Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

Canada imposes further economic sanctions against Russia over Ukraine crisis

Ottawa says it is imposing economic sanctions on 16 more Russian “entities” over that country’s actions in Ukraine.


Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement Sunday saying Russia’s “illegal occupation of Ukraine and provocative military activity” remains a serious concern.


Harper says the latest measures should increase the economic pressure on Russia and “those responsible for the crisis in Ukraine.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle18453563/

[Natalka]

May 04, 2014
Russians storm Odesa police station

Ukraine PM accuses Russia of engineering Odesa riots that killed more than 40 people

Pro-Russian militants stormed a Ukrainian police station in Odesa on Sunday and freed nearly 70 fellow activists as the prime minister blamed police corruption there for dozens of deaths in rioting on Friday.


"Russians won't abandon their own!" militants chanted as they smashed windows and broke down the gate at the compound, where comrades had been held since Friday's mayhem. Others shouted "Russia! Russia!" and "we will not forgive!"




In a separate development, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk accused Russia of engineering clashes in Odesa that led to the deaths of more than 40 pro-Russian activists in a blazing building on Friday.


Yatseniuk, speaking in Odesa on Sunday, criticized police forces in the Black Sea port city, suggesting they were more interested in the fruits of corruption than maintaining order. Had they done their job, he said, "these terrorist organizations would have been foiled."

"There were dozens of casualties resulting from a well-prepared and organized action against people, against Ukraine and against Odesa," Yatseniuk told representatives of social organizations.


He dismissed Russian accusations that his government was provoking bloodshed in the east with an operation to restore Kyiv's authority in a series of cities under rebel control.
"The process of dialogue had begun, only it was drowned out by the sound of shooting from automatic rifles of Russian production," he said.

On Sunday, authorities in Ukraine said government forces reclaimed a television tower during a security operation to quell pro-Russian rebel activity in the town of Kramatorsk.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine...ists-1.2631397

[Natalka]

Music and Politics

Eurovision - Europe's huge talent contest - has some controversy regarding voting this year. It's in Copenhagen, 37 countries are participating.

Crimea is posing a question as to voting.

"Since both countries claim the territory of Crimea, the question of who Crimea's votes are going to count for is crucial, " says Karen Fricker, a professor at Brock University in Ontario and a member of the Eurovision Research Network. "If Ukraine is in charge of the telephone networks in Crimea, Ukraine will get the votes. If Russia claims those telephone lines, it will claim the votes."

http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-05-0...est-has-become

a Eurovision spokesman said Friday that he expects votes from Crimea to still count as Ukrainian, allowing song-contest fans there to vote for Russia, despite the recent annexation. “If the people in Crimea remain on a Ukrainian mobile network, as they are now, their votes will count for Ukraine,” said Jarmo Siim.


But if authorities in Kiev or Moscow want to interfere, Mr. Siim suggested two ways in which they could do so. “If Ukrainian mobile operators decide to block traffic from Crimea, or if Russian operators make their services available in Crimea, their votes will count for Russia,” he said. “At this moment, it appears that they are still on the Ukrainian network, and we’re keeping an eye on it.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2014/0...y-the-numbers/



Ukraine's entry - Mariya Yaremchuk from Chernivtsi

[Anna Michele]

Crimea is posing a question as to voting.

"Since both countries claim the territory of Crimea, the question of who Crimea's votes are going to count for is crucial, " says Karen Fricker, a professor at Brock University in Ontario and a member of the Eurovision Research Network. "If Ukraine is in charge of the telephone networks in Crimea, Ukraine will get the votes. If Russia claims those telephone lines, it will claim the votes."

http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-05-0...est-has-become

a Eurovision spokesman said Friday that he expects votes from Crimea to still count as Ukrainian, allowing song-contest fans there to vote for Russia, despite the recent annexation. “If the people in Crimea remain on a Ukrainian mobile network, as they are now, their votes will count for Ukraine,” said Jarmo Siim.


But if authorities in Kiev or Moscow want to interfere, Mr. Siim suggested two ways in which they could do so. “If Ukrainian mobile operators decide to block traffic from Crimea, or if Russian operators make their services available in Crimea, their votes will count for Russia,” he said. “At this moment, it appears that they are still on the Ukrainian network, and we’re keeping an eye on it.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2014/0...y-the-numbers/[/QUOTE]

Well thats one way to do it

Sent from my GT-S7560M using Tapatalk

[Natalka]

Battle in Sloviansk: the servicemen have ambushed 800 militants

On the outskirts of Sloviansk the battle has begun between law carried Anti-Terrorism Operation and diversionists.
This was announced by Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, reports "Interfax-Ukraine". According to him, there are killed Ukrainian soldiers.

"The exact number of fatalities is now to be confirmed," said Avakov. He said that during the Anti-Terrorism Operation ambush of the terrorists was exposed. They were well armed, including mortars armament. "In the morning the ATO squad revealed ambush of a combat group of terrorists. They used weapons, fired with heavy weapons, used mortars and other equipment, "said Avakov.

He said the injured are from both sides, the number of victims from the Ukrainian side is up to 8 people.
The Minister also clarified that the battle began in 10:45.
According to him, the Ukrainian forces confront about 800 people.
Near the place of battle alarm bells are tolled and siren alert enabled to warn the civilians.

-----

Pro-Russian militants just outside Sloviansk have retreated amid attacks by Ukrainian troops, reports say.
Government forces took control of a TV tower in the suburbs and rebels were pulled back deeper into the city, the Russian Interfax news agency said.
Earlier reports told of heavy gunfire, apparently closer to the centre than in recent days.

Four Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 30 injured in an incident in Sloviansk, the interior ministry said.


Separatist armoured vehicles and a number of rebels were seen in retreat

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27280814

[Natalka]

Dnipropetrovsk holds march for unity

In Dnipropetrovsk before the Ukrainian Premier League soccer match between the Dnipro and Karpaty teams on Sunday, May 4, some three thousand fans gathered to walk together through the center of the city, shouting slogans against Russian aggression and for the unity of Ukraine, reports TV channel 5.ua.

The march began with a moment of silence in memory of those killed in clashes in Odesa on May 2. Participants carried the national s of Ukraine and chanted “Heroes do not die,” “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!,” “East and West together,” “Odesa,” “Putin is a thief” and performed the famous chant Putin ***lo. (swear, translated to nickname for Richard in English)


Many participants in the march as well as spectators in the stadium during the match wore embroidered shirts. Before and after the game the entire stadium performed the national anthem of Ukraine, with most of those present singing.

[Natalka]

Radioactive substance seized by Ukraine’s security service

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained 9 individuals in the Chernivtsi Oblast who had in their possession a radiation emitting substance they suspect to be uranium-235, weighing almost 1.5 kg., reports the press service of the Security Service, May 5.


The 9 individuals were detained on April 30. According to preliminary information, they include citizens of Ukraine and one citizen of the Russian Federation.


The hazardous substance was brought into the territory of Ukraine from Transnistria in a car with foreign license numbers. The radioactive substance was stored in a homemade container.


Based on information received during the preliminary investigation, SBU cannot rule out that that the purpose of the detained group was the creation of a “dirty” bomb and its use during mass events in southeastern Ukraine in order to destabilize the social and political situation in the country,” the SBU reports.
The investigation is ongoing.

-----------

(this is very, very scary to me -n)

[Natalka]

Pro-Russian militiants carry an man with his eyes covered outside the regional state building they seized in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on May 5, 2014. Russia warned on May 5 that Europe's peace was at risk over the escalating crisis in Ukraine, where deadly fighting raged around a flashpoint eastern city and the interim president warned of "war".

Ukraine sends elite force to key port of Odessa

ODESSA, Ukraine — Ukraine sent an elite national guard unit to re-establish control over the southern port city of Odessa on Monday and troops fought pitched gunbattles with a pro-Russia militia that had seized an eastern city.


The twin moves reflected an apparent escalation of efforts to bring both regions back under Kyiv’s control. The possible loss of Odessa in the southwest and parts of eastern Ukraine could be catastrophic for the new government, leaving the country landlocked, cut off entirely from the Black Sea.

Gunfire and multiple explosions rang out Monday in and around Slovyansk, a city of 125,000 that has become the focus of the armed insurgency against the new interim government in Kyiv.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05...a-four-killed/

[Natalka]

Ukrainian authorities set up roadblocks around the capital, Kiev, as a preventive measure ahead of an important national holiday, Ukraine’s acting president said Monday.

In a statement on his official Web site, Oleksandr Turchynov said the extra security is a precaution against possible “provocations” by pro-Russian separatists ahead of Victory Day on Friday.

The May 9 holiday marks Nazi Germany’s capitulation to Soviet forces in World War II and has long been celebrated with patriotic fervor by Russians, Ukrainians and other nationalities that formed the old Soviet Union.

Ukrainians worry that the holiday could inflame passions among pro-Russian separatists.

Much more info here -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...72c_story.html

[Natalka]

Happening now: Sky Soldiers from 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade are jumping outside Krakow, Poland with Canadian paratroopers from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry . They will meet NATO allies from the 6 Brygada Powietrznodesantowa im. gen. bryg. Stanisława Sosabowskiego to conduct training over the next week.

[Natalka]

For the first time in Ukrainian history, during official events dedicated to the anniversary of the ending of Wold War II, this year not Russian, but European symbols will be used. In order to commemorate those fallen, not the St. George’s Ribbon, but the red poppy flower will be used.

“We propose a new symbol as a presentation of our respect for those who destroyed nazism. This will be the red poppy flower – both a European and a Ukrainian symbol. In it said in our songs that poppies bloom where Cossack blood had been spilt,” noted the director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory Volodymyr Vyatrovich.

The logo also contains the motto “Never again,” as it is in our power to prevent the repeat of the horrors of war, and the years of warfare: 1939-1945.

Official events in commemoration of the ending of War World II in Europe and victory over nazism will be conducted on May 8th and 9th. And on May 9th the memory of those fallen in the fight against nazism will be commemorated in the Park of Eternal Glory and on St. Sophia’s Square.



(St. George's ribbon was from the times of Imperialist Russia, the highest military decoration. It was always used for commemoration of WWII, but in Ukraine has been associated with the pro-Russian and separatist movement.)

[Natalka]

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

30 pro-Russian insurgents, 4 troops killed in Ukraine fighting



DONETSK, Ukraine -- Thirty pro-Russia insurgents and four government troops have been killed during operations to expunge anti-government forces around a key eastern city, Ukraine's interior minister reported Tuesday.


In the southwest, Kyiv authorities also attempted to reassert control over the key Black Sea region of Odessa by appointing a new governor there.


Interior Minister Arsen Avakov gave the death toll on his Facebook page Tuesday, adding that 20 government troops were also injured during fighting in Slovyansk, a city of 125,000. It was not exactly clear when the deaths took place. Gunbattles around the city Monday were the interim government's most ambitious effort to date to quell weeks of unrest in Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking east.


Avakov said Monday about 800 pro-Russia forces in and around Slovyansk were deploying large-calibre weapons and mortars and there were injured on both sides.
By Tuesday morning, Ukrainian forces had taken hold of a key checkpoint north of the city, dealing a blow to insurgent lines of communication. The checkpoint had come under repeated attack since the government offensive began.


In Donetsk, a major city 120 kilometres south of Slovyansk, international flights were suspended Tuesday. The Donetsk airport said the cancellations followed a government order.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/30-pro-r...ting-1.1807990

[Natalka]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, meets with General Philip Breedlove, Commander of U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Prime Minister Stephen Harper accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of mounting a “slow-motion” invasion of Ukraine as NATO’s supreme commander warned that the international community’s military posture needs to strike the balance between resolve and not appearing provocative.

Harper’s latest broadside against the Russian leader came Monday in Ottawa at the start of talks with U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove, the western alliance’s operational commander in Europe.


“We are obviously concerned by the continuing escalation of violence in Ukraine, which to me very much appears to be clearly what I would call a slow-motion invasion on the part of the Putin regime,” Harper said as Breedlove nodded his agreement in the prime minister’s Langevin Block office.


Breedlove is embarking on two days of talks with Canadian political and military leaders just as heavy clashes erupt between Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces in Ukraine’s eastern region.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05...er-tells-nato/

[Anna Michele]

So sad that so many lives are being taken when it could have been handled so very differently

[Natalka]

in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast -- the central road is blocked, tires are burning near the city council that was seized by separatists,

The events are a result of the Anti-terrorist operation taking place in cities under control of separatists. There are reports of one dead and three injured.

Earlier, a shootout happened in the vicinity of the military base at the Mariupol airport. People dressed in black and camoue shot at several cars.







The next few days could prove decisive: separatists in the eastern Donbass region say they will hold a referendum on secession on Sunday May 11, similar to the one that preceded Russia's annexation of Crimea.


The U.S. State Department denounced any attempt at a vote as "bogus" and promised more sanctions if Russia used it, as in Crimea, to send in forces or annex more territory: "This is the Crimea playbook all over again," a spokeswoman said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A400LI20140506