Contents tagged with Ukraine

  • Ukrainian President orders to implement NATO compliant army management system by the end of the year

    During a meeting with the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada and the Government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had ordered the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to implement defense forces management system compliant with NATO standards by the end of 2019, reports the press service of the Ukrainian President.

    It is also noted that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry should create new law enforcement body - the Military Police.

    "The [Ukrainian] President also considers it necessary for …

  • Canada to supply batch of sniper rifles to Ukraine

    Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar said in an interview with Ukrinform news outlet that Ottawa and Kyiv are finalizing documents for the shipment of the Canadian sniper rifles to Ukraine.

    "The processing of documents for the supply of sniper rifles is in the final stage. The delay was not from the Canadian side, but from the partners supplying the components. We hope, in the next few days or weeks, these weapons will be in Ukraine. It will also help open the doors for further …

  • Russia refuses to hand over Ukrainian naval boats captured in the Kerch Strait

    Ukraine must “publicly acknowledge its provocation” before Russia will give back the naval vessels it captured near the Kerch Strait, said Sergey Tsekov, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, as cited by TASS.

    “Ukraine, as far as I know, still has not publicly acknowledged the fact of its provocation in the Kerch Strait. I think that’s exactly what they should have done. And afterwards, they could talk about property,” Tsekov remarked.

    He said that the ships could still “be of interest to …

  • Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Russia has set new precondition for Normandy summit

    Russia is demanding to harmonize a document that will serve as the outcome of the Normandy Format summit, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said at a press conference, as cited by RBC-Ukraine.

    He pointed out that in September there were only two demands: approval of the so-called Steinmeier Formula, and the disengagement of forces along three stretches of the demarcation line.

    “We are now completing the third stretch, and the Russian party is starting to talk about a document which …

  • Estonia voices support for Ukraine joining EU and NATO

    Estonia is in favor of Ukraine joining the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu at a press conference.

    “Estonia is the devoted friend of the Ukrainians, and fully supports [Ukraine] joining the political family of the European Union and NATO on the basis of objective reforms and transformation in the country,” the minister said.

    He added that Estonia will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea and the eastern …

  • Ukraine to start withdrawal of forces in Petrivske on November 8

    The withdrawal of forces along the third, Petrivske-Bohdanivka stretch is scheduled to begin on November 8, as long as there are no ceasefire violations over the course of the week, said Volodymyr Kravchenko, Commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation, at a press conference, as cited by Ukrinform.

    “We have already submitted a letter to the OSCE. On the 7th (of November) we will begin, and on the 8th we will effectively withdraw, if there is no breach of the silence regime,” he said.

    At the …

  • Ukraine tests S-125 Pechora surface-to-air missile system against sea targets

    The surface-to-air missiles that were launched successfully destroyed a target ship in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian Navy said in a press release. According to the report, the tests were done at the Yahorlyk Test Range in the Kherson region. The two launched S-125 surface-to-air missiles destroyed a decommissioned Ukrainian naval vessel, which served as the target. The tests were declared successful. “During the combat launches, the missiles launched from the S-125 system destroyed a surface …

  • Ukraine invents supersonic missile that ‘cannot be shot down’

    Ukrainian engineers at the Dnipro-based Yuzhnoye Design Office have unveiled the Bliskavka (“lightning”) supersonic missile, which they claim is virtually “impossible to shoot down”, Dnipro Panorama reports.

    The designers presented the missile at the Weaponry and Security 2019 exhibition. They claim that the missile has a speed of 2,000-2,500 km/h. It will be used by the Su-27 and Su24M aircraft in Ukraine’s Air Force. Only minimal equipment modifications will be required to install them. The …

  • Finland promises Ukraine €600,000 for mine clearance in Donbas

    “Eastern Ukraine is one of the most mine-polluted conflict zones in the world. We are preparing an additional €600,000 [assistance] package for mine clearance,” Interfax-Ukraine cites Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto as saying.

    The minister promised to allocate the funds to Kyiv during a visit to the conflict region. A Finnish delegation led by Foreign Minister Haavisto visited disengagement section No. 1 in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation headquarters announced on …

  • Media: NATO refuses Stoltenberg's meeting with released Ukrainian sailors to avoid irritating Russia

    Ukraine proposed to organize a meeting of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg with Ukrainian sailors released from Russia in Odessa, but the NATO rejected the proposal, reports Mirror Weekly news outlet, citing its sources.

    According to the publication, France turned out to be the primary opponent, not wanting to irritate Russia with a meeting that, according to Paris, could "disrupt the peace process and negatively affect the preparation for the Normandy Four negotiations."

    Stoltenberg …