{"id":68782,"date":"2017-03-13T21:28:50","date_gmt":"2017-03-13T21:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=53620"},"modified":"2017-03-14T21:21:46","modified_gmt":"2017-03-14T19:21:46","slug":"53620-weekly-ukrainian-media-digest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/53620-weekly-ukrainian-media-digest","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Ukrainian media digest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weekly Ukrainian media digest, March 7-13, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

Situation in the combat zone<\/strong><\/p>\n

Avdiivka. <\/strong>On March 11<\/a> resulting from hostile attacks, overhead power line got damaged yet again. It interrupted power supply in the city itself, at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant and at the Donetsk water filtration station. The two industrial facilities are responsible for supplying the city with water and heat. On March 12, Avdiivka came under Grad fire<\/a>. In the morning on March 13 Russia-backed militants provided a written guarantee to cease fire<\/a> so that repair works may take place. Later on repair works commenced on both sides of the contact line, Ukraine\u2019s Ministry on the affairs of the occupied territories and of internally displaced persons reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

OSCE<\/strong>.<\/strong> Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Alexander Hug reported<\/a> that the security situation in eastern Ukraine last week deteriorated. \u201cThere was a 230 percent increase in the recorded use of proscribed weapons last week, compared to the previous week,\u201d Hug said. OSCE SMM has recorded 86 civilian casualties<\/a> in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the year, 16 of them were fatalities.<\/p>\n

Life in \u201cDPR\u201d and \u201cLPR\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mercenaries in \u201cDPR\u201d. <\/strong>In an interview to a Russian TV channel former \u201cDefense Minister\u201d of the \u201cDPR\u201d Igor Girkin (Strelkov) spoke<\/a> about the current composition of the militant groups in Donbas. He said there are no more \u201crebels\u201d in eastern Ukraine. All the fighters in the areas that the government does not control are mercenaries, they are paid 15 thousand rubles (up to 250 euro) per month.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Death of a militant leader. <\/strong>One of the \u201cDPR\u201d founders Vladimir Makovych died in Donetsk<\/a> on March 12. According to preliminary information he died from a heart attack. Makovych came into the spotlight in 2014 when he was publicly reading the so-called \u201cdeclaration on the \u2018DPR\u2019 sovereignty\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Impunity for foreign mercenaries fighting in the occupied territories. <\/strong>In addition to the Russian citizens, mercenaries from<\/a> Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Belarus, France, Italy and other countries are fighting on the militant side in eastern Ukraine. Recently Ukraine\u2019s Security Service eliminated the channel for recruitment<\/a> of foreign mercenaries to the \u201cLPR\u201d as well as detained a Brazilian militant<\/a>. According to the Slovak journalist Tomas Forro, among the mercenaries in Ukraine\u2019s east are the nationalists who support Russia, supporters of the left-wing ideas wishing to live in the Soviet Union restored by Russia as well as combat veterans who cannot live without fighting and are taking part in the armed conflicts across the globe. The journalist said he is not sure whether the states the citizens of which are fighting against Ukraine are doing their utmost to hold them liable after they are back home.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How \u201cDPR\u201d residents travel abroad. <\/strong>After Ukrainian tourist operators lost market in the occupied part of Donetsk region it was retaken by the big Russian tourist operators offering trips abroad with departure from Russia<\/a>. The companies are offering tours to almost any destination with departure from Rostov. The prices are average for the Russian market but still too high for many locals of Ukraine\u2019s occupied areas.<\/p>\n

Result of the first round of court hearings in The Hague: what you need to know<\/strong><\/p>\n

First court hearings pertaining to Ukraine\u2019s lawsuit against Russia at UN\u2019s International Court of Justice (ICJ) took place on March 6-9. During its speech on March 6, Ukrainian side called upon the ICJ<\/a> to make Russia stop financing of militants, supply of weapons and equipment to them as well as training of militant groups in Donbas.<\/p>\n

On the second day of the hearings the Russian side presented its arguments<\/a>. On the last day, Russia said that Ukrainian side has no particular proof that Russia is supplying weapons to the militants<\/a>. At the same time, Kremlin claimed that Russia will recognize the Court\u2019s decision<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In an interview, Deputy Head of Ukraine\u2019s Foreign Affairs Ministry Olena Zerkal, said that Ukraine might file a new lawsuit<\/a> against Russia.<\/p>\n

Political scientist Mykhailo Basarab noted<\/a> that the case might be considered for years. However, Ukraine counts on the ICJ decision that will suggest particular tools to de-escalate the conflict in Donbas and will, namely, help stop Russia from supplying the weapons in the areas in question. There is hope that respective decisions will come in the nearest months.<\/p>\n

Crimea: \u201cnationalization\u201d reached Akhmetov\u2019s companies in the occupied peninsula?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The process of seizure (or so-called \u201cnationalization<\/a>\u201d in the Russian narrative) held in Crimea by the Russian authorities, reached the assets of the Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov. Since the start of the week, temporary administration was introduced at the two biggest plants of Kerch \u2013 the metallurgic and the railway switch plants. According to the de-facto Crimean authorities the plant that was controlled by Ukrainian owners was now passed to the state property.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Representatives of Akhmetov\u2019s company have not commented on the situation yet. To remind, in the beginning of March Russia-backed militants started seizing remaining Ukraine-managed plants operating in the occupied areas. Some<\/a> of the \u201cnationalized\u201d plants are owned by Akhmetov.<\/p>\n

Judicial reform: who are the judges?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s civil society keeps following the reform progress and analyzing the results. Profiles of one third<\/a> of all the applicants to the positions of judges in the Supreme Council of Justice do not correspond to the integrity criteria. These are the results that the civic initiative \u201cCHESNO\u201d (honestly) got through analyzing the candidates\u2019 profiles. The experts have analyzed profiles of all the 44 applicants to the positions of the Supreme Council of Justice members to discover that 16 of them are not in line with the established criteria. The candidates were checked against the non-involvement into adoption of illegal decisions, human rights violation, transparency of assets and coherence of the lifestyle with the assets declared, professional expertise, non-involvement into corrupt acts as well as the violation of the judicial code of conduct.<\/p>\n

Selection of dishonest candidates to the Supreme Council of Justice is a threat to the judicial reform. Activists noted that the six members of the Council to be elected on March 14-15 constitute approximately one third. If dishonest judges will get to the Supreme Council of Justice, the entire judicial reform is at risk.<\/p>\n

Culture: will performance in the annexed Crimea black-list the Russian participant of the Eurovision?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Russia has nominated<\/a> the musician to represent the country at the Eurovision-2017 in Ukraine. Yuliya Samoylova has got disability and is moving in a wheelchair. Activists of the \u201cVidsich\u201d movement quoting the information from the singer\u2019s page on the social network pointed at<\/a> the fact that she performed in the occupied Crimea back in 2015. According to the activists it stands not only as a gesture of support to the Russian aggression in Ukraine but is a violation of the established procedure of entry to the occupied Crimea. Activists demand that Ukraine\u2019s Security Service bans Samoylova from entering Ukraine. Security service spokesperson Olena Hitlyanska noted<\/a> that the agency is checking the information and is to provide an answer that will not be politically motivated. Some social media users assume that Russia expected Samoylova to be banned from entry to Ukraine and chose a person with disability on purpose in order to create a scandal.<\/p>\n

Sports: Svitolina named best tennis player of February<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Tennis Association named Ukrainian Elina Svitolina the best tennis player of February. Over the month, Svitolina did not lose a single game, had 13 victories in a row, won two tournaments (in Taipei and Dubai) and entered the top-10 list of international tennis players as well as helped the Ukrainian team win against the Australian counterparts at the Australia\u2019s Fed Cup.<\/p>\n

Svitolina left behind the French tennis player Kristina Mladenovic and the Czech tennis player Karolina Plishkova (by getting 63 per cent of votes against the 27 and 10 per cent respectively).<\/p>\n

Our selection of English-language materials by Ukrainian media<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reportage<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201dUkraine has began the legal fight\u201d<\/a> – The Day<\/p>\n

\u201dHead of EU Delegation to Ukraine names terms of holding elections in Donbas\u201d <\/a>\u00a0– UNIAN<\/p>\n

\u201dUN warns of possible threat of chemical disaster in eastern Ukraine\u201d<\/a> – UNIAN<\/p>\n

\u201dEarly separatist leader dies in Donetsk\u201d<\/a> \u2013 Livy Bereh<\/p>\n

\u201dHow the Ukrainian army has changed since 2014\u201d<\/a> – Hromadske International<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Interview <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201dHow to nationalize foreign policy?\u201d<\/a> \u2013 \u00a0The Day\u2019s interview with MP Hanna Hopko<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Opinion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201dMagic coal mines and Russian vow of silence\u201d<\/a> \u2013 column of UNIAN\u2019s Roman Tsymbalyuk on Russia\u2019s defense in The Hague<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Analytical materials <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201dUkraine vs Russia at ICJ\u00a0explained”<\/a><\/em> \u2013 Hromadske International<\/p>\n

\u201dUkrainian interest. Attack in The Hague, Transatlantic Klimkin, and “Law and Justice” vs Tusk\u201d<\/a> \u2013 UNIAN\u2019s weekly analytical digest<\/p>\n

\u201dBlack Sawn. Second Take\u201d<\/a> \u2013 Livy Bereh analyzes Nasirov\u2019s case<\/p>\n

\n\t\n\t\t\"\"\t\t\n\t\t\tView Gallery<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t10 images\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/figure>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Weekly Ukrainian media digest, March 7-13, 2017 Situation in the combat zone Avdiivka. On March 11 resulting from hostile attacks, overhead power line got damaged yet again. It interrupted power supply in the city itself, at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant and at the Donetsk water filtration station. The two industrial facilities are responsible […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":68783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[705,748],"tags":[],"section":[743],"form":[800],"yoast_head":"\nWeekly Ukrainian media digest | UACRISIS.ORG<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Weekly Ukrainian media digest, March 7-13, 2017 Situation in the combat zone Avdiivka. 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