Ukraine War Update - 3 June 2015

Wednesday, June 3, 2015  6:36 AM PDT

OSCE SMM observes 37 terrorists' tanks in Donetsk

   KIEV, June 3 (Ukrinform). --- The representatives of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine have observed 37 tanks, mainly T-72 type, in two concentrations in "DPR"-controlled areas east of Donetsk.

   This is said in the organization's latest report as of June 1, released on Tuesday.

   "Despite claims that withdrawal of heavy weapons was complete, the SMM observed 37 tanks, mainly T-72 type, in two concentrations in 'DPR'-controlled areas east of Donetsk city and nine tanks, mainly T-72 type, in government-controlled areas north of Donetsk. Furthermore, the SMM observed 10 tanks, mainly T-64 type, in government-controlled areas north-west of Luhansk," the report reads.

   Also, the SMM unmanned aerial vehicle observed a concentration in "DPR"-controlled territory, 30km east of Mariupol, of at least 10 main battle tanks (MBT) of unknown type.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015  5:03 AM PDT

No one killed, three soldiers wounded over past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Over the past day, June 2, no one was killed among Ukrainian soldiers who fight in the anti-terrorist operation area.

   Three Ukrainians soldiers have been wounded. This was announced by the Presidential Administration speaker on ATO matters Andrii Lysenko, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.

   "Fortunately, no one of Ukrainian military was killed, three soldiers were killed," he said at a briefing in Kiev on Wednesday.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015  4:22 AM PDT

Russia ordered its terrorists to start military operation - Yatseniuk

   (Censor.NET) --- On the eve of the G7 summit, Russia once again violated the Minsk agreement and instructed its terrorists to start a military operation.

   This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk, on Wednesday, June 3, during a visit to the International Center for Peacemaking and Safety of the Western Operational Command of the Ukrainian Land Forces in Yavoriv (the Lviv region), Censor.NET reports citing the Cabinet's press service.

   "Today, Russia once again violated the Minsk agreement. Before the G7 meeting, Russia deliberately disrupted the trilateral meeting of the contact group yesterday, and today instructed its terrorists to launch a military operation," Yatseniuk said.

   He stressed that all diplomatic efforts must be backed by a strong and professional army and joint efforts of all G7 countries and Western partners.

   "This is another challenge for the world community," the head of Ukrainian government said.

   "It is expected that the international community will give proper and adequate response to Russian aggression at the G7 summit," Yatseniuk said.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015  4:22 AM PDT

Fighters are intensely shelling Marinka and Krasnohorivka. Fierce fighting underway. Some servicemen wounded

   (Censor.NET) --- From the very morning of Wednesday, June 3, the fighters began to shell Marinka and Krasnohorivka. The 28th separate mechanized brigade is reporting about fights around Marinka and shelling along the front line from Nevelske (Pisky) to Berezove (Dokuchaievsk).

   This is what people's deputy (People's Front) and coordinator of Kiev-1 battalion Yevhen Deidei wrote on his Facebook page, Censor.NET reports.

   "At 4:50 a.m. a fierce shelling started. Some people are wounded. Krasnohorivka and Marinka are on fire. All along the line fierce fighting is underway. The fighters go on break," he wrote.

   "In these moments, the enemy is conducting a large-scale attack of positions of the 28th brigade in the direction of Marinka under the cover of artillery. Our soldiers are keeping the defense. During the whole night attacks from cannons, 120-mm mortars and MLRS were going on along the whole defense line of the brigade starting from Nevelske (Pisky) and ending with Berezove (Dokuchaievsk)," official page of the 28th separate mechanized brigade in Facebook reported.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  23:10 PDT

Ukraine resumes supplies of modern tanks to Thailand

   (Zik) --- Following a stop in the supplies of Oplot tanks to Thailand, Ukraine has now resumed their supplies, Interfax-Ukrayina reports, citing sources in the defense sector.

   The second batch of 5 tanks has arrived in Sattahill, Thailand.

   The rest 39 tanks will be delivered by the year-end, the source said.

   The sales contract amounting to $200 mn was signed in 2011.

   As the war in Donbas erupted, the manufacturer stopped the supplies of the tanks.

   The money earned from the contract will be used by the manufacturer, the Kharkiv-based state-run Malyshev Tank Plant, to re-equip the Ukrainian army, lb.ua reports.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  23:08 PDT

SBU nets terrorists trained by Russia GRU military intelligence

   (Zik) --- May 30-31, Ukraine security service agents seized 3 members of the terrorist group operating in Kharkiv. They were recruited by Russians and went to Russia for training, SBU says.

   The terrorists have been charged with 9 high-profile crimes, including blowing a rail track, the attempt to blow up a liquid gas cistern, firing at an army conscription center in Kharkiv and a volunteer organization office.

   SBU captured a lot of weapons and ammunition, including sniper guns, flame throwers, Kalashnikovs, Makarov pistols, 2,000 rounds of ammunition, mines, over 8 kg of explosives, 80 grenades.

   The weapons and ammunition had been supplied to the terrorists by Russia GRU military intelligence agents, the terrorists admitted.

   SBU is currently trying to track down other members of the group.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  23:06 PDT

Fighting flares up in Donetsk area, battalion CO says

   (Zik) --- Since early morning on June 3, the rebels and Russian troops have started shelling Krasnohorivka and Maryinka, Rada lawmaker and CO of the ‘Kiev-1’ battalion of volunteers Yevhen Deidei writes in Facebook.

   “The enemy began fierce shelling at 4:50 a.m. There are several wounded servicemen. Krasnohorivka and Maryinka are on fire,” he writes. 

   “The entire touch line in this area is the scene of fierce fighting. The enemy is apparently preparing to break through our lines,” Yevhen Deidei says.

US-Ukraine Navy exercise commences in Black Sea.

Frigate Hetman Sahaidachnyi (U 130)

    (Censor.NET) --- The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) kicks off a two-day underway exercise with the Ukrainian navy Frigate Hetman Sahaidachnyi (U 130), June 1, 2015.

   This is reported by Censor.NET citing the press service of the U.S. 6th Fleet.

   "The purpose of Ross' presence in the Black Sea is to reassure NATO allies and regional partners of the United States' commitment to working closely with them to enhance maritime security and stability in the region," the statement notes.

   Cmdr. Tadd Gorman, Commanding Officer, USS Ross (DDG 71) stated: "Working with our partners in the Black Sea helps build greater regional awareness. Naval exercises with partners like Ukraine allow us to increase our joint capabilities and interoperability. As always, their conduct was very professional, and working with them today made our relationship stronger." 

Ukraine War Update - 2 June 2015

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  6:24 AM PDT

Canadian PM to visit Ukraine ahead of G7 summit

   (UTR-TV) --- Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper will arrive to Ukraine on an official visit on June 6, prior to the G7 Summit, which will take place on 7-8 of June in Germany.

   According to the report on his web-site, during his visit to Ukraine Harper will meet President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk to discuss the international community's response to Russian aggression and Canada's continued support for Ukraine's ambitious economic and democratic reforms. It will be already the third visit of the Canadian prime minister to Ukraine since last January.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  3:44 AM PDT

Rebel-held territories in Donbas to be sealed off – Lutsenko

   (Zik) --- The existing practice of sealing off the territories held by the rebels in the Luhansk oblast is to be implemented in the Donetsk oblast, the leader of Rada’s largest faction, Yury Lutsenko, says.

   “The president believes the cancer tumor is to be sealed off. The decision by the Luhansk oblast Governor Moskal to close the border with the rebel-held territories is positive and should snowball to the Donetsk oblast,” Yury Lutsenko said, addressing Rada June 2.

   First of all, Ukraine has to strengthen the touchline and impose economic blockade of Donbas, he said.

   “The plan is simple: either Russia withdraws the terrorist groups and lets Ukraine impose control over its border with Russia or the blockade continues along the touchline,” he said.

   In addition, free economic zones are to be set up in the Kharkiv and Odessa oblasts – to give the middle class the opportunity to move there, get credits and create new jobs,” he said.

   Importantly, he said, Ukraine is to launch an effective pro-Ukrainian propaganda campaign in the media, social networks and in the world, Interfax-Ukrayina reports. 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  3:47 AM PDT

Japanese prime minister to visit Kiev

   (UTR-TV) --- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay the first-ever official visit to Ukraine on June 5-6.

   The visit of the Japanese prime minister paid shortly before the G7 summit "will be a major manifestation of the firm and comprehensive political support to Ukraine," Ukrainian presidential press service said on Tuesday. The sides will confer on bilateral relations in the political, economic, scientific, technological and humanitarian fields, pressing global and regional affairs, and cooperation between Ukraine and Japan in international organizations. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will meet Shinzo Abe on June, 6.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  2:44 AM PDT

No one killed, eight Ukrainian soldiers wounded over past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Eight Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in the course of the anti-terrorist operation on June 1.

   This was announced by the Presidential Administration representative on ATO matters, Colonel Andrii Lysenko at a briefing, Censor.NET reports.

   "Over past day, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat activities, eight received wounds," he said.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015  12:36 AM PDT

Crimean authorities destroy Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar books

   (Zik) --- Like the Fascists in Germany, the Crimean authorities are destroying books in the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar language, Vesilya Ibrahimova, head of Crimean Tatar language school in Kherson says, Krym. Realiji reports June 2.

   “The current situation proves that Putin’s declarations cannot be trusted. In March 2014 he assured that there will be three languages in Crimea – Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar.

   However, the Russian authorities have embarked on a campaign to restrict the use of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages: new books in these languages are not published and those kept in the libraries are written off and destroyed. Everything is done to have only one language on the peninsula, Ibrahimova said June 1 at the opening ceremony of launching a free Crimean Tatar school in Kherson. 

Monday, June 1, 2015  23:39 PDT

Ukrainian soldiers joined battle with terrorists near Vesela Dolyna, - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- Russia-backed terrorists continued shelling villages and anti-terrorist operation positions on Tuesday night.

   This is reported by Censor.NET citing ATO press center.
   "Starting 6 p.m. Monday, June 1, terrorists continued to shell Ukrainian army's positions in all directions. At Donetsk direction, mercenaries fired at Pisky, Butivka mine, Marinka, Opytne, and Vodiane with mortars and artillery of over 100 mm," the message reads.
   At Artemivsk direction, terrorists' artillery shelled Markove, mortars were used to fire at Novhorodske, large-caliber machine guns - at Leninske, grenade launchers and small arms - at Kirove.
   Near Vesela Dolyna, the Donetsk region, Ukrainian soldiers engaged in a combat with a reconnaissance and sabotage group of the enemy.
   At Mariupol direction, terrorists used mortars and artillery banned by the Minsk agreements, as well as grenade launchers and small arms to fire at Shyrokyne.

   It all went quiet there after 9 p.m. until morning of Tuesday.

   The situation was relatively calm at Luhansk direction, where mercenaries broke the silence twice by firing at Shchastia and Zolote-4 with small arms.

   The headquarters noted that number of enemy's drones is not decreasing. 15 flights were recorded at Mariupol and Luhansk directions.

Monday, June 1, 2015  17:34 PDT

Two Nights Under Fire In Eastern Ukraine

   (RFE/RL) --- During a week embedded with the Ukrainian army, Mykhaylo Shtekel from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service spent two days and two nights under fire in the trenches of the 92nd mechanized brigade near Shchastya (which means "happiness"), a town in eastern Ukraine which changed hands in fighting with Russian-backed separatists last summer. The attacks, on May 25-26, took place at the same checkpoint where the unit captured two alleged members of Russian special forces a few days earlier. 

China’s military buildup in the South China Sea is 'beyond anything previously seen'

Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Fiery Cross
Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image
from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the
United States Navy May 21, 2015. Reuters

   (Business Insider) --- China’s rapid claim on contested islands in the South China Sea is beyond anything seen previously and raises legitimate questions about Beijing’s intentions in the region, the secretary of the Australian defence department, Dennis Richardson, said.

   Richardson told a Senate estimates committee on Monday that the military buildup on China’s reclamation program in the South China Sea “dwarfs” what other nations in the region have done previously.

   “The land reclamation activity by China in the South China Sea has been at a pace and scale in the last two years beyond anything we have previously seen. It dwarfs what the other claimant states have done, and the size of the land reclamation does raise questions about its purpose,” Richardson said.

   China has reportedly started building up its military presence in the artificially created islands, in a region believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves.

   Several countries have laid claim to the islands, situated just north of Brunei, and the naval corridor is an important shipping route for Australian vessels.

   Labor has also raised concerns over mounting tension in the South China Sea and has urged the government to tread carefully.

   The shadow foreign minister, Tanya Plibersek, told ABC radio: “Australia and our Asian neighbours in particular and others in the region have an expectation of being able to move freely now and in the future in this area.”

US Navy     The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the guided-missile cruiser 

USS Chosin (CG 65), the guided-missile destroyers USS Sampson (DDG 102) 

and USS Pinkney (DDG 91), and the guided-missile frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) operate in 

formation in the South China Sea. 

   She urged the government to take a softly-softly approach to China’s land reclamation program.

   “It’s important that we continue to see freedom of movement in that area, particularly freedom of shipping, but making sure that we use language that calms the situation rather than inflames it is very important,” Plibersek said.

   “Our contributions should be to ensure that tensions are de-escalated and understandings between the parties continue to improve.”

   Plibersek’s comments followed those made by the defence minister, Kevin Andrews, who has voiced opposition to any move by China to militarise the disputed islands.

   Andrews hit out at Beijing’s reclamation program during an Asian security summit in Singapore on Sunday.

   “We remain concerned by any developments in the South and East China Sea which raise tensions in the region,” he told the summit. “Australia has made clear its opposition to any coercive or unilateral actions to change the status quo in the South and East China Sea. This includes any large-scale land reclamation activity by claimants in the South China Sea.

   “We are particularly concerned at the prospect of militarisation of artificial structures,” he continued.

   Andrews urged all the parties involved in the dispute – which include China, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines – to sign a code of conduct immediately, in a bid to ease tensions.

   “Disputes must be resolved peacefully and Australia urges all parties to exercise restraint, halt all reclamation activities, refrain from provocative actions and take steps to ease tensions,” Andrews said. “Because when tensions are high, the risks of miscalculation resulting in conflict are very real.”

   The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, echoed the defence minister’s call for multilateral cooperation.

   “The only path to working out all these issues … is through international negotiation and discussion. There’s no other path to long-term peace than that,” Shorten said. “We’re all in this together.”

   Labor has asked the Coalition for a briefing on the situation in the disputed region.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Whistle-Blowing Russian 'Troll' Gets Her Day In Court

Lyudmila Savchuk says she began "gathering information 

and passing it to journalists" from her first day on the job.

   (RFE/RL) --- A young woman who says she was hired by a Russian company to dissemble and to promote certain political views online has come out of the shadows to shine a light on her purported former employer and the practice, known as "trolling."

   Lyudmila Savchuk was due in a St. Petersburg district courtroom on June 1 to argue that a company called Internet Research withheld details of her employment and firing after she tried to blow the whistle on its practices.

   Savchuk says she was fired after an interview she gave earlier this year in which she described work for Internet Research, which is based on St. Petersburg's Savushkin Street, as part of Russia's "troll factory.

   She has filed a lawsuit alleging that her former employer failed to provide any contract or paperwork supporting her hiring and dismissal.

   Since she was dismissed in March, she has also set up a social-media group, Information Peace, to speak out against online trolling. 

'Round-The Clock' Operation

   Savchuk, who initially sought to keep her identity secret, is the latest Russian to claim experience in what Moscow's critics say is a coordinated effort to mislead and shape online debate on pet issues.

   Fake accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal, and VKontakte have appeared in the past year that focus on the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv and Western governments have accused Russia of intervening militarily.

   Many of the bogus social-media accounts have been linked to the Internet Research Agency.

   Savchuk tells RFE/RL's Russian Service that she got the job with Internet Research after responding to a job advertisement. "I wanted to research the company's activities," she says, adding that she began "gathering information and passing it to journalists" from her first day on the job, January 2.

   She says that "there are hundreds of people -- operating around-the clock -- writing thousands of comments, texts, and posts on all social-media sites and blogs."

   The target sites are Russian and English-language, Savchuk says. "They comment on media articles and write for social-networking sites, pretending to be ordinary people; they ran blogs under false pretenses," she says. "They promote ideas they were given through verbal or written instruction."

'Pretending They Don't Exist'

   Savchuk says she is no longer in contact with her former colleagues. She claims she has tried unsuccessfully to convince them "not to be involved in such nonsense."

   A lawyer from St. Petersburg-based Kommanda-29, which was set up to promote freedom of information and is advising Savchuk in her case, told RFE/RL the lawsuit accused Internet Research of violating Russian labor law.

   Savchuk contends that the company employs hundreds of people without contracts, giving them "cash in hand" and avoiding taxes. "Wages are paid under the table," she says. "You just get a bunch of money from the accountant. Obviously, it's a 'black salary' that wasn't declared to authorities."

   "I want to draw the attention of the public and the authorities to this," she says. Savchuk says Internet Research "pretends it doesn't exist, although the whole world knows about its existence."

   Multiple telephone calls by RFE/RL to Internet Research's offices in St. Petersburg for comment went unanswered.

   Other former employees have spoken to media in the past -- some publicly and some off-the-record -- describing its operations. They describe the job as paying at least 40,000 rubles ($700) a month.

   Marat Burkhard, who also claimed to be a former employee, told RFE/RL he worked for a 20-strong department that operated around-the-clock in two 12-hour shifts. "People would write something on the forum -- some kind of news -- and our task was to comment on it," he said.

   Burkhard described scenarios in which team members would combine to present what appeared to be an impromptu debate online, including with one posing as a "villain" who might criticize the Russian authorities to invite counterarguments. 

Ukraine War Update - 1 June 2015

Monday, June 1, 2015  9:00 AM PDT

Pro-Russian separatists continue to use prohibited Grad systems - Joint Center on Control and Coordination

   (Censor.NET) --- Ukrainian side of the Joint Center on Control and Coordination (JCCC) of issues related to the ceasefire regime and the stabilization of the demarcation line recorded numerous violations of the Minsk agreement by illegal armed groups of the separate areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, namely the use of multiple rocket launch systems by the militants.

   This is said in a statement of the Joint Center for Coordination and Control, Censor.NET reports.

   In May, the JCCC observers had recorded five of these cases, including against the towns and villages where there were no positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

   "On May 2 the Donetsk militants fired 120 rockets at Avdiivka. On May 3 10 rockets were fired from from Frunze against Krymske. On May 27 40 rockets were fired at Starohnativka from Michurine. On May 28 the illegal armed groups fired 20 rockets at Berezove from Molodizhne.

   "These actions constitute a flagrant and cynical violation of the set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements. After the completion of removal of heavy weapons by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on March 7, 2015, which was confirmed by representatives of the OSCE SMM, the Ukrainian side has never used MRLS," Head of the Ukrainian side of the JCCC, Major-General Andrii Taran stated.

   The head of the Ukrainian side stressed the importance of an unconditional cease-fire by the representatives of the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and immediate removal of the MLRS systems to the lines defined by set of measures to implement the Minsk Agreement. Representatives of the OSCE SMM were provided with documented facts of the militants using multiple launch rocket systems.

Monday, June 1, 2015  7:08 AM PDT

Terrorists resumed shelling of Shyrokyne with 120-mm mortars, - M sector press officer

   (Censor.NET) --- Terrorists resumed shelling Shyrokyne, the Donetsk region, with mortars Monday afternoon.

   This was announced by ATO M sector press officer Dmytro Horbunov to Channel 5, Censor.NET reports.

   "It was calm at the Mariupol direction in the morning Monday. However, at around 1 p.m. the enemy used a 120-mm mortar against Ukrainian soldiers near Shyrokyne village. No one of the military were hurt. Ukrainian side did not return fire for the shelling was short and there was no threat to civilian population and the military," Horbunov announced.

Monday, June 1, 2015  7:08 AM PDT

Police unit from Chechnya arrived to reinforce terrorist forces in Zuhres, - blogger.

   (Censor.NET) --- A police unit from Chechnya arrived to the area of Zuhres, the Donetsk region, to take part in fighting on the terrorists' side.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this was written by investigative blogger Iraklii Komakhidze on his Facebook page.

   One of the mercenaries was identified by him during OSINT.

   "A profile of some Zilimkhan (second name Osman) Ramzanov, born Oct.r 7, 1977, from Grozny has been discovered in VKontakte social network. The profile of this Russian-Chechen militant shows that he is a member of a patrol police regiment of the Russian Interior Ministry, named after A. Kadyrov (Senior)", the message reads.

   There is a photo on Ramzanov's profile dated March 24, 2015, where geographic location is marked: Zlitna Street, Donetsk, Ukraine. A group of "volunteers" poses on it, all of them being employees of the Interior Ministry of the Chechen Republic.

   Another photo shows insignia of the "Sparta" illegal armed group. It's possible that Chechen reinforcements act together with this terrorist group.

   "After checking Ramzanov's VKontakte friends, we find a lot of other Chechen policemen who already visited Donbas", the blogger says.

   He also reminds that last December, during a show at a stadium in Grozny, police officers from Chechnya (patrol police regiment named after Akhmad Kadyrov) signed a report to the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic Alhanov that they are "ready to execute any order of the Supreme Commander in Chief - Russian President Vladimir Putin, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kolokoltsev and head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov."

Monday, June 1, 2015  5:20 AM PDT

Ontario Volunteers to Bring Blast-Resistant Window Film to Schools in the Ukraine

   TORONTO, Ont.---(Marketwired - June 01, 2015) - The threat of bomb blasts are very real for residents of the Ukraine situated near the front line in the country's conflict with Russia. A group of Ontario-based volunteers will travel to a war-torn part of the Ukraine to help pilot a new program aimed at safe-guarding schools, nursing homes and churches by installing security window film to absorb the force of bomb blasts and prevent glass from turning into deadly projectiles.

   Rahul Singh, the Executive Director of GlobalMedic has selected three volunteer firefighters who work with the Toronto disaster aid agency to train residents of Mariupol, a town on the front line of the conflict with Russia, to install blast-resistant film on windows. GlobalMedic teamed with Toronto company, Convenience Group Inc. to train the firefighter volunteers on product installation and to provide roughly 1,500 square-metres (16,000 square-feet) of the material.

   Convenience Group specializes in the installation of blast mitigation security laminates which actually expand on impact to absorb the force of a blast or projectile. The company has worked for financial institutions, government agencies and also performed installations in high risk public areas.

   The material is set to arrive in the Ukraine on May 31 along with the volunteers who will begin training local residents to perform the installations. The GlobalMedic agency received a $75,000 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief to fund the program.

   On Saturday, May 23, before the volunteers and material departed for the International mission members of Toronto's Ukrainian community were invited to a live demonstration of the product at Convenience Group's Toronto head office. Olya Grod, vice president of Ukranian Canadian Congress' Toronto Branch, said she was impressed. "I think the product is amazing, and I think the fact that we have these companies that have come together for the good of Ukraine, for the people, is fantastic." The event was also attended by Bernard Trottier, Tory MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Ted Opitz, Conservative MP for Etobicoke Centre, where they were both given the opportunity to strike a pane of glass treated with blast-resistant window film with a metal baseball bat to demonstrate its impact resilience.

Monday, June 1, 2015  3:28 AM PDT

Three soldiers killed, four wounded, two captured over past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Three Ukrainian soldiers were killed, four were injured, another two taken captives in the course of the anti-terrorist operation on May 31.

   This was announced by the Presidential Administration representative on ATO matters, Colonel Andrii Lysenko at a daily briefing, Censor.NET reports.

   "Yesterday, May 31, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting, four were wounded," he said.
   "Also, two Ukrainian soldiers were taken captive during a battle near Marinka. Attempts are being made to find and release them," the ATO speaker added.
   As reported earlier, the terrorists are redeploying tanks and howitzers to Stakhanov and Perevalsk in the Luhansk region.

Monday, June 1, 2015  12:11 AM PDT

Pro-Ukrainian protest in downtown Moscow

   (Zik) --- The Solidarity movement staged a protest on Sunday against Russian government’s policy toward Ukraine, journalist Anastasia Zotova wrote in Twitter.

   As the protest picket started, the activists of the pro-Putin National Liberation Movement attacked picket participants. The goons threw some protesters on the ground, beat them and sprayed them with paint.

   The police were merely observing the beating – this is obvious judging by the photos posted by A. Zotova.

Monday, June 1, 2015  12:05 AM PDT

No money to pay miners, Donbas rebels say

   (Zik) --- The leaders of the breakaway Donetsk republic say there is no money to repay wage arrears to miners of the Donbasanthracite mine in Krasny Luch, presidential administration official, Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, said May 31.

   Anthracite is the high-quality coal used for electricity generation at thermal power plants.
   The mine employs 4,000 workers but they will be laid-off now, the official said, accusing Donbas rebel leaders of plundering Donbas and inability to manage industry.
   Meanwhile, experts say 60 rail cars with coal are leaving Ukraine every day for Russia. 

Sunday, May 31, 2015  23:01 PDT

Five Die(including 2 civilians) In Fresh Fighting In Ukraine

   (RFE/RL) --- Five people have been killed in eastern Ukraine despite the ongoing cease-fire.

   The Ukrainian military said on June 1 that three soldiers were killed and four wounded in fighting in the past 24 hours.

   It also said two Ukrainian soldiers had been captured outside the village of Maryinka.

   According to the pro-Russian rebels, two civilians were killed and five injured in shelling on May 31.

   One of the fatalities was reported in the village of Shyrokyne, which has witnessed heavy fighting in recent weeks.

   The fresh reports of casualties come as the UN human rights office said the number of people killed in more than a year of fighting in the east has risen to more than 6,400 people.

   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein said there were "alarming reports of summary executions by armed groups" and his office was "looking into similar allegations against Ukrainian armed forces."

   A report on June 1 by the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) says its observers heard a total of 253 explosions from the rebel stronghold of Donetsk during 48 hours ending in the evening on May 31.

   The explosions, the OSCE said, were "consistent with heavy and light weapons fire" including tanks and large-caliber artillery that should have been withdrawn by now from the front lines in compliance with the cease-fire accords signed last September in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

Sunday, May 31, 2015  14:11 PDT

IMF mission gives upbeat assessment of Ukraine, sees signs of "economic stability" emerging

   KIEV (Reuters) --- The head of an International Monetary Fund team visiting Ukraine gave a positive assessment of progress by Kiev on reform on Sunday and said there would be further discussion on loans that the near-bankrupt country badly needs.

   The IMF mission came to Ukraine to review progress with conditions for a $17.5 billion four-year bailout programme, and is expected to give recommendations to the IMF board in June.

   A second tranche of about $2.5 billion hinges on the outcome of the visit. Ukraine, which is fighting a war in its east against Russian-backed separatists, sorely needs the cash to shore up foreign currency reserves.

   In a statement issued by the Fund, IMF mission chief Nikolay Gueorguiev said "understandings" had been reached with the Ukrainian authorities on most issues during the May 12-29 visit.

   He said "good implementation" of the reform programme had been achieved by Kiev despite the unresolved conflict in the east and the IMF mission saw signs emerging that "economic stability is gradually taking hold".

   "Understandings were reached on most issues and discussions will continue in the coming days to finalise a staff-level agreement that can be taken for approval to the IMF management and the Executive Board," Gueorguiev said.

   He said the conflict in the east had taken a heavier toll than expected in the first quarter of 2015 and the Fund had accordingly revised downwards its growth projections and forecast end-of-year inflation at 46 percent.

   The IMF statement made no reference to tough talks which are going on between Ukraine and a creditors' committee to agree new terms for repaying the country's huge debts, though the Fund has indicated it wants early progress on "restructuring".

   About $23 billion worth of debt is earmarked for restructuring.

   Ukraine needs restructuring to plug a $15.3 billion funding gap and says it will not be able to meet targets set out in the IMF-led rescue package without cutting the principal owed on bonds issued by previous Ukrainian governments.

   But a creditors' committee, led by Franklin Templeton and representing about $9 billion of debt, resists the idea of a writedown -- or "haircut" -- of the bonds' principal.

   It has put forward a plan which it says would save Ukraine $15.8 billion, or more than what it is aiming for, via extending bond maturities by up to 10 years and by cutting coupon payments in initial years, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Friday.

   The finance ministry said on Friday night that restructuring talks were accelerating and the two sides would hold a teleconference on June 5 to assess progress after "intensified talks" between advisers in London.

S. Korea, US stage major joint anti-submarine exercise

   (AFP) --- South Korea and the United States kicked off a major anti-submarine drill on Monday, weeks after North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

   The three-day exercise, aimed at tackling provocations by North Korean submarines, is being conducted off the southern island of Jeju, the South's defence ministry said.

   "This is the largest joint anti-submarine exercise the allies have ever staged, in terms of its scale and the number of vessels involved," a ministry spokesman told AFP.

   The exercise involves more than 10 ships, including a South Korean Aegis destroyer, as well as submarines, surveillance planes and helicopters, he said.

   Separately, South Korean artillery units, naval ships and jet fighters conducted a joint live-fire drill off the east coast of Goseong county, just south of the border with North Korea, the ministry said.

   The drills come amid growing concern over the expansion of the North's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

   As well as the SLBM test, Pyongyang recently boasted of its ability to miniaturise a nuclear warhead to fit on high-precision, long-range rockets.

   Experts question such claims, but broadly agree that the North is moving ahead quickly with the development of both programmes.

   A fully developed SLBM capability would take the North Korean nuclear threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.