Kyiv, August 8, 2014 – «Next week international experts dealing with investigation of Boeing 777 aircraft crash will make a decision on when the second phase of the search works on the aircraft crash site is to start. The majority of the experts will leave Ukraine until the moment the decision is made, except for a small group of people needed for communication and coordination. Experts of the working group came to the conclusion that ceasefire regime at the area of the aircraft crash is not indispensable during the break between two investigation phases», – informed the colonel Andriy Lysenko, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council information center spokesman during his media briefing in Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Colonel Lysenko added that the order of the President of Ukraine on ceasefire in the area of the investigation operations is still effective. Ukrainian troops will not be conducting any combat activity within 20 kilometer zone from the tragedy scene.
Militants shot down a MIG-29 airplane of the 40th tactical air force brigade nearby Yenakiyevo. Pilot of the plane took his best effort to face off threat from residential quarters and only after that catapulted. The pilot is alive, search and rescue activities are being conducted. Yesterday at 18.40 pm terrorists engaged fire on air ambulance helicopter transporting the wounded from ATO area. «In compliance with any international law outshooting of such aircrafts is prohibited. They are marked with special signs which are impossible not to notice. The crew landed emergently. Three pilots were wounded, at present all of them are in medical facilities in the territory controlled by ATO forces. Weapons that had been used to shoot down the helicopter are supplied from Russia. Arms depot seized by our troops nearby Krasnohorivka is the evidence. Small man-held flame gun is a special trophy. It was made in Russian Federation. Information on the country of origin was abraded, but information on number and series of the weapon was preserve, as these are indelible», – stated Lysenko.
Yesterday NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen declared that NATO terminates its practical cooperation with the Russian Federation due to military aggression in Eastern regions of Ukraine. He also presumes that Ukraine may participate in NATO maneuvers in the nearest future.
White House press-secretary Josh Earnest stated that the U.S oppose establishing Russian military peacemaking prescriptive in Eastern regions of Ukraine. «He also emphasized that destabilizing actions on Russian side, such as illegal annexation of Crimea, alignment of forces along Russian-Ukrainian border and shifting heavy weapons from the Russian side across the border of Ukraine in order to support terrorists lead to the sanctions regime against the Russian Federation, launched by the USA and their allies and partners. He stated that destabilizing actions of the Russian Federation would result in further economic sanctions and political isolation of Russia», – added Andriy Lysenko.
Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen, in his turn, stressed upon the US government’s readiness to introduce additional sanctions against Russia in connection with the situation in Ukraine. He also emphasized the U.S capabilities in response to the restrictions introduced by the Russian Federation.
Yesterday during a telephone conversation the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel agreed on joint coordination of efforts in order to conduct top-level multilateral negotiations for the purposes of peaceful plan implementation and actions against European security threats.
Head of the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Norway Boerge Brende informed that the government of the country is planning to conduct consultation with the parliament in respect of joining new EU sanctions against Russia. «During last 24 hours three Russian banks asked Russian federal government for financial aid amounting to 200 billion roubles, in particular, “Rosselkhozbank” for 100 billion and “Vnyeshekonombank” for 60 billion. This fact is the evidence that the economic sanctions applied to the Russian Federation are working. “Gazprombank” is trying to sell its preference shares for the sum of 40 billion roubles», – informed National Security and Defense Council spokesman.
Besides, Canadian government sent to Ukraine the first batch of non-lethal military equipment yesterday to help Ukraine to protect its borders against Russian aggression. The aid is worth 5 million dollars. “The freight consists of helmets, night vision spectacles, bullet-proof vests, medical first-aid kits, tents and sleeping bags. As the Prime-minister of Canada emphasized on his official page, this shipment would become the first one out of the series of planned batches aimed at providing for security of Ukraine and its eastern borders», – added colonel Lysenko.
Today, on August 8, at the request of Lithuania, UN Security Council will hold a public session pertaining to the situation with human rights in Ukraine. The meeting will take place at 17.00 pm Kyiv time.
