UN believes Donbas terrorists are Russian citizens, diplomat says

Yuriy Serheyev

President Poroshenko’s peace plan has generated a positive reaction at the United Nations and an appreciation that this step can help achieve peace and lead to dialogue, said Ukraine’s representative to the UN, Yuriy Serheyev, during an interview with Inter TV Channel, Sunday, June 22.

According to Serheyev, there is no chance that international representatives would take part in negotiations with representatives of terrorist organizations. One of the principles of the UN is “no dialogue with terrorists,” he pointed out.

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Russian army appropriates American logo

Russian Army’s new logo

The new logo for the “Army of Russia” was officially presented at a ceremony at the Alabino training range near Moscow, Saturday, June 21, reports Espreso TV, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Poroshenko speaks of war, peace plan, and rebuilding Donbas

 

Address of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, June 21, 2014

Dear Fellow Citizens

The Armed Forces have completed the most wide-ranging military operation in the recent history of our country. The army has taken control and has established a defensive system along most of the border with Russia in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. The forces of the Antiterrorist Operation (ATO) have freed a large number of populated areas from terrorists and have tightly encircled the extremist groups.

Donbas townspeople get rid of terrorists

Residents of the town of Shabelkivka, in the Donetsk Oblast, drove away armed militants and dismantled their checkpoint, reports Espreso TV, June 21, citing News of Donbas.

The townspeople asked the separatists-terrorists to leave Shabelkivka, which is near Kramatorsk, and to dismantle their illegally installed checkpoints, the residents told News of Donbas . However, the representatives of the militants from the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” refused to comply. The townspeople then got together and went unarmed to the checkpoint, dismantled it, and drove away the militants.

Moscow dislikes Poroshenko’s peace plan

Sergey Lavrov

Russia does not like the number of ultimatums in the peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Espreso TV, the publication reports, July 21.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, “many points in this plan look like ultimatums. ”

Armed militants attack Akhmetov’s mine

Saturday morning, June 21, unidentified armed men in armored personnel carriers and trucks with “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR) symbols broke into the territory of the DTEK Mine Komsomolets Donbasa (belonging to oligarch Rinat Akhmetov -Ed.), reports Ukrainska Pravda, citing the DTEK press service.

Under threat of arms, the intruders forced the employees in the administrative building to lie face down and turn off all mobile phones. At the time, there were some 700 people in the mine, the press service reports.

Russian tanks with Ukrainian markings massing at border

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has confirmed the presence of tanks on the Ukrainian-Russian border, reported Council spokesman Volodymyr Chepovyy.

Tanks with Ukrainian markings and people in Ukrainian military uniforms have been detected near the village of MIllerovo, in the Russian Federation, about 20 km from the Ukrainian-Russian border, Chepovyy said, June 21, at a press briefing, reports Tyzhden.ua. “The purpose could be to carry out provocations on Ukrainian or even Russian territory,” he said.

Russia blocking access to imprisoned film director

Oleh Sentsov

Russia is not allowing the Ukrainian side to contact and help the well-known Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who had been detained in Crimea by the Russian FSB (intelligence service) and then transferred to a prison in Moscow, reports the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) in Ukraine, June 20.

According to the PGO statement, “any attempt by competent authorities of our country to establish contact with our citizen and to ensure that he receives all available consular services guaranteed by international conventions are being blatantly ignored by authorities of the Russian Federation.”

Multiple Russian military units cross Ukrainian border

A column  of 7 Russian KAMAZ trucks is moving towards Slovyansk, announced Volodymyr Chepovyy, press spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council, at a press briefing on June 20, reports Ukrainska Pravda.

“ATO (antiterrorist) forces are responding to the movement of the column of unmarked Russian KAMAZ trucks with trailers on the Snizhne-Yampil-Slovyansk road in the Donetsk Oblast, said Chepovyy.

How Luhansk electricians became YouTube stars

Oleksandr Kruykov, Pavlo Pavlov with a friend

Despite all the military activity in the Luhansk Oblast, two local electricians are delighting  their internet community with unusual inventions, reports Espreso TV, citing the online publication AIN.

Luhansk natives Pavlo Pavlov and Oleksandr Kryukov were relaxing with friends one day by the river. Someone from the group decided to have some fun by throwing a used gas cylinder in the fire (it’s dangerous, but the explosion is loud). It was around that time that the idea for the YouTube channel “Creative Experiments” was born.. The channel, which is now almost two years old, has almost 19,000 paid subscribers, and its most popular videos attract some 200,000-300,000 views.