Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

Wondering if maybe these forces will have to go home soon? Amazing that they are still involved in humanitarian service, even with all that is going on in their own country.



Ukrainian National contingent servicemen awarded with UN medals In the Service for Peace

CONGO – Fifty-five Ukrainian servicemen of the Bunia camp of the 18th Detached Helicopter Unit (DHU) are awarded with the United Nations medals In the Service for Peace.

“We’ve been working for 8 months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and we can evaluate our job. We’ve done a lot. Due to joint efforts, we’ve managed to transform a small camp in the maintenance operations base. There are permanently two Mi-24 helicopters here. We improve security system, ensure territory equipment. I thank all the personnel for perfect task accomplishment,” Col. Andriy Kohut, Commander of DHU, stressed.

He awarded the servicemen with the United Nations medals In the Service for Peace.

[Natalka]

Japan imposes new sanctions on Russia


TOKYO, April 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Japanese government has imposed additional sanctions on Russia Tuesday over current situation around Ukraine. The sanctions envisage temporary termination of issuing entry visas for 23 officials of Russian official agencies and other people. Their list will be made public later.

These sanctions are introduced to fulfill joint decisions which the leaders of seven leading highly industrialized countries had taken.

http://en.itar-tass.com/world/729887

[Mia001]

F18 planes leaving Bagotville military basis this moring for Romania (NATO basis i think) to assist as NATO member in Ukraine

i think we are strongly close to WW3

[Natalka]

Shot Kharkiv mayor to Israel for treatment

KIEV, April 29. /ITAR-TASS /. Kharkiv mayor Gennady Kernes, who was critically wounded, has been brought to Israel for treatment overnight to Tuesday, according to spokesperson for Kharkiv city council Irina Kutsenko. She said that late at night on April 28, Israeli physicians arrived and strongly recommended to transfer Kernes to Israel for medical treatment.

After the surgery, Kernes was in the A.I. Meshchaninov emergency hospital of Kharkiv in a critical condition. According to Director of the Kharkiv Institute for General and Emergency Surgery Valery Boiko, he has severe damages of thoracic organs, abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space. “The surgery that we made was of intensive care character. We have suppressed the hemorrhage and corrected vital functions. The condition of the patient is critical, close to very severe,” Boiko said.

---
Parliament-appointed interim President and Verkhovna Rada Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov instructed the Interior Ministry and Ukraine’s State Security Service “to immediately conduct an investigation of the assassination attempt on Kharkiv mayor Gennady Kernes and report the results”.

Parliament-appointed interim President and Verkhovna Rada Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov instructed the Interior Ministry and Ukraine’s State Security Service “to immediately conduct an investigation of the assassination attempt on Kharkiv mayor Gennady Kernes and report the results”.

[Natalka]

Pro-Russia activists seize Luhansk HQ

A large crowd of pro-Russian separatists has stormed the regional administration's headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk.
A few dozen men (or hundreds, depending upon reports), some reportedly armed with metal bars, smashed windows and doors to break into the building.

They may also try to take over the local television center.

Pro-Russian separatists had previously occupied only the local security services' building in Luhansk, which they took in early April.

[gryphon]

It was Russian territory....until the US government bought it.

And how long till Putin claims it was just leased to the US and belongs to Russia again?

[Anna Michele]

And how long till Putin claims it was just leased to the US and belongs to Russia again?

Since 1867 maybe some statute of limitations would stop that from even being an option. Although I wouldnt put it past him. I hope not too close to home

Sent from my GT-S7560M using Tapatalk

[Natalka]

Address of Acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov to the nation

Events in the East of our country have demonstrated the inaction, helplessness, and sometimes the criminal betrayal of members of our law enforcement agencies in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

This is one of the main reasons for the low effectiveness and lack of results of Ukrainian law enforcement in the struggle against terrorism.

This is hard to admit, but it is true. The vast majority of law enforcement officials in the East are not capable of fulfilling their obligations to protect our citizens.

In Donetsk and Luhansk, new heads of the SBU (Security Service) have already been designated. The leadership of the special force “Alpha” has been completely replaced.

I am also demanding that the Minister of the Interior dismiss heads of the oblast departments of the Ministry of the Interior in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. All the representatives of the police structures in place who are incapable of performing their professional duties will be dismissed. These so-called “law enforcement” members who betrayed Ukraine and began cooperating with terrorists will be responsible before the law.

The situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts has shown that we have no other choice than to carry out a complete renewal of the police and the Security Service in the East of the country. Those units that surrendered to terrorists without resistance are incapable of protecting the lives and safety of people and to take effective measures to prevent the terrorist threat. They must be completely replaced.


http://euromaidanpr.com/2014/04/29/p...ine/#more-7947

[Natalka]

A mass fight between the self-defence troops and the participants of "torch run" took place near one of the barricades on Maidan in Kyiv on Tuesday evening, April 29.

The activists wanted to go from the building of Kyiv City Council though Maidan up to Instytutska Street, however, they were stopped by the self-defense of Maidan. The activists wore balaclavas and refused to take them off when asked to do so by Maidan's self-defence.

As reported by Hromadske.tv several persons have been injured.

[Natalka]

New EU sanctions target separatists and their Russian military sponsors as Moscow threatens American astronauts on ISS


The European Union has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on 15 people including Russia's deputy prime minister, the chief of staff of Russian armed forces and the head of the country's military intelligence service. Pro-Russian separatists in East Ukraine have also been targeted with sanctions, triggering threats over the fate of six Western military observers who are being held captive in the town of Slavyansk.

Amid continued EU divisions over sanctions after the US hit business oligarchs and companies close to Vladimir Putin's inner circle, Germany was embarrassed after Gerhard Schroeder, a former German chancellor, was photographed embracing the Russian president.

The latest list, which takes the number of people targeted by European sanctions to 48, includes Dmitry Rogozin, the Russian deputy prime minister who is charged by the EU with being "responsible for overseeing the integration of the annexed autonomous Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation".



Following the announcement, Mr Rogozin said that fresh US sanctions against Moscow could compromise US astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS).


"If their aim is to deliver a blow to Russia's rocket-building sector, then by default, they would be exposing their astronauts on the ISS," the Interfax news agency quoted Mr Rogozin as saying in Crimea.



As the sanctions list was published in Brussels, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, the self-declared mayor of the separatist-held town in eastern Ukraine, warned that he would not negotiate the release of the observers unless the EU dropped new sanctions against pro-Russian rebel leaders in Donetsk and the Dombass region of Ukraine.

v
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10795372/Ukraine-crisis-EU-sanctions-target-separatists-and-Russian-spies.html

[GrowingStrong]

Putin already said he doesn't care about the sanctions... And this Rogozin is crazy, he said Russia will colonize moon.. lol

[Natalka]

Special tactical exercises have been planned in Kyiv for the night of April 30 to May 1 Columns of military equipment will move in city as part of the exercise.

Acting President Oleksander Turchynov said the Armed Forces of Ukraine are on full combat alert in response to the threat of a Russian attack.

Ukraine has started forming territorial defense units
Earlier today, Turchynov ordered the creation of territorial defense units (battalions) in every region of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defense will form territorial defense units in all regions of Ukraine to protect national borders and strategic sites, as well as to support public administrations.


“The mobilized parts have already been sent to training centers to pass military training, where they are refreshing their skills, performing training exercises in fire training, driving combat vehicles, engaging in topographic, engineering, and other kinds of military training, learning their responsibilities,” reported the press service of the Ministry of Defense on April 30, 2014.


Sergei Pashinsky, acting Presidential Administration Head, stated that seven territorial defense battalions have been formed on the left bank of Ukraine. Additional mobilization has also been announced.


The Acting Presidential Administration Head also said that 27 additional special operations police battalions are in process of forming in Ukraine, including five special operations police battalions in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions numbering up to 3000 people.

http://euromaidanpr.com/2014/04/30/s...to-may-1-2014/

[Natalka]

May. 01 2014



Canada sending frigate to join NATO in eastern Europe

Canada is deploying a warship to help reassure NATO allies anxious over the crisis in Ukraine as Ottawa deepens this country’s military commitment to standing up to Russian aggression in Europe.


Three members of the Canadian Armed Forces have also taken the helm of an international military observation team in Ukraine tasked with investigating the eroding security situation there.

Canada’s investment in the Ukraine crisis now includes the frigate HMCS Regina, six CF-18 fighter jets, one heavy lift plane, two Airbus transports and an estimated 250 military personnel in Romania

The HMCS Regina is currently deployed in the Arabian Sea and will join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Standing Maritime Forces “as part of NATO’s reassurance package,” the Canadian government said Wednesday.

“Planning is currently under way and we are awaiting direction from NATO and our allies on how the HMCS Regina will be employed,” said Johanna Quinney, press secretary for National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle18343817/

Canada to lead observer mission

DONETSK, Ukraine — Canada is stepping into the increasingly tense showdown between Kyiv and Moscow over the future of eastern Ukraine by taking over leadership of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s military observer mission in the central European country.


Three Canadians from the Directorate of Arms Control Verification are to lead a nine-member team, Defense Minister Rob Nicholson said in a statement released Wednesday. The other members will come from Ukraine, France, Moldova and the U.S.

It is the first time that Canada has led such a mission. Its job will be to monitor the deteriorating security situation across Ukraine until May 11.


“This mission constitutes a strong show of support to Ukraine and is a concrete demonstration of Canada’s commitment to the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Nicholson said in a statement.
Canada’s participation “as lead inspectors constitute a concrete contribution to mitigating the crisis using existing arms control mechanisms,” said Maj.-Gen. Michael Hood, who is director of the strategic joint staff in Ottawa. “They possess the necessary training and experience to undertake missions of this nature.”

Where the Canadian-led team will conduct inspections has not yet been decided. They have been invited in by Ukraine because of “concerns of unusual military activity in the region,” a Department of National Defence statement said. The OSCE is made up of 57 participating states, including all NATO allies.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04...egic-position/

[Natalka]

March for peace named “People for Peace” is now taking place in St. Petersburg, Russia.

People are holding Ukrainian f-l-a-g-s, placards “No to war”, “St. Petersburg is Europe”, “Putin is a very bad guy”, “For Democracy in Russia and Ukraine” etc. The activists also sang the national anthem of Ukraine.

12.05 Kyiv time, May 1, 2014



Sign above says "For friendship with Ukraine, for eurointegration of Russia"

[Natalka]

Ukraine reinstates conscription as crisis deepens

Ukraine's acting President Olexander Turchynov has reinstated military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in the east of the country.
The move, announced in a decree, came as pro-Russia militants seized the regional prosecutor's office in the eastern city of Donetsk.

Mr Turchynov admitted on Wednesday that his forces were "helpless" to quell the unrest in some parts of the east, saying the goal was now to prevent it from spreading.


He also said Ukraine was on "full combat alert", amid fears that Russian troops could invade.


On Thursday, his office said in a statement that conscription was being introduced "given the deteriorating situation in the east and the south... the rising force of armed pro-Russian units and the taking of public administration buildings... which threaten territorial integrity".


Analysts say Ukraine has 130,000 personnel in its armed forces that could be boosted to about one million with reservists.


Kiev scrapped compulsory military service for young men in late 2013 under a law introduced by then President Viktor Yanukovych.
At the time, Mr Yanukovych said Ukraine would introduce military reforms to create "a professional army".


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27247428


Police disarmed

In Donetsk on Thursday, pro-Russian militants attacked the prosecutor's office, accusing those inside of siding with the government in Kiev.


The crowd later forced its way into the building, stripping weapons and shields from police officers and raising the of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.