13/08/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Ukraine

• Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under Moscow Patriarchate elected the new Archbishop Onufriy, who’ve previously served as Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bykovyna and known for his pro-Russian position and being against the reunification of orthodox churches in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian Government created special commission to defend Ukrainian interests in getting back the part of the property of former USSR belonging to the sovereign, aimed at audit of assets and liabilities of the former USSR and defense of Ukraine in the international courts.
• Minister of Fuel & Energy Prodan reported that decision have been taken within the meeting of the Government on the order of implementation of the state of emergency in the electricity energy field due to absence of coal on stock of the thermal electricity stations as the result of combat operations, that could limit the export of electricity.
• Official exchange rate of the Ukrainian Hryvnya (UAH) slightly stabilized, being at the level of historical minimum: 13.11 UAH / 1$ (+3 cop), 17.50 UAH / 1€ (+8 cop), 3.62 UAH / 10 RUR (+1 cop). Interbank Fx rate went down a bit as well as the spread since the opening go the trade session.

30/07/2014 Daily Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Ukraine

• Mayor of Stakhanov town, Borisov, who had been actively cooperated with terrorists and organized a "referendum" on secession from Ukraine, was arrested for two months period of the investigation.
• Official exchange rate of Ukrainian Hryvnia, as established by the National Bank of Ukraine is as fooolows: 12.00 UAH / 1$ (+2 cop), 16.11 UAH / 1€ (+1 cop), 3.36 UAH / 10 RUR (-3 cop).
• Ukrainian government has abandoned plans of sharp increase of rent for natural resources use, including oil and gas.
• List of objects to be privatized, have been strongly expanded by the Government of Arseniy Yatsenuk, including recreation, tourism, construction and mining enterprises. As claimed by Prime Minister planned privatization will be the largest in recent years.

Kyiv

• Almost a one third of all rented apartments in Kiev are being occupied by settlers from Crimea and eastern Ukraine that led to cost of rent increase.

War in Ukraine

• Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Groisman, announced on a briefing that Ukraine will not attempt to advance to the crash site of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 but, on the contrary, will seek the accession of international experts through coordination group meeting with the participation of the OSCE and the Russian ambassador in Minsk.
• During the day, Ukrainian Armed Forces were fighting throughout Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ilovajsk have been taken under control, counterattack on Avdiyivka successfully repulsed, military actions are ongoing in Pervomaysk. Terrorists stronghold have beed destroyed by air strike in Makyivka. Demining of liberated cities is ongoing. Donetsk, Luhansk and Gorlivka are under continuous erratic artillery shelling to create a "picture" for Russian TV channels. 19 civilians dead and 31 injured  in the Donetsk region. Rail links to mainland Ukraine being completely absent due to destruction of railways, electricity lines and bridges by terrorists. Shelling of Ukrainian army positions are ongoing from the Russian territory.
• Ukrainian military have been ordered not to respond to provocations. 7 tanks broke through Ukrainian border from Russian territory.
• Casualties of Ukrainian armed forces since the beginning of antiterrorist operation reached 363 killed and 1 434 wounded.

International

• Council of Europe approved the list of sanctions against Russia and DPR and LPR terrorist organizations, including officials close to President Putin, military corporation "Almaz-Antey" Company "Dobrolet" and the Russian National Commercial Bank. In addition, EU banned the financing of several sectors of the economy and imports of goods and services from the Crimea.
• According to NATO data, announced by commander of NATO forces in Europe Breedlove, number of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine has risen to 12,000 people and continues to grow, intensifying military training, exercises, under war-like conditions as.
• Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said in Dushanbe that Russia will submit to UN Security Council a resolution, proposing to put Russian peacekeeping forces "as the only means to protect the perimeter of the crash of the Malaysian Airlines MH17 flight". In response, Speaker of the National Security & Defense Council Lysenko stressed that Lavrov doesn’t fully capture the situation in the region, as Ukrainian military don’t conduct any combat operations in the area in accordance with the presidential decree and on the contrary, terrorists mined approaches and established powerful artillery strongholds.
• Moscow stock exchange didn’t respond to the sanctions imposed by EU, Canada and USA.