U.N. cites highest civilian casualties
GENEVA – The United Nations says the number of civilian casualties in fighting in eastern Ukraine is back to last year’s highs. Fighting between government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,400 people since April 2014. The U.N. Human Rights Office, which is based in Geneva, said on August 3 that it documented 69 civilian casualties in June, including 12 dead. This is nearly double the figure for May and the highest figure since August 2015. The figure rose further to 73 civilian casualties in July, including eight dead. More than half of all the casualties recorded in the past two months were caused by shelling, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office. “Civilians are once again having to flee to improvised bomb shelters in their basements, sometimes overnight, with increasing frequency,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said. A ceasefire deal signed in Minsk in February 2015 was meant to halt the fighting, but many of its key points – including the complete withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line – have not been implemented. (RFE/RL)
Savchenko on hunger strike for POWs
KYIV – Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian military officer who spent nearly two years in a Russian jail, says she is going on hunger strike for Ukraine’s prisoners of war. “I am again declaring a hunger strike against the inaction of government officials of the whole world on the question of the release of Ukrainians from captivity,” Ms. Savchenko, who was elected to the Verkhovna Rada while in prison, said in Kyiv on August 2. “I will keep the hunger strike until the day of a positive result.” Ms. Savchenko, a helicopter navigator, was captured in June 2014, and a Russian court handed her a 22-year prison sentence after finding her guilty of involvement in the deaths of two Russian journalists covering the Ukraine conflict. She went on multiple hunger strikes while in custody. Freed in May as part of a prisoner swap, she has regularly called for further prisoner exchanges and direct peace talks with Russia-backed separatists. “What have their patriotic slogans and deceitful actions brought to us? And what has the Donbas gained from this politicized war and from Russia?” Ms. Savchenko asked on August 2. “Death, ruins, plundering by Russian combatants, and the rise of its own [local] unscrupulous oligarchs.” (RFE/RL)
Official resigns, citing attacks on journalists
KYIV – Ukraine’s Vice-Minister of Information Policy Tetyana Popova announced her resignation, citing what she described as attacks on journalists and freedom of speech. “I am resigning. I don’t agree with attacks on journalists and attacks on freedom of speech by political organizations and individual political officials. I can’t tolerate the absence of a proper reaction to that kind of attacks,” she wrote in a Facebook posting on August 3. “As a protest, I am leaving the government, but will continue fighting for the Maidan ideas, for freedom and democracy as a citizen and a volunteer. I’ll continue fighting for everything our patriots are fighting for at the front line,” she said. In a later interview with RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, Ms. Popova linked her resignation to the massive disclosure of journalists’ personal data – including her own – by a website called Myrotvorets (Peacekeeper) in May. The website’s creators claimed the 4,500 targeted journalists had collaborated with Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country. The website went down a few days after publishing the disclosure, but was back online a few weeks later. Publication of the journalists’ personal information, including phone numbers and e-mail addresses, was widely criticized in Ukraine and abroad, with the G-7 saying it “contravenes the spirit and the letter of Ukrainian law.” Many of the listed journalists said they have received threatening letters and phone calls. In her interview with RFE/RL, Ms. Popova said she grew disillusioned with what she felt was a failure by authorities to take action against Myrotvorets. “I went to a police investigator once and he asked what is really the problem with the publication of the list of journalists, if journalists have the right to publish data from the Panama Papers,” Ms. Popova said, referring to the trove of leaked documents that uncovered secretive financial dealings of officials and businesspeople across the globe, including some in Ukraine, among them President Petro Poroshenko. Mr. Poroshenko did voice support for the journalists over the disclosure scandal, and the Security Service of Ukraine has promised to look into the matter. However, other Ukrainian officials have voiced support for Myrotvorets, most prominently among them Anton Herashchenko, an Internal Affairs Ministry adviser and member of Parliament, who is believed by some to have played a role in instigating the publication. Ms. Popova said Mr. Herashchenko and other leading members of the Peoples’ Front faction had demanded her resignation. “I have resigned. If I remained in the government, then I support this,” Ms. Popova told RFE/RL. “I cannot in that case remain in government. I come from the media business, I know that I will still work with the journalists and my reputation – that’s all I have.” (RFE/RL’S Ukrainian Service)
Kyiv decries French lawmakers’ Crimea visit
KYIV – Ukraine has condemned the visit of a group of French lawmakers to Russia-annexed Crimea. The 11-member delegation was on a three-day visit to Ukraine’s occupied and illegally annexed Crimean peninsula from July 29 to July 31. In a statement released on July 30, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the French delegation has “defiantly violated the Ukrainian legislation, as well as international law, having neglected the official position of their own state that remains committed to defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The statement added that Kyiv sees the visit as a “manifestation of deliberate support to the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.” The French delegation was in Crimea to hold talks with local leaders, residents and officials from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Western countries have imposed tough economic sanctions on Moscow for its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support of pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Ukraine Today and Interfax)
Crimea becomes part of Russian district
KYIV – Russian President Vladimir Putin has liquidated the Crimea federal district. The occupied territory of Crimea and Sevastopol will be included in a bigger district together with the Republic of Adygea, Republic of Kalmykia, Krasnodar Krai, Astrakhan, and the Volgograd and Rostov regions, it was reported on July 28. Mr. Putin signed the decree on dismissing the so-called governor of Sevastopol, Sergey Menyaylo. He will take up the post of presidential envoy to the Siberia federal district. Mr. Menyaylo became the head of the occupied city of Sevastopol in April 2014, after the annexation of Crimea. He is notorious for advising Crimea’s Tatars “to explore territories very-very high in the mountains.” The Crimea peninsula was seized from Ukraine by Russia in February 2014. (Ukraine Today)
Yelchenko downplays Trump’s words
UNITED NATIONS – Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations has downplayed a comment by U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that he would consider recognizing Russia’s widely condemned annexation of Crimea. “Mr. Trump is not the president of the United States, at least not yet, “ Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko said in New York on July 28 as he urged the U.N. Security Council to declare a recent Russian move to incorporate Crimea into southern Russia “null and void” and once again reaffirm that the peninsula belongs to Ukraine. “There are the well-known decisions of the United Nations” condemning the annexation as illegal in 2014, he said. “I’m pretty sure that any U.S. government will pay full respect to those decisions.” Mr. Yelchenko was responding to comments by Mr. Trump on July 27 that appeared to create an opening for Russia by leaving open the question of whether he would recognize Crimea as Russian territory and lift sanctions on Moscow. “We’ll be looking at that,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference. “Yeah, we’ll be looking.” Mr. Yelchenko commented: “If this is his opinion as a candidate for the president of the United States, well, this is his opinion. I hope and I’m almost sure that this opinion will change.” The Obama White House said on July 28 that there was no change in its stance on Crimea’s annexation, which led to several rounds of sanctions on Russia. “The United States has been very direct about our view that the attempted annexation of Crimea by Russia is a flagrant violation, an egregious violation of international norms,” spokesman Josh Earnest said. “And it’s not a violation that the United States is prepared to tolerate.” (RFE/RL, with reporting by DPA, AFP, Reuters and AP)
IMF announces delay in Ukraine bailout
WASHINGTON – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that it has not yet decided to resume a bailout of Ukraine, which was halted over corruption concerns last year. IMF spokesman William Murray said on July 28 that the IMF’s executive board would not vote on a release of the next portion of Ukraine’s $17.5 billion bailout package until at least mid-August, after the board returns from a two-week break. The Washington-based organization earlier said that a review on unlocking the next loan tranche was nearing completion and it could be considered in July. Since August 2015, Ukraine has received no new IMF disbursements from the bailout package approved in April of last year. Ukraine is currently awaiting the next $1.6 billion tranche from the bailout, intended to help stabilize the country, which has been engulfed in a military conflict with Russia-backed separatists for more than two years. Kyiv has been struggling to implement deep structural reforms, including rooting out endemic corruption, to meet conditions attached to IMF assistance. The IMF has been frustrated by the slow passage of reforms in Ukraine. Kyiv has so far received $6.7 billion of the IMF’s loan package. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by AFP and Reuters)
Democrats’ speakers on Trump and Russia
PHILADELPHIA – Several speakers at the Democratic National Convention on July 27 accused Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump of being overly friendly toward Russia, whose relations with Washington have plunged to Cold War-level lows since Russia’s forcible annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and its backing of separatists fighting Kyiv’s forces in eastern Ukraine. The criticism followed the previous week’s massive leak of e-mail correspondence among Democratic officials that the party has suggested was orchestrated by the Russian government. Mr. Trump drew scorn from Democrats for saying earlier that day that he hopes Russia would be able to find “the 30,000 e-mails that are missing,” a reference to correspondence that Hillary Clinton said she deleted from the private server because she considered them personal. Former U.S. Defense Secretary and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief Leon Panetta told the convention that Mr. Trump was “once again” taking “Russia’s side” by suggesting that Moscow should track down Clinton’s e-mails. “Donald Trump, who wants to be president of the United States, is asking one of our adversaries to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States of America to affect an election,” Mr. Panetta said. ”As someone who was responsible for protecting our nation from cyberattacks, it is inconceivable to me that any presidential candidate would be that irresponsible,” he added. Mr. Trump has said he would seek to improve ties with Moscow if elected. He also suggested on July 27 that if elected, he would consider recognizing Crimea as part of Russia and lifting sections that the United States imposed on Russia in response to its seizure of the peninsula from Ukraine. “We’ll be looking at that. Yeah, we’ll be looking,” he said when asked whether he would recognize Crimea as Russian territory and lift the sanctions if elected president. Vice-President Joe Biden, meanwhile, portrayed Mr. Trump as sympathetic to “dictators,” citing positive statements the Republican nominee has made about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Adding that Mr. Trump would make the United States “less safe,” Mr. Biden said, “We cannot elect a man who belittles our closest allies, while embracing dictators like Vladimir Putin.” (RFE/RL, with reporting by AFP and Reuters)
Poroshenko meets Azerbaijan’s Ukrainians
BAKU – President Petro Poroshenko met with the Ukrainian community of Azerbaijan during his visit to that country on July 13-14. He told fellow Ukrainians that he expects trade turnover between Ukraine and Azerbaijan to be greatly increased as a result of his meetings with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. “We have agreed to triple our trade turnover. Over the first quarter of 2016, it has increased by 20 percent, but it is not enough,” Mr. Poroshenko said. He noted that, due to cooperation in the field of aircraft construction, trade turnover will be doubled. He also relayed information about agreements to intensify cooperation in various spheres, particularly energy, transport, mechanical engineering, and the cultural and military-technical sectors. “If we get Azerbaijani oil and gas, we will diversify our consumption, for this is an issue of our national security,” President Poroshenko emphasized. He also said he believes the Council of Presidents and several interstate commissions would bring Ukraine-Azerbaijan cooperation to a new level and make Azerbaijan an outpost of Ukraine in cooperation with other countries of that region. Mr. Poroshenko pointed to Baku’s hospitality and good attitude toward Ukrainians. In this context, the president promised to do everything for the Ukrainian community in Azerbaijan to feel protected. On July 14, the Ukrainian president laid flowers at the monument to Taras Shevchenko in Baku. (Presidential Administration of Ukraine)
OSCE monitors threatened at gunpoint
VIENNA – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says members of its monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine have been threatened at gunpoint near a village in the Donetsk region. The OSCE said a Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) was stopped by two armed separatists near the separatist-controlled village of Lukove in the afternoon on July 29. This occurred, the OSCE said, while the SMM was following what it said were fresh tracks, likely left by an infantry fighting vehicle. The separatists blocked the road with their camouflage-style jeep and pointed their guns at the monitors and ordered them to leave the area, according to the OSCE. As the group of monitors was leaving the area, another separatist jeep appeared, traveling at top speed. It almost hit the lead vehicle in the SMM convoy before coming to a stop in front of the patrol, blocking its path. The OSCE said one separatist made a “cut throat” sign to the monitors and took photographs of both SMM vehicles and the drivers. The OSCE monitors were led to a separatist checkpoint in Prymorske, some five kilometers south of Lukove. There, according to the OSCE, nine armed separatists surrounded the first SMM vehicle, swearing and making threatening gestures. One of the monitor’s vehicles was dented after a separatist hit it several times with his rifle butt. The monitors were eventually released and returned safely to their base in Mariupol. Among those condemning the separatists’ actions was Liselotte Plesner, an OSCE ambassador from Denmark. The OSCE, which includes nations from North America to Europe to Central Asia, is tasked with monitoring the shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces still engage in regular clashes. The organization’s daily reports on ceasefire violations are of great importance to Western leaders, many of whom say they will not consider lifting sanctions against Russia until the Minsk peace deal that Kyiv and Moscow agreed to is fully implemented. Russia has long distrusted the OSCE, accusing it of bias. The organization’s special monitoring mission includes observers from more than 45 countries, including Russia, as well as 305 Ukrainian staff. (RFE/RL)
OSCE: Monitors need ‘unfettered’ access
PRAGUE – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is demanding unfettered access across eastern Ukraine after one of its monitoring missions there was threatened at gunpoint by Russia-backed separatists. Alexander Hug, the deputy chief monitor for the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine, told RFE/RL that failure to prosecute those responsible for such attacks would only invite more. “As long as there is no follow-up, no one identified as responsible, and as long as impunity prevails, there will be more of these incidents,” Mr. Hug said. “If there is no follow-up, it is an open invitation for more of the same.” He said that if the monitors were prevented from carrying out their work, there was little chance of resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. “If we can’t do our job as monitors, it will be very difficult to assist the sides in finding the path to swift normalization in the eastern part of the country,” Mr. Hug stressed. The OSCE said a team from its Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) was stopped at gunpoint by two armed separatists near the separatist-controlled village of Lukove in the afternoon on July 29. Mr. Hug said there had been “no concrete feedback” from the separatists regarding the latest violation, which the OSCE official stressed was not an isolated incident. “We’ve had, of course, our patrols shot at previously. We had patrols be under crossfire, including involving artillery,” Mr. Hug explained. “We had our colleagues being kidnapped earlier on, in 2014, when eight of our colleagues were taken and held for over a month. So, there are, of course, different scales of incidents.” The latest incident in July came at the end of what has been the deadliest month for the Ukrainian military in nearly a year after a sharp spike in violence. “It is indeed true that we see a correlation between an increase in ceasefire violations and in violence in general, and an increase in violations that affect our own monitors. And that is once again a reason why it is important that the security of our patrols are being looked after properly by the sides,” Mr. Hug said. (Tony Wesolowsky for RFE/RL)