Ukraine records 804 coronavirus cases
Ukraine’s Health Ministry on April 2 said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had reached 804, including 20 deaths. Thirteen people have recovered. Meanwhile, a second transport of medical equipment arrived in Kyiv from China on March 29. The plane carrying 300,000 respirators, 35,000 protection suits and 1.8 million surgical masks landed at Boryspil airport, said Kirill Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine. The emergency situation declared by Ukraine’s government remains in effect and has been extended through April 24. (RFE/RL)
107 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kyiv
In Kyiv, there are 107 confirmed coronavirus cases, Mayor Vitali Klitschko told reporters on April 1. Mr. Klitschko said fines for people with COVID-19 who do not self-isolate range from $600 to $1,200. Police and National Guard are now randomly checking the temperatures of drivers and passengers of cars entering the city. Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov said on March 30 that Ukraine’s coronavirus quarantine could last through May 12. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing, Ukraine Business News)
Coronavirus cases in Ukraine’s regions
The Public Health Center of Ukraine’s Health Ministry on April 2 reported that coronavirus cases were confirmed in the following regions: Vinnytsia region – 51 cases; Volyn region – 10; Dnipropetrovsk region – 10; Donetsk region – seven; Zhytomyr region – six; Zakarpattia region – one; Zaporizhia region – 19; Ivano-Frankivsk region – 74; Kirovohrad region – seven; Kyiv city – 160; Kyiv region – 64; Lviv region – 11; Luhansk region – three; Odesa region – 14; Poltava region – five; Rivne region – 19; Sumy region – 26; Ternopil region – 106; Kharkiv region – one; Kherson region – four; Khmelnytsky region – six; Chernivtsi region – 143; Cherkasy region – 54; and Chernihiv region – three. The virus reference laboratory of the Public Health Center and regional laboratory centers test the samples of suspected persons and established contact persons. In all, 3,834 samples have been tested. (Ukrinform)
UGCC ready to help in coronavirus fight
The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is ready to work closely with doctors and can provide them with premises on its church properties if necessary, Patriarch Sviatoslav, primate of the UGCC, stated on March 22 in his sermon. “Dear health workers, you are on the frontline today, you sacrifice your health and life to save the health and life of sick people in need. Your Church is with you! We are praying for you,” he said. The patriarch assures that the Church will do everything possible to prevent the point at which doctors will have to decide who should live and who should die due to the lack of medical supplies. “In the days of the Maidan, all our parishes, churches, monasteries were opened and immediately turned into hospitals, underground hospitals. If needed, the entire ecclesial and spiritual space will become the hospitals where we will save human lives together with you. But you are to teach us how to do it. We are able to learn quickly and well so that together with you we can save the life of a person who is dying,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav. On March 26, Patriarch Sviatoslav met with the Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on the premises of the Government Building of Ukraine. The prime minister thanked the UGCC leader for understanding the situation and important decisions in support of government initiatives aimed at minimizing the damage that this pandemic is capable of causing. The patriarch informed the head of government about the measures already taken in this situation. In particular, he spoke about the creation of a coordination center for metropolitanates, eparchies and exarchates of the Church, and the possibilities that the Church can already offer to help save people, namely: rehab and medical centers, pastoral centers, educational institutions and other property. It was emphasized that the Church is already serving the community with medical chaplains and volunteers, and is ready to develop and coordinate this ministry appropriately in today’s new circumstances. At the end of the meeting, Patriarch Sviatoslav stressed that it is important for the religious community, especially during this difficult time, to have constant communication and partnership with the state institutions. For it is only through the concerted efforts of both the government and civil society, of which the religious community is a part, that this difficult challenge can be met. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)
Ukraine uncovers spy channel to FSB
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says it has breached an espionage communication channel between a high-ranking Ukrainian naval officer and staff from Russia’s main spy agency, the FSB, on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. Procedures have begun to remove the officer’s access to confidential information and strip him of his rank, the SBU said in a statement on March 31. It did not give the officer’s name, former rank or current status. According to the statement, the officer maintained his loyalty to Kyiv while he was in service in Crimea when Russia took over the peninsula in 2014. It said the officer refused to assist Russian security forces in occupying a naval academy in the port city of Sevastopol. However, upon transferring to mainland Ukraine after the Russian invasion, the officer continued to “maintain constant contacts with existing personnel of the FSB,” the SBU said. Among them were “former SBU servicemen Andrey Gaponenko, Petro Zima, Dmitry Pylypchenko, who moved to the enemy’s side during the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in 2014.” After moving to mainland Ukraine, the officer visited his native Crimea and allegedly had personal meetings with the former SBU officers, according to the statement. It said the navy officer had “access to confidential information that is of a particularly important nature related to defense.” The SBU published a video on social media allegedly showing the man making confessions. (RFE/RL)
EU pledges support for Eastern Partnership
The European Commission says it has reallocated more than 140 million euros ($154 million U.S.) to help Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement on March 30, the commission said it would also “redirect the use of existing instruments” worth up to 700 million euros ($772 million) to help the six countries of the EU’s Eastern Partnership program mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the crisis. “These are very difficult times not only for the EU, but for our partner countries as well,” Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Oliver Varhelyi said. The EU is “responding both to the immediate needs of the health systems, as well as longer term needs to the most vulnerable groups in society and small and medium-sized enterprises.” The commission said it would support the supply of medical devices and personal protective equipment, such as ventilators, laboratory kits, masks and goggles worth 30 million euros ($33 million) to the health systems of the six countries in the coming weeks. The funds would also be used to support the training of medical and laboratory staff, as well as awareness-raising measures to the populations. The redirected funds worth 700 million euros will be used mainly to provide liquidity in the six countries, including through “working capital, trade finance or moratoria on debt service,” and to help small and medium-sized enterprises access credit and boost their businesses after the crisis. (Rikard Jozwiak of RFE/RL)
Operation UNIFIER troops to be reduced
The number of Canadian Armed Forces personnel on Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s military training mission to Ukraine, will be reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s Department of Defense reported. A statement released by the department noted: “In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic situation both at home and abroad, and the suspension of non-critical activities on CAF-deployed operations, there will be a reduction in the number of personnel departing in early April on Op UNIFIER. The need for additional personnel to deploy into theater will be reassessed as the situation evolves. Where an estimated 200 CAF members were scheduled to deploy, now approximately 60 members will relieve the current rotation (ROTO 8) of personnel following the completion of their six-month deployment. Every measure will be taken to ensure the health and safety of CAF deploying personnel to Ukraine, as we are currently doing so with deployed CAF members under Op UNIFIER. These members will maintain essential and mission-critical activities with our allied, partner and host nations, and maintain coordination and planning activities for future training and exercises.” Previously, the Canadian Press (CP) had reported that the coronavirus crisis “has left 200 Canadian soldiers in Ukraine – and their families back home – in limbo as commanders weigh whether they should be replaced with new troops, kept in place for the time being or pulled out entirely until the pandemic subsides.” Canada has had military trainers in Ukraine since the summer of 2015, during which time they have instructed around 17,000 Ukrainian troops in the basics of soldiering as well as some advanced skills such as first aid and explosives disposal, the CP noted. The current contingent of Operation UNIFIER troops arrived in Ukraine in October 2019 and was supposed to be replaced by a new group in April. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing, Canadian Department of Defense, The Canadian Press)
UCC seeks government support
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) has called upon the government of Canada to provide robust support to charitable and non-profit organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Charitable and non-profit organizations are the lifeblood of communities across Canada. They deliver essential services and support to the most vulnerable members in our society and enrich the lives of all Canadians,” stated Alexandra Chyczij, national president of the UCC. “The cancellation of events, programs and other activities is creating serious challenges for non-profits and charities. These are difficult times, and they call for bold, sustained and rapid action. United in common purpose, I am certain that we will be able to overcome this crisis.” The UCC surveyed its member organizations, provincial councils and local branches on the impact to the community of the COVID-19 crisis. On March 25, the UCC presented a brief to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, recommending a series of government actions in support of charitable, non-profit and community organizations. The UCC recommends that the government of Canada: introduce wage subsidies of 100 percent of the maximum EI and CPP benefits, easing the ability of not-for-profits and charities to cover payroll and keep delivering services to Canadians; introduce direct short-term government cash disbursements to not-for-profits to allow them to surmount the growing liquidity crisis being faced by not-for-profits and charities; ensure that not-for-profits and charities are eligible for government of Canada economic stimulus funding and for emergency loans; introduce an immediate enhancement of the charitable donation tax credit; and work with municipalities to provide relief for not-for-profits and charities on property tax payments. In order to ensure that all Canadians are well-informed about government advice and directives on countering the COVID-19 crisis, the UCC recommends that the government of Canada: provide a short daily written update with important information/directives/advice from the government of Canada and Public Health Authorities; work with ethnocultural communities and translators to provide information in heritage languages to those in Canada who have limited knowledge of English or French; and work with ethnocultural community media to ensure that information from the government of Canada is available to these media outlets in the languages in which they operate. UCC CEO Ihor Michalchyshyn participated in conference calls by Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Ahmed Hussen and Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng with sector stakeholders to discuss these issues in more detail. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Petition to Zelenskyy on Consultative Council
A group of Ukrainian patriots from the Donbas, some of whom are former prisoners of the Russian-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk “peoples’ republics” issued an appeal to Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy to warn him against the possible signing by Ukraine of agreements that would legitimize these terrorist organizations and remove responsibility from Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. Radio Svoboda reported that the online petition to Mr. Zelenskyy demanding that the president cancel the agreement on forming a so-called Consultative Council with “representatives” of “certain areas” of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts had garnered the necessary number of signatures (25,000) to require a response. Radio Svoboda reported that the e-petition on the site of the Presidential Office demands that the signatures of the representative of Ukraine and the agreement of the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak on the protocol of the March 11 meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk be immediately cancelled. Radio Svoboda reported that the author of the petition cites the point in the protocol which states that at the next meeting of the TCG on March 25, it was decided to sign an agreement on the formation at the TCG of a “Consultative Council,” and that Ukraine and “representatives” of “certain regions” of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts would have voting rights on this council, while Russia, together with France, Germany and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, would be present as observers. “In this way, the sides of the negotiations become Ukraine and the Russian-occupied territories, Russia’s position that there is a ‘civil war’ in Ukraine becomes legitimized, and Russia is turned from an aggressor into a mediator between warring parties together with France, Germany and the OSCE, even though the whole world knows that ‘representatives’ of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk are not independent subjects, are completely controlled by Moscow and are simply local collaborators of the Russian occupiers,” the petition reads. “The actions of Andriy Yermak and Leonid Kuchma on March 11, 2020, legitimize these collaborators in the eyes of the international community, violate Ukrainian legislation and contain signs of treason, since it is to the benefit of the aggressor if these actions turn the aggressor into a mediator in a so-called intra-Ukrainian conflict. These actions strengthen the aggressor because they open the road to the lifting of sanctions,” the petition underscores. As it turned out, the March 25 meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group was held via videoconference and no agreements were signed. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing, Radio Svoboda)
Interpipe, EastOne fight coronavirus
The Ukrainian industrial company Interpipe and the investment advisory group EastOne, with its stakeholders Victor and Elena Pinchuk, have declared an initiative to combine the efforts of business and state authorities to fight COVID-19. This decision was made following the meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and businesses on March 16. The two companies have gotten involved in the establishment and operation of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Anti-Crisis Headquarters, led by Governor Oleksandr Bondarenko. Interpipe and EastOne will make a major contribution to the funding and development of the action plan and preventive measures to fight COVID-19, as well as the information campaign among the population regarding these measures. As part of implementation of this initiative, the company has already donated $2 million (U.S.) for state procurement of COVID-19 tests, part of which will be supplied to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Additional funds will be provided upon establishment of the region’s primary need plans. The Pinchuks issued the following statement: “A pandemic is everybody’s challenge. And everybody must fight it. The leadership must adopt measures to protect its citizens. The citizens must behave responsibly. The media must inform and warn. Doctors must heal. Business must be solidary and provide financial support. Today, one must not sit idle. We want our country to be prepared to fight the coronavirus.” As previously reported, the Elena Pinchuk Foundation and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation have bought 10 artificial lung ventilation machines for Ukrainian hospitals in Chernivtsi, Donetsk, Luhansk, Lviv, Odesa, Volyn and Zakarpattia oblasts, and in the city of Kyiv. (East One)
‘Hero of Labor’ for Crimean bridge
Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded his former judo instructor the title “Hero of Labor” for building a controversial bridge from Russia’s southern regions to the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula of Ukraine. Arkady Rotenberg, a friend of Mr. Putin going back decades when they practiced martial arts in their youth, received the award on March 16, the sixth anniversary of a widely denounced referendum that was organized by Russia to annex Crimea. Mr. Rotenberg’s Stroygazmontazh was the general contractor for the $3.7 billion bridge, which stretches 19 kilometers and is the sole link between Crimea and Russia. The bridge was opened to automobile traffic in 2018 and rail traffic last year. The United States and the European Union have condemned Russia’s construction of the bridge, calling it a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and have imposed sanctions on firms associated with its construction, including Stroygazmontazh. Mr. Rotenberg sold the company late last year for 75 billion rubles ($1 billion) reportedly to companies affiliated with the state-owned gas giant Gazprom. Mr. Putin had signed an order in 2013 establishing a “Hero of Labor” award for Russia to “raise the prestige of selfless and conscientious labor.” The award had also existed in Soviet times. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Kommersant)