukraine at War

• One soldier was wounded in the combat zone in the Donbas according to official reports. Gunmen fired on the position of the Ukrainian army from the mortars in the vicinity of Mariupol and Gorlovka, from small arms and rocket-propelled grenades - near Donetsk airport and Maryinka. The Ministry of Defence said that the militants strike groups are concentrated on several directions.

Ukraine and the World

• US intelligence agencies are investigating the possible involvement of Russian Information Operations Forces in attacks against Prykarpattyaoblenergo in December 2015. There is a suspicion that the malicious software found on the computer of Ukrainian energy company was used in attacks on energy facilities in the United States in 2014.
• German Chancellor Merkel sees the progress in the negotiations in "Normandy format" to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
• The Ukrainian representative to the United Nations Elchenko said at a meeting with the Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon that he is going to convince the international community of the need to establish the peacekeeping force in eastern Ukraine. To achieve this he invited the permanent representatives of the countries - participants of the Security Council to visit the Donbass.
• According to the American business magnate Soros global markets are facing a crisis which echoes 2008 financial crisis due to the problems in China's economy. Chinese market crash have led to a fall in prices for energy and metals.
• The EU has allocated €1 billion for cross-border cooperation. The aim of the programs is to reduce the differences in living standards in the EU's neighboring regions and the joint solution of common problems. The money will be allocated to countries that are in direct contact with the EU - Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and also Georgia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey and Norway.
• The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, which holds the EU presidency from January 1, said that one of his main priorities will be to overcome the migration crisis.

The Trends

• Atlantic Council Expert Aslund believes that the appointment of a permanent member of Russia NSDC Gryzlov, a man close to President Putin, as the Russian representative in the Contact Group on the Minsk talks reflects the desire to "freeze" the conflict in the Donbass and take leaders of the "Republics" under complete control. This is also evidenced by the permanent "leaders of the republic" and the destruction of the leaders of illegal armed groups who does not obey the orders of the Russian command.