08/24/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Ukraine celebrated the Independence Day

Ukraine celebrated the Independence Day

08.24.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Ukraine celebrated the Independence Day.
• Negotiations of Germany, France and Ukraine leaders took place in Berlin.
• A monument to a "Grieving Russian world" was installed in Zaporizhya.

Key Events in Ukraine

• In most cities of Ukraine took place the celebrations in honor of Independence Day. In Kiev, there was a parade of the Ukrainian army, followed by the volleys of salute. In the evening a gala concert was held at the Maydan.
• During the parade, the President said that he expects a positive voting in the Verkhovna Rada regarding the amendments to the Constitution and called the opponents to such changes enemies. According to him, after the adoption by the Parliament of the amendments to the Constitution, the greater part of responsibility and power will be transferred to the local authorities. The most important task of the authorities is to ensure true local elections, through which the citizens will give a well-deserved assessment to all politicians.

Ukraine at War

• The situation in the Donbass remains tense but stable, the fighting continues in the area of Donetsk. At night, the militants resume the shellings from the large-caliber guns. According to the official reports, during the fighting one soldier was wounded . As a result of explosion in Volodarske, located in 30 kilometers from the fighting line, one child was killed and three others were injured.
  The General Staff warned of possible escalation of the conflict in the Donbass during 24-26 of August .

Ukraine and the World

• In Berlin was held a meeting of the leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine to resolve the situation in the Donbass. German Chancellor Merkel said that there is no common point of view on the process of implementation of the Minsk Agreement with Russia. President Poroshenko said again that there is no alternative to the agreements, and Ukraine fully complies with them. He, as the President, introduced to the Parliament a bill to amend the Constitution, which is completely and clearly consistent with the obligations taken by Ukraine in the Minsk process. However, Russia does not fulfill them. French President Hollande insisted that the elections in the Donbass should be conducted only according to the Ukrainian legislation. The negotiators objected to the changing of the Minsk process format and inclusion of new members, as President of Poland Duda proposed. Poroshenko said that Ukraine does not need new formats, as existing format allows to solve all the problems. Merkel said that the terrorist "republics" do not let the OSCE mission to fully implement its mandate and the ceasefire in the Donbass is not observed. Poroshenko expressed his hope that due to the results of the negotiations the tension in the region will be reduced. After the talks, the participants held a telephone conversation with Russian President Putin, who was not invited to the meeting. According to German Foreign Minister Steinmeier it is too soon to talk about the settlement of the conflict in the Donbass. The Official Berlin is closely working with France and the EU institutions on the implementation of the Minsk Agreement.
• Financial Times and Bloomberg agency reported that during the negotiations between Ukraine and International Creditors Club a preliminary agreement to write off 20% of external debt was reached in exchange for some additional conditions regarding the process of redemption. The agreement could be signed this week. One of the main arguments of Ukraine in the negotiations is the possible moratorium on all foreign debt payments, that is, the actual declaration of default. According to Minister of Finance Yaresko and representatives of the IMF,  this option was evaluated and it will not lead to a complete halt of country's financing by the Fund.
• The price of oil on international markets is rapidly decreasing and had already reached the level of January 2009. Due to this the stock indexes of the East Asian companies are also falling, and this tendency is already spreading to Europe. At the Moscow Currency Exchange dollar was sold for more than 70 rubles, euro for more than 80 rubles. By the end of the session, the prices fell, but experts predict a further drop in the ruble exchange rate.
• The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared the Russian military losses in the times of peace "during the special operations" a state secret.
• Russia, from 24 to 29 August, will hold in the European part of the country large-scale exercises of troops with workup of engineering and logistical support of troops, as well as the organization of communication and application of biological, chemical and radiological protection.

The Trends

• Volunteer troops, which took the main burden during the initial period of the war in the Donbass, did not participate in the parade in honor of the Independence Day. President Poroshenko in his speech did not mention their role in repelling the aggression and said nothing about the events in Ilovaisk that occurred during last year's parade.

08/10/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The situation in the energy sector is very tense

The situation in the energy sector is very tense

08.10.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The situation in the energy sector is very tense.
• Militants are moving military units and machinery to the front line.
• Negotiations of Ukraine and International Creditors Club will be held on August 12.
• The meeting of the aviation experts dedicated to investigation of the MH-17  flight  accident began on August 11 in the Netherlands.

Key Events in Ukraine

• The State Fiscal Service introduces the post of the Commissioner for Enterpreneurship (business ombudsman), and former Vice-President of the American Chamber of Commerce Kachka will take up this post.
• Ukraine increases the volumes of the natural gas injections into underground storage facilities to save up 19 billion m3 by October, in time for the heating season. Currently storage facilities contain more than 13.3 billion m3. The stocks are being replenished at a rate of 50 million m3 per day.
  Kyiv Economic Court dismissed the General Prosecutor's Office request to invalidate two contracts of sale of 11 billion m3 of natural gas between Naftogaz and Gazprom from 2009, owned by oligarch Firtash RosUkrEnergo company. Firtash abjudged the natural gas from Ukraine in the Stockholm arbitration with the assistance of Azarov government officials .
• Fuel and Energy Minister Demchishin said that the regional gas companies owned by Firtash, owe Naftogaz more than USD 4 billion for the delivered process gas.
• The 1st unit of Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant with capacity of 1 GW was stopped for a scheduled maintenance. In general 10 units of TPP  out of 15 are running at the moment. Zmiivska TTP of the Tsentroenergo company was also stopped due to the lack of coal in warehouses. At Uglegorskaya TPP, located in the fighting zone, three units are running , and the same number of units are running at the Tripolska TPP. Slavyanska TPP coal reserves will last only till the end of the day. Ongoing contract deliveries are received from Russia on a permanent basis in a volume of 0.8 GW. Rolling blackouts are not yet applied.
  The Cabinet canceled its decision adopted in 2014 on stimulating the consumers of natural gas and thermal energy to transit for the use of electricity and on improvement of tariffs for population and other consumers.
  Fuel and Energy Minister Demchishin said that next year, as part of the diversification of  the nuclear fuel supply, over a third of it will be purchased from the Westinghouse American corporation . He also said that this year, the contract with "Gazprom" will be definitely signed, since it won’t be possible to guarantee the supplies of the natural gas in winter without the supplies from Russia. In his oppinion, the purchase price for the natural gas should not exceed $ 250 per 1,000 m3 until the end of the season, and will probably be lower. It is planned to receive the money for its  purchase from the World Bank.
• The police closed the criminal proceedings regarding the death of former MP and Head of the State Property Fund Chechetov.
• The fire in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant was localized in the forest area. Police suspects that the cause of the fire could be an arson.
• The Cabinet of Ministers announced two versions of Ukraine’s economic development  forecast for 2016. According to the optimistic forecast, the country's GDP is expected to increase by 12%, the pessimistic forecast tells about the GDP decrease by 0.3% and inflation rate at 14%. The IMF experts tend in their assessments towards the first option.
• On August 12 the Ministry of Finance is scheduled to meet with the International Creditors Club , the Club initiated it to solve the issue of the restructuring of the public debt of Ukraine. The official Ministry website placed a message, according to which this meeting is considered the last opportunity to reach an agreement before the payment on Eurobonds in September and October. In case of failure to reach a consensus, Ukraine will have to use the alternative methods of implementation of the IMF program, in particular, introduction of the moratorium on payments, towards  which the IMF has negative attitude but is willing to accept it. However, the leading Western agencies,  Bloomberg and Fitch Ratings, assess the prospects of reaching an agreement as optimistic and put the figure of 22.5% as mutually acceptable for writing-off the national debt of Ukraine.
• The official hryvnia exchange rate against the major currencies slightly decreased after the weekend: 21.26 UAH/USD (+0.17 UAH), 23.30 UAG/EUR (+0,30 UAH), 3.30 UAH/RUR 10.

Urkaine at War

• In the Donbass, the situation continues to deteriorate. Ukrainian army and the Right Sector units repulsed the night attack near Volnovakha, taking the predominating heights, but by night the militants resumed the shelling from heavy artillery. The situation is escalating in the area of Donetsk and Stanitsa Luhanska. According to the official reports, during the fighting one soldier was killed  and seven were wounded . However, according to the medical service of the Right sector, only during the battle near Novolaspa three volunteer and four  soldiers  of the Armed Forces were killed, five soldiers and six volunteers were wounded.
  At the evening, the shellings in Volnovakha direction resumed with the renewed vigor. Head of General Staff Muzhenko reported to President Poroshenko about the situation. It was decided to allow the fire back. The OSCE mission was informed about it.
  A sharp intensification of aerial reconnaissance of the Russian-terrorist forces was recorded along all the line of combat operations. Informants from the occupied territories reported on the moving of the equipment, including air defense and missile systems, and militants manpower from the basing locations and their transfer to the front line. The General Staff believes that there are about 10 thousand Russian troops in the  Donbass and about 50 more thousand are deployed on the border with Ukraine.
  According to experts, the attack on Volnovaha could be a diversion from the main strikes, which could be delivered in the directions of Maryinka, Artemivsk and Stanitsa Luhanska.
  Foreign Minister Klimkin informed Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov about abuse by the militants of the process of de-escalation in the Donbass. During the talks with the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany, it was decided to hold in the nearest time the  negotiations in the "Normandy format" to prevent the escalation of the conflict.

Ukraine and the World

• In the Netherlands, began a meeting of the aviation experts from seven countries, dedicated to the investigation of an MH-17 flight aircraft accident, where the draft final report of the Security Council of the Netherlands Commission on the causes of the disaster will be submitted. Publication of the report is scheduled for October.
• The US is ready to allocate additional $ 500 million for training of the Armed Forces and the National Guard soldiers at the Yavorivsky training area. US Vice President Biden confirmed the readiness of the US government to provide an additional loan of $ 2 billion, of which was agreed upon in April.

08/07/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The Government is preparing the transfer of the customs under the management of the foreign companies

The Government is preparing the transfer of the customs under the management  of the foreign companies

08.07.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The Government is preparing the transfer of the customs under the management  of the foreign companies.
• UnikreditBank is holding talks on the sale of its subsidiary, "Ukrsotsbank", by the end of the year.
• Liovochkin-Firtash Structures registered the "Ukraine Tomorrow" trademark  before the Ministry of Informational Politics.

08/06/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - President Poroshenko signed a Law on Local Elections

President Poroshenko signed a Law on Local Elections

08.06.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• President Poroshenko signed a Law on Local Elections.
• The situation in the Donbass deteriorated again, the number of dead and wounded increases.
• Bloomberg Agency informed that Ukraine and the Creditors Club agreed on writing-off of 22.5% of the debt.

08/05/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Shevchenkivsky court of Kyiv in absentia arrested Head of the General Staff of Russia Gerasimov

Russian President Putin and Head of General Staff Gerasimov

08.05.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Shevchenkivsky court of Kyiv in absentia arrested Head of the General Staff of Russia Gerasimov.
• International Creditors Club refused to accept the offer of the Ukrainian Government.
• France finally cancelled the contract for the supply of "Mistral" class helicopter carriers  to Russia.

08/04/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Poroshenko conducted a meeting of the Military Cabinet of the NSDC

Poroshenko conducted a meeting of the Military Cabinet of the NSDC

08.04.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Poroshenko conducted a meeting of the Military Cabinet of the National Security and Defense Council.
• The National Bank received the second tranche of the IMF loan.
• President Poroshenko gave citizenship to Russian citizen Gaydar.

07/29/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Russia blocked the establishment of an international tribunal by the UN Security Council to investigate the MH-17 flight accident

U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin vetoes U.N.Security Council Proposa;

07.29.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Russia blocked the establishment of an international tribunal by the UN Security Council to investigate the MH-17 flight accident.
• The IMF is ready to continue the financing of Ukraine in case the moratorium on debt payments is introduced.
• The possibility of creating of joint patrols of Ukrainian law enforcers and militants in Shyrokino was rejected.
• Clashes between police and amber miners in Rivne region.
• Former Prime Minister Azarov announced about the creation in Moscow of a "government in exile".

07/11/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Fighting in Mukachevo between the "Right Sector" and the security forces

Fighting in Mukachevo between the "Right Sector" and the security forces

07.11.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Fighting in Mukachevo between the "Right Sector" and the security forces.
• Announcement by the "Right Sector" of indefinite rally near the President Administration.
• International Film Festival in Odessa.

07/10/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Deputy Head of Presidental Administration Chalyi was appointed as an ambassador to Washington

A new ambassador to  the United States Chalyi

07.10.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Deputy Head of the Presidental Administration Chalyi was appointed as an ambassador to Washington.
• British citizen is a candidate for the position of the "Ukrnafta" Head.
• The leaders of France and Germany insist on the inclusion of the Donbass special status into the text of the Constitution.