Contents tagged with Donbas

  • Ukraine submits a claim against Russia to European Court of Human Rights over ‘aggression in the Donbas in 2014’

    Ukraine filed a legal claim with the European Court of Human Rights or ECHR as part of the lawsuit against Russia, which relates to the events in the Donbas in 2014, as stated by the Minister of Justice of Ukraine Pavlo Petrenko, Korrespondent.net reports. Petrenko explained that Kyiv filed a "big legal position" with testimonies of witnesses on the events in the Donbas in 2014. "The deadline ended a week ago. We made it in time," the minister said.

    Petrenko recalled that in early spring, …

  • LPR authorities admit it is impossible for some separatist fighters to obtain ‘passports’ in the 'republic'

    The Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) refuses to issue its passports to employees of the people’s militia who are registered in territory under Ukraine’s control, as stated by Dmitry Sidorov, a member of the People's Council of the LPR.

    "The servicemen of our people's militia are not provided with passports because they are registered as Ukrainian residents. Here, they do not have the opportunity to register because you can’t be registered in the rented apartment. These are our servicemen and we …

  • UN: Donbas has become the region with the most land mines in the world

    Donbas has become the region with the most land mines in the world, as stated at a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine by U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller.

    “Eastern Ukraine is facing problems with protection. It is rapidly becoming one of the region with the most land mines in the world, and if the problem is not resolved, it will stop the region’s development for many years to come. Demining and mine risk education are needed in all …

  • Ukrainian Ministry of Defense: Separatists trying to capture grey zone near Shyrokyne

    Pro-Russian separatists continue provocations and are trying to occupy the "grey zone" near the town of Shyrokyne in the Donetsk region, as reported on the Facebook page of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters’ press center.

    "The enemy regularly tests the strength of Ukrainian soldiers, regularly fires on our positions from large-caliber machine guns, and in the morning, have also fired mortars," the report said.

    A soldier from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vadym S., stated on TSN …

  • Speaker of Ukrainian government: the bill on the integration of the Donbas may be adopted in the next few weeks

    The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Parubiy, expects that the bill on the reintegration of the Donbas will be adopted by the deputies in the coming plenary weeks, as stated to journalists on Sunday in Shehyni, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

    "The forecasts are positive: this bill recognizes Russia as an aggressor country and I have positive feelings that there are enough patriots who will be able to vote in favor of this bill in the Ukrainian parliament," Parubiy stated.

    He also noted that …

  • Founder of DPR Borodai says that Ukrainian oligarch Akhmetov financed the separatist leader Khodakovsky in the spring of 2014

    One of the founders of the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) and Russian FSB (Federal Security Service) member Alexander Boroday, who supervised separatists at the initial stage of the conflict inn eastern Ukraine, discussed in an interview how Akhmetov had sponsored fighters from Alexander Khodakovsky’s Vostok battalion, journalist Denys Kazansky writes.

    "Khodakovsky was financed by Akhmetov. Once, he tried to bring me a suitcase with 0.5 million dollars. In front of witnesses. I returned this …

  • Media: At previous meeting with Surkov, Volker wanted to learn if Russia was ready to resolve the Donbas conflict

    On October 7, a meeting between the US Department of State's Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, and Russian Presidential Aide Vladislav Surkov took place in Belgrade. However, the details of the meeting had remained unknown- until now.

    The publication LB.ua, citing sources in diplomatic circles, has reported that the meeting itself consisted of three elements. First, lunch; further, a tête-à-tête, which lasted more than an hour; and, finally, communication with members of their …

  • Media: Ahead of meeting with Putin’s aide Surkov US representative Volker will visit Ukraine on October 27

    US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker will visit Ukraine next Friday, on October 27, Zerkalo Nedeli (the Mirror Weekly) reported with reference to a source in the Ukrainian government.

    According to the source, Volker will meet with the Ukrainian authorities before meeting with Putin’s advisor, Vladislav Surkov. The date of Volker and Surkov’s meeting has not yet been determined.

    While in Ukraine, Volker intends to take stock of the current situation.

    Ukrainian Ambassador to the …

  • Russia blocks OSCE placement at border stretch not controlled by Ukraine

    Russia has refused the expansion of the OSCE mission along the entire stretch of the border belonging to the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces which are temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian Government, Interfax-Ukraine reports. In connection with this decision, the Ukrainian delegation to the OSCE made a statement expressing deep disappointment in Russia’s sole refusal to give consent.

    “Such actions by Russia are evidence of a deliberate unwillingness to facilitate the de- …

  • Biletsky: Azov Battalion was removed from the front line in eastern Ukraine at Putin’s request

    The order to withdraw Azov regiment from Shyrokyne was given at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as stated by the founder and former commander of the Azov regiment, People's Deputy Andriy Biletsky in an interview with Apostrophe. He believes that the decision to remove Azov from the front line was directed against him personally and against the soldiers and argued that "this is a classic meanness" by the Ukrainian authorities.

    "This was a decision directed both against me and …