20/10/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights – Powerful explosion took place in Donetsk at one of the bases of militants

20/10/2014 Daily Highlights from “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Verkhovna Rada adopted a law, wchich secures the rights of internallly displaced persons. Powerful explosion took place in Donetsk at one of the bases of militants. Shelling of the city and  attacks on the airport continued. The head of the investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada blamed Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff for the tragedy in Ilovaysk.

Ukraine

• Verkhovna Rada adopted the law “On ensuring the rights and freedoms of displaced persons”, which was developed by the Kharkiv Human Rights Group with the participation of the United Nations, the OSCE, the State Migration Service and representatives of public organizations.
• Verkhovna Rada deputies did not even include to its agenda a bill authorizing  combat operation participants to vote at their places of service, thus limiting their right to vote.
• Verkhovna Rada has canceled the previously announced re-registration of medications and adopted a National Program of AIDS prevention.
• President Poroshenko asked Vice Prime Minister Groysman to start the heating season before the end of the current pre-election week.
• Official exchange rate of Ukrainian hryvnya remained relatively stable: 12.95 UAH/USD, 16.60 UAH/EUR (-9 cop) and 3.15 UAH/10 RUB (-2 cop). NBU sold 200 mln. USD at auctions. Deputy Head of the National Bank explained that decrease of the speculative demand for foreign currency will allow to eliminate some of the administrative restrictions in the future.

Kyiv

• As weather conditions have worsened and temperatures dropped, Kyiv authorities started to heat the infrastructure objects – schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and are getting ready to start heating residential buildings.
• SBU announced the introduction of enhanced security regime in Kiev in connection with the plans of spies to destabilize the situation and disrupt the elections.

War in Ukraine

• Ukrainian army positions in Luhansk and Donetsk regions are continuing to be subject of powerful shelling and attacks by militants.
  Border guards are capturing subversive groups and evidencing Russian drone air reconnaissance activities.
• In Donetsk, around noon there was a huge explosion in the warehouses of the plant for the production of explosives, which insurgents used as a base. According to some reports, the explosion was arranged by the guerrillas. Explosion had shattered windows in homes throughout the city and damaged part of the glass exterior of “Donbass-Arena”. Ukrainian Defense Ministry denied reports of the shelling of the city with tactical missile complex “Tochka-U”  (SS-21 Scarab).

War in Ukraine continues, please read more here