Contents tagged with Ukraine

  • Herashchenko: 113 Ukrainian prisoners are held by separatists in the Donbas

    Both servicemen and civilians are being held captive

    On the 6th of June, the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Iryna Herashchenko, reported that 113 Ukrainian citizens are still held captive by separatists supported by Russia in the Donbas, Radio Svoboda reports.

    "There are both servicemen and civilians. Separatists are trying to exchange the release of hostages for amnesty and are demanding that their leaders are pardoned.  They have not provided any information as to where the …

  • Ukraine wants to cease purchases of Russian military equipment components by 2018

    Ukraine plans to completely abandon the practice of purchasing military equipment and spare parts manufactured in Russia by 2018. These plans are outlined in the Strategic Defense Bulletin approved by the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, TASS reports.

    By the end of this year, Kiev also plans to adopt a law which will provide for a law enforcement body within the Ukrainian army. The new agency will be able to conduct pre-trial investigations of crimes committed by servicemen.

    By the end …

  • Savchenko proposes holding direct talks with separatist leaders

    During an interview with Radio Era, Nadiya Savchenko proposed holding direct talks with the leaders of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, RBC-Ukraine reported.

    Savchenko stressed that she wants “to find understanding with these people.”

    “We need to learn to forgive... not everything can be forgiven, but everything can be dealt with and backed up by the laws later,” Savchenko said.

    Savchenko outlined three steps to end the war in eastern Ukraine, including …

  • Russian Prosecutor General's office explains why it didn't extradite Yanukovych to Ukraine

    According to RBC, the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation confirmed its refusal of Ukraine’s request for the extradition of the former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, which had been received by the Russian authorities in February 2015.

    The petition for Yanukovych’s extradition was left without execution "by virtue of Article 3 of the European Convention on Extradition of 1957,” stated a response from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office. This article prescribes the …

  • Canadian Government to consider abolishing visas for Ukrainian citizens

    The Canadian government has received a petition calling to abolish short-term visas for Ukrainian citizens, Ukrinform reported.

    “E-petition e-33, submitted by the House of Commons, came today to the government,” a statement issued by the Canadian Parliament read.

    The petition to abolish visas for trips up to 90 days for Ukrainian citizens travelling to Canada was filed with the Parliament by a Canadian citizen of Ukrainian descent, Nikolai Kravets.

    The government has 45 days to prepare a …

  • Belarus refuses to sell globes with Russian Crimea

    In the city of Mogilev in Belarus, mapmakers withdrew the sale of globes that indicated that Crimea was a part of the Russian Federation. Local authorities advised against selling maps and globes showing a Crimean territorial status that differs from the one generally accepted by the international community.

    Initially, the appearance in stores of globes showing Crimea as a part of the Russian Federation drew the attention of the representative of the Belarusian opposition, Social-Democratic …

  • Ukrainian army to add Islamic military chaplains to their ranks

    Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Viktor Muzhenko met with the Mufti of the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Ukraine, Sheikh Said Ismagilov, and afterwards instructed officials to coordinate the activities of Muslim military chaplains, Krym.Realii reported.

    "The problem arose in connection with the imperfection of the regulatory legislation, which does not allow this category of military chaplains to fully carry out their pastoral work... …

  • The UN says it has reliable information about Russian troop movements in the Donbas

    The UN Representative for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, stated that the organization has reliable information about Russian troop movements in Ukraine, The Voice of America reports.

    “We have received credible reports of Russia’s military personnel movements across the border both to and from Ukraine. It contains heavy weapons as well. And the information is reliable,” the UN representative stated.

    Moreover, the UN report regarding the human rights situation in the Donbas states that about 2 …

  • Ukraine may receive next installment of IMF loan in July

    The final decision on granting Ukraine the next loan installment will be made by the IMF Board of Directors after analysis of the reforms and commitments made in June, the IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine, Jerome Vacher, said.

    "We will decide on it [whether to grant the tranche] not only according to the promises, but also, more importantly, on the actions taken towards reforms. We look at the policies that will be conducted next month. This is what we will evaluate, and on the basis of …

  • Security Service of Ukraine says attempt to transfer factory to Russia was stopped

    The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that it has foiled an attempt to dismantle and export equipment from the Kharkiv Tractor Plant (KTZ) to Russia.

    "According to an order by KTZ’s owners, the new General Director of the company appointed in March 2016 has is preparing to dismantle the foundry’s equipment for export to Russia. The technical and design documentation for the production plant was prepared to be smuggled abroad,” stated the report.

    The property of the plant and its …