Voices of Ukraine

By Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency, Kyiv
10.16.2014
Re-posted by Voices of Ukraine, with permissions.

15/10/2014 Ukraine: Daily Highlights – US Secretary of State Kerry mentioned existence of a secret agreement between Putin and Poroshenko

US Secretary of State Kerry mentioned existence of a secret agreement between Putin and Poroshenko. Ukrainian officials are getting ready for lustration. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk inspected the construction of the wall on the border with Russia. The foreign trade of Ukraine is now in surplus.

Ukraine

• According to the Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, the primary task of the government is the project on arrangement of the Ukrainian-Russian border, “The Wall”, and the visa regime with Russia could be introduced as the additional controlling measure.
• Minister of Justice Petrenko announced the beginning, in accordance with the law of the cleansing power, of “labor lustration” of individuals, who held senior positions in the regime of Yanukovych.
• President Poroshenko instructed the new Minister of Defense to prepare a strategy for national security and defense, and to make changes in military doctrine.
• Dismissed by President Poroshenko former Defense Minister Geletey came back to the position of the Head of State Protection Agency.
• A criminal case was opened against the National Guards commanders, who’s unit picketed at the Presidential Administration.
• Foreign Affairs Ministry informed that Ukraine is ready to broaden the mandate of the OSCE mission for controlling border crossings on the Russian border.
• Ukrainian surplus of external trade reached 1.1 bln. USD as of August since beggining of the year due to decline in imports. The economy is undergoing reorientation from Russian to other markets.
• Official exchange rate of Ukrainian hryvnya vs. major currencies hasn’t dramatically changed: 12.95 UAH/USD, 16.38 UAH/EUR (-3 cop), 3.19 UAH/10 RUR (-2 cop).
• NBU Head Gontareva claimed that an agreement with creditors has been reached on all programs and that all financial support projects are being unified under a common platform.

Kyiv

• Authorities plan to put thermal meters at all apartment buildings and make walls and roofs winter-proof in order to reduce the energy consumption, which currently exceeds european norms five folds.
• Rating agency Standard & Poor’s increased the rating of Ukraine to CCC with stable forecast.

War in Ukraine

• SSU opened criminal proceedings agains DPR and LPR terrorists for crimes against humanity, which is the first step in preparing the case for further submission to the International Criminal Court  in Hague.
• Terrorists continue to breach the cease-fire regimen. Armed clashes took place in Debaltseve, Mariupol, Donetsk, Avdiivka, Granitne, Smile. Around 100 Ukrainian military were encircled in Bakhmutovka according to Donetsk Governor’s information. Residential areas of Donetsk and Schastye were shelled. Donetsk International Airport defenders successfully expel all terrorists attacks.
• 51 civilians and 68 Ukrainian military have been killed since Minsk memorandum was signed according to Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry data.

War in Ukraine continues, please read more here