Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
10.20.2015
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Operational data from Information Resistance: (the socio-political situation in the regions of Donbas on 10/20/2015)

There has been a significant reduction in the volume (pressure) of gas supplied from the Russian Federation to the “Luhansk People’s Republic [LNR].” The official reason for that is the “LNR’s failure to pay” [for the shipments]. In this connection, gas transportation to areas controlled by the “DNR” has also been sharply reduced.

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Russian special services have exposed the misappropriation of funds by the leadership of the “Donetsk People’s Republic [DNR].” Money was diverted through obligatory “surcharges” on wages paid to militants by Russia. The “DNR” leadership levied a 10% “tax” on militants’ wages – ostensibly, to raise funds for the “economic development of the DNR.” According to preliminary data, the “DNR” leadership embezzled over RUR 40 million [USD 650 thousand] in this manner.

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A conflict has arisen between the “DNR” leaders and coordinators at the headquarters of Rinat Akhmetov’s charity “Pomozhem [We will help],” after the charity was refused accreditation in the temporarily occupied territory. The “DNR Accreditation Committee for Humanitarian Missions” plans to stop the charity’s vehicles from entering “DNR” territory in a show of strength by these “officials of the Republic” that will enable them to control the distribution of humanitarian aid provided by Akhmetov’s foundation. These measures are being introduced with the approval of Vladislav Surkov, aide to the President of the Russian Federation.

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Contacts are being established between “DNR” representatives and the Polish party “Zmiana” [“Change”] (whose main aim is a change of course for Poland, involving the termination of relations with the USA in favor of more extensive cooperation with Russia). Members of the political council of “Zmiana” have asked the “Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DNR,” Oleksander Kofman, to assist them with obtaining Russian visas, so as to enable them to visit Donetsk via Russia.

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A destructive mood prevails within the Horlivka-Slovyansk episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) [UOC-MP] because of the change in the religious affiliation of the unfinished “Presentation of the Lord” church in Kostyantynivka from UOC-MP to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) [UOC-KP], which took place on October 14 of this year. UOC-MP representatives called this event a “hostile takeover” of their place of worship by the UOC-KP clergy, with assistance by soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The most radical UOC-MP priests are urging the senior cleric of the Horlivka-Slovyansk episcopate, Metropolitan Mitrofan (Nikitin), to retaliate against the UOC-KP action by seizing UOC-KP places of worship on the territory temporarily controlled by militants. Metropolitan Mitrofan has not given a clear reply to these appeals, which was perceived by the more radical UOC-MP priests as tacit approval for such seizure of religious buildings.

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Russian “supervisors” are working on “reformatting” the management of the “Central Election Committee [CEC] of the LNR” ahead of local elections provisionally scheduled for February 21, 2016. The chief task is to replace the Chairman of the “LNR” CEC, Sergiy Kozyakov, with a candidate considered more reliable in the eyes of the Russian “supervisors.” Representatives of the Russian Federation are particularly dissatisfied with Kozyakov’s attempts to evade Russia’s “recommendations” on how to run the elections.

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A group of deputies from the “United Russia” party of the Russian Federation’s State Duma [Parliament] has visited Luhansk and met with the “LNR” leaders. The foreign “guests” brought with them computer equipment intended for the “People’s Council of the LNR.” The Russian “supervisors” ordered that the “LNR” media, when reporting on the visit, should not reveal the visitors’ role in the political establishment of the Russian Federation, but instead present [their donations] as “aid from volunteers.”

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The “LNR” is planning to set up a “Parliamentary debate club,” which will discuss socioeconomic and political matters in the “LNR.” The “debates” are intended to focus on the feasibility of starting the unification of the “LNR” and “DNR” (revival of the “Novorossiya” [New Russia] project), with their subsequent integration into the Russian Federation.

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“Qualifying examinations” are underway in the “DNR.” 32 notaries will obtain the right to practice as notaries as a result.

Source: Dmitry Tymchuk FB

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