Civil War in Ukraine: Western Empire vs Russia

Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada have began collecting signatures for the impeachment of President Petro Poroshenko. The creator of the document, according to RIA Novosti, is the leader of the parliamentary faction of the Radical party Oleg Lyashko and his party.

Signatures for Poroshenko's Impeachment Collected in the Verkhovna Rada
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/signatures-for-poroshenkos-impeachment.html

Previously, Lyashko announced his intention to initiate the procedure in connection with the information about Poroshenko's involvement in offshore schemes.

In early April, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published documents about offshore accounts resulting from leaks from the Panama legal company Mossack Fonseca. In the archive are the names of the 12 heads of state and hundreds of famous people, among which are former UEFA President Michel Platini, the head of Argentina Mauricio Macri, the Prime Minister of Iceland Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, the family of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the star of "FC Barcelona" Lionel Messi, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, and others.

According to the publication, Poroshenko, in 2014, allegedly organized the activities of an offshore company in the Virgin Islands to delegate his business to a management he can trust.

Mass grave found in the Donbas

http://www.interfax.ru/world/503546

Moscow. April 13. INTERFAX.RU - Ukrainian law enforcement authorities report finding between the village controversial Bakhmut Donetsk region and rural areas in the Luhansk region Vrubovka mass graves of unidentified persons in camouflage uniforms.

"The bodies were buried outside the territory of the settlements, in 2014 in the area were active hostilities Previously known about the 18 human remains on the clothes have patches of illegal armed groups..", - The press service of the Chief of the National Police Office of Ukraine in Donetsk region on Wednesday .

On-site detection of burial works investigative team Bakhmut police department. Personality of the deceased and cause of death are established.

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Genocide of Donbass population is going on. Kiev junta does not stop

http://novorossia.today/genocide-of-donbass-population-is-going-on-kiev-junta-does-not-stop/

Be reminded that illegitimate Kiev government started genocide and unleashed civil war against Donbass population in spring 2014.+

In regard to the data of the UN, more than 9000 civilians perished as a result of the conflict.

Kiev fighters shelled the village Aleksandrovka in the Petrovskiy district of Donetsk, as a result of which 2 private houses damaged. The head of the district Maksim Zhukovskiy reported.

The village Alexandrovka subjected to shelling last night. 2 populated houses destroyed. 1 civilian wounded.

It is necessary to point out that suburbs of Dokuchaevsk, Gorlovka, Donetsk, and Yasinovataya were attacked again.

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To mod/admin:

Can you please move to Putin - He's giving it to the USA with both barrels..........

Thanks!!!



Israeli police launch brutal attack on Palestinian inmates in Nafha prison

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/04/13/460615/Israel-police-Palestinian-prisoners-Nafha-prison/

Israeli police forces have attacked Palestinian inmates at an Israeli prison in the Negev desert, brutally wounding a number of them in a reportedly unprovoked raid.

The Palestinian Committee for Prisoners’ and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs said on Wednesday that the Israeli forces stormed section 14 of the Nafha prison in the Negev desert town of Mitzpe Ramon in a “brutal” assault.

It said the Israeli forces used batons, tear gas and pepper spray in the attack, adding that they were striking randomly and in a hysterical manner.

The committee added that the wounded prisoners were transferred to Soroka hospital while an unspecified number of detainees were sent to solitary confinement.

Palestinian sources said some of the injured are in critical conditions.

The committee also said that the Israeli forces are still in and around the jail, warning that the situation is dangerous and could exacerbate in the upcoming hours.

It also held the administrative authorities at the jail responsible for protecting the detainees’ lives and called on human rights bodies to immediately visit the prison and the hospital to check the conditions of the prisoners.

Earlier this year, 50 Palestinian inmates reportedly went on hunger strike at Nafha Prison to protest against their mistreatment as well as poor conditions at the detention facility.

More than 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly in Israeli jails, including those under administrative detention, which is a practice that effectively allows their indefinite incarceration without charge or trial.

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Israeli Takeover Of Palestinian Territory Has Tripled !

http://novorossia.today/israeli-takeover-palestinian-territory-tripled/

Israeli NGO Peace Now has issued a new statement warning that Israel’s trend toward reducing the size of settlement constructions has been “completely reversed,” and that the Israeli government plans more than three times as many housing units as this time in 2015.

In the first quarter of 2015, Israel approved 194 housing units. In 2016, that number is 674. Over the course of 2015, planning for 1,665 homes moved forward, which was only a fraction of the 8,606 from 2014.

This shift ironically reflects the collapse of the peace process in 2014. During that Israel announced several major settlement expansions, meant to placate the far-right about the peace talks with the Palestinians, but in 2015, with no talks, they didn’t have that excuse.

The 2016 shift back toward settlement expansion seems centered on politics as well, with many far-right MPs pushing for a dramatic increase in settlement construction to spite the Palestinians over recent unrest.

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Ukraine's Datagroup may be bought by Horizon Capital co-founded by Jaresko
http://uatoday.tv/business/ukraine-s-datagroup-may-be-bought-by-horizon-capital-co-founded-by-jaresko-629510.html

One of Ukraine's largest IT-businesses collapses due to foreign currency loan debt .

Oleksandr Kardakov, one of the most famous Ukrainian IT-businessmen, says goodbye to his business. In the near future, the largest system integrator in the market 'Information and Computer Technology' (Incom brand) will cease to exist.

In late February, the company began its liquidation procedure. The company's other major asset - 'Datagroup' telecom operator - may soon be sold out to pay off debts. It may be purchased by its current minority shareholder - investment company 'Horizon Capital', co-founded by Ukraine's current Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko.

Incom was founded in 1997. According to some media, in 2013 the Incom share was equal to 14% of Ukraine's system integration market. Datagroup, part of the Incom holding, still remains a strong asset. This is one of the largest market players in the sector of fixed satellite communication and Internet access.

According to IKS Consulting, in 2015 Datagroup controlled 48.5% of the wholesale data transmission market. Kardakov says that Datagroup's estimated turnover for 2015 amounted to about USD 1 billion.

At the end of 2014, Ukrainian Forbes estimated the 2012 total revenue of Kardakov's companies at USD 402 million, and his own capital - at USD 112 million. What happened within a year and a half to get him in trouble? He just could not cope with foreign currency loans borrowed for business development.

"Before the crisis of 2008, we actively attracted loans for new projects. Then it was all good. We saw good growth. I invested the borrowed funds into the development of Datagroup", said Kardakov.

The troubled loan portfolio began to emerge in 2010. Then Horizon Capital purchased a 30% share from the majority shareholder Datagroup. The move was a necessity.

Kardakov's company faced problems serving the USD 30 million debt with the ING bank. The company had to attract an investor, who also became a guarantor for the company's other creditors.

It was not also easy to serve the remaining debt - in 2013 a political, as well as economic crisis, hit Ukraine. In 2015, Kardakov together with Incom minority shareholder Oleksandr Fedchenko decided to liquidate the company.

"What we did in our business before had no future prospects", explained Kardakov.

According to him, last year Incom fully settled with the government - the company paid nearly USD 350,000 of tax compromise, and nearly USD 500, 000 of other taxes. With regard to debts to the banks, the businessman says that "they went on zeroing."



CRIMINAL Former US State Department Official to Buy Ukraine's Largest Telcom Company
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2016/04/criminal-former-us-state-department.html

As is clear, the US played an important role in the Ukrainian revolution as revealed by the release of a recording of a phone call between Assistant US Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt (SEE: An Important Second Listen to the "F--k the EU" Ukraine Recording).

But, Nuland isn't the only US State Department official playing a major role in Ukraine.

A US citizen, the Elmhurst, Illinois-born Natalie Jaresko, obtained a second citizenship (Ukrainian) on December 2, 2014, the day of, get this, her appointment as Minister of Finance of Ukraine.

Prior to Jaresko becoming Ukraine's finance minister, she, according to Wikipedia:

....held several economics-related positions at the US Department of State in Washington, D.C., and eventually coordinated activities of the State Department, the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, the United States Trade Representative, and Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in their economic relations with the Soviet Union and its successors. As part of her work she interacted with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Later from 1992 to 1995, she was the first Chief of the Economic Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, responsible for strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.[8] In 2003 she was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Princess Olga for her contributions to the Ukrainian economy.
Between 2005 and 2010 Jaresko was a member of President Viktor Yushchenko's Foreign Investors Advisory Council and the Advisory Board of the Ukrainian Center for Promotion of Foreign Investment under the auspices of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
So what is Jaresko up to as finance minister of Ukraine?

She is about to take control, for herself, of Datagroup, the Ukraine telecom company that controls 85% of the Ukranian telecom market.

Datagroup is owned by Oleksandr Kardakov but his personal empire has collapsed due to foreign currency loan debt.

Foreign loan debt is an old muscle trick of economic hit men (SEE John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man). Banksters and international global financial organizations (think the World Bank) load up third-world governments with debt that can't possibly be repaid and they go in to pick off the juicy meat when the third-world governments can't make the debt payments.

Disputed South Ossetia Will Hold Referendum on Joining Russia
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/disputed-south-ossetia-will-hold-referendum-on-joining-russia/565394.html

South Ossetia is due to hold a constitutional referendum, the results of which will make it easier for the disputed region to become one of Russia's regions, the republic's president Leonid Tibilov said, TASS reported Monday.

“We are discussing possible dates [for the referendum] at the moment. There's no specific date yet, but it will happen in the near future. Before August,” the president said in an interview to TASS.

The referendum will center on changing the republic's constitution in a way which would make future incorporation into the Russian Federation easier.

South Ossetia is a breakaway region unrecognized by international community. In 2008, Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war over the territory, which is now recognized by Russia and a handful of other states as an independent nation.

The results of the referendum on the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine puts pressure on the government to reconsider its position, even though the results are not binding.

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Referendum pressures Netherlands to craft new Ukraine policy
http://www.nltimes.nl/2016/04/12/referendum-pressures-netherlands-craft-new-ukraine-policy/

The Dutch government will come with an reaction to the Netherlands “no”-vote in the Ukraine referendum last week, and plans on how to proceed, by September at the latest, Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs wrote in a letter to Parliament on Tuesday.

According to Koenders, the result is not what they hoped for and the “no” vote puts the government in “uncharted territory”.

On Wednesday, just after the result forecasts showed a majority no vote, Prime Minister Mark Rutte already stated that the result will not be ignored and that the government will take time to discuss how to proceed.

The question is how much of a difference it will make. The Netherlands is the only one of the 28 EU member states that hasn’t ratified the agreement yet. And the European Commission already stated that the results of the referendum will have no effect on the agreement itself – it was already signed and unanimously adopted by all EU member states’ heads of government, and the Dutch “no” does not change that, a spokesperson for the European Commission said

The official results will be announced later today.

Is this investment move - due to the Panama Leaks?

Poroshenko Comments on the Transfer Of "Roshen" to the Rothschilds
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/poroshenko-comments-on-transfer-of.html

The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has revealed information on the transfer of the "Roshen" confectionery company to the trust ownership of the Rothschild Trust, reports Interfax-Ukraine.

"I publicly changed my legal and financial advisors to ensure the creation of structures in coordination with one of the biggest investment organizations in the world, and now I have the opportunity to disclose this information, it's name - Rothschild, in order to ensure the transfer of the property to the trust," - said the President in an interview to Ukrainian TV channels.

The military-political leadership of Kiev is using the Ukraine Media to spread false reports, that the armed forces of the DPR shelled a School in Avdiivka.

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Basurin: As a Result of Error, the UAF Fired Artillery at a School in Occupied Avdiivka
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/basurin-as-result-of-error-uaf-fired.html

Speaker of the DPR Ministry of Defence Eduard Basurin denied the information being spread by Ukrainian media that the heavy artillery shelling of a school in Avdiivka on April 12th was conducted from positions of the Armed Forces of the DPR.

"On April 12, the Ukrainian media published information that heavy weapons from the positions of the DPR Armed Forces allegedly produced the shelling of the school in Avdiivka. Ukrainian security forces, as we have stated earlier, are composed of six units of D-30 towed howitzers deployed near the settlement of Krasnogorovka. During the course of fire from the 58 and separate infantry brigade of the UAF on the territory of the DPR at the settlement Avdiivka as a result of error, and it is not excluded that this was on purpose by the Ukrainian gunners, the shells did not reach the territory of the DPR, and landed on a school, in a specified locality. And to hide this fact, the military and political leadership resorted to the use of their lying media, which is not the first time they have done this to justify their war criminals," said Basurin.

In his opinion, this is another provocation on the part of Ukraine, which wants to accuse the armed forces of the DPR of being in violation of international agreements, and to obtain justification for waging a bloody war against the citizens of the Republics.

Basurin also said that the recent statement of the Chairman of the Donetsk military-civilian administration of Ukraine Zhebrivsky, that the territory of the Donetsk filter station, industrial area, and the police post in the area of Yasinovataya, according to the Minsk agreements, should be controlled by Ukrainian security forces, is ignorant at best, and once again proves that the military-political leadership of Kiev does not intend to resolve the conflict in Donbass peacefully.

Head of the Donetsk People's Republic Alexander Zakharchenko commented on the possible impact of changes in the ranks of the Kiev leadership on the implementation of the Ukrainian side of the Minsk agreements.

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Zakharchenko: Political Crisis in Kiev Prolongs Minsk Process
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/zakharchenko-political-crisis-in-kiev.html

"There is nothing new. The settlement of the conflict in Donbass will help the performance of the package of measures signed in Minsk more than a year ago. Although there is a more simple and quick way. Kiev may withdraw its troops beyond the borders of the Donetsk region and sit down at the negotiating table. It is necessary to understand the obvious thing: Kiev to withdraw troops from the contact line and bring them home. But we ourselves can't because we're home! Our homes are behind us in the literal sense of the word. We're home, we have nowhere to send our troops. This is where Kiev sent its troops. So let Kiev lead them to the barracks, and we will start the negotiations about the future.

Not everyone can see this paradox. Currently, if Kiev withdraws its heavy weapons from the contact line on the basis of a package of measures, they really remain within the borders of the Donetsk region. And when we take our weapons at these distances, we are left without the protection of Donetsk, where many of our militia live. That is, in accordance with the Minsk agreements, our homes would be left without cover from heavy weapons, but Kiev would just redeploy its forces from one stranger's territory to another stranger's one.

But we are ready to fulfil our commitments. If we sign a package of measures, we will be ready to fulfil them. Only now, the performance does not depend on us, but on Kiev. Indeed, without the political part and the lifting of the economic blockade, the ceasefire will inevitably be temporary. If you do not begin to solve political issues, the clashes sooner or later will resume. This is the logic of all such conflicts – read the history.

A change of power in Kiev would have an impact on the attitude to the conflict? Now it is impossible to speak about it with confidence. It depends on the power combination that is to be formed in Kiev and how its viewed in Europe. But one thing is for sure: the political crisis in Kiev is not conducive to the political settlement of our conflict. It is more to say: any Ministerial reshuffle, any Cabinet changes, any re-elections, and all of that not only prevents, but actually blocks the Minsk process. Judge for yourself. Each such event allows the government in Kiev to postpone the settlement to the conflict: prior to the appointment of the new Cabinet, until the election of the new Parliament, until the election of a new President, etc., i.e. this allows Kiev to delay the implementation of a package of measures, which Kiev will definitely take advantage of.

Therefore, we are not pleased with all this political turmoil in Kiev. Let it be defined somewhat quicker, and the execution of the obligations for the Package of measures will happen too.

Will the new master in the White house influence our conflict? Probably, although hardly drastically. Still, America has a more or less unified foreign policy when changing presidents and parties in power. Although these elections promise more changes. In particular, the position of Trump suggests that he is ready to change. But for this it is necessary to win elections. So for this question we just have to wait."

Subdivisions of UAF shelled northern and western suburbs of Donetsk by mortars last night, altogether they launched 77 mines. It was reported by the DPR Defence Ministry.

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Donetsk subjected to shelling of Ukrainian troops the entire night
http://novorossia.today/donetsk-subjected-to-shelling-of-ukrainian-troops-the-entire-night/

‘Ukrainian fighters subjected to shelling Spartak, Vesyoloe, Zhabichevo, Volvo-Center and Staromihaylovka yesterday. Shelling started at 9.30, altogether 35 mines of 120 mm caliber and 120 mines of 82 mm caliber were launched’, representative of the Defence Ministry added.

In regard to the data of the resource, the hostility conducted shelling from positions in Avdeevka, Peski, Opytnoe, Krasnogorovka, and mine Butovskaya, suburbs of the mine Gagarina in the north of Gorlovka by the drowns.

Yesterday was reported that Ukrainian armed formations 320 times shelled the DPR territory by heavy armament. One DPR soldier died

Ukraine’s parliament has appointed Vladimir Groysman as the country’s prime minister. The parliament has also sent Arseniy Yatsenyuk into resignation and revoked the decision on unsatisfactory activity of his government.

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Ukraine Junta Banana Republic Appoints New Prime Minister, Vladimir Groysman
http://novorossia.today/ukraine-junta-banana-republic-appoints-new-prime-minister-vladimir-groysman/

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on members of the Verkhovna Rada to pass the amendments to the country’s Constitution with a view to “returning Donbass peacefully.”

“The amendments to the Constitution concerning decentralization and the implementation of ‘Minsk’ are the basis for the peaceful return of Donbass,” he said addressing lawmakers ahead of considering the issues of appointment of a new prime minister and a new government.

The agreements of the Contact Group reached in Minsk, Belarus, in September 2014 and the comprehensive Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements signed in February 2015 are the basis of the peaceful settlement in the Donbass region. The Package of Measures envisages not only a ceasefire, withdrawal of weapons, creation of security zones, amnesty, resumption of economic ties and social benefits to residents of Donbass, but also a profound constitutional reform in Ukraine, which should lead to the decentralization of power taking into account a special status of separate districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

The constitutional amendments were passed in the first reading on August 31, 2015, at an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada and, in theory, should have been endorsed by the constitutional majority at the regular session that ended on February 1. However, there were no necessary 300 votes in parliament. Later the Constitutional court legally justified the possibility of postponing the voting until the next session, and the Verkhovna Rada got the right to return to the constitutional reform at any moment.

Right Sector Arrive at the Contact Line for Provocations Against LPR Army

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/right-sector-arrive-at-contact-line-for.html

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
14th April, 2016

_http://news-front.info/2016/04/14/nacbaty-pribyli-k-linii-soprikosnoveniya-dlya-provokacij-protiv-lnr-narodnaya-miliciya/

Kiev continues to move nationalist battalions to the line of contact, including committing provocations against the military personnel of the LPR's militia. This was reported today at a Luganskinfo briefing, and was said by the official representative of the Defense Ministry of the Republic - Andrei Marochko.

"There is an ongoing increase in nationalist battalions at the line of contact of the parties," he said.

"A division of the "Right sector" appeared in the settlement of Shchastya, and are located in one of the administrative buildings of the village. Also, earlier there were units of the Right sector and "Aidar" battalion in the villages of Raihorodka, Novoaidar, and Severodonetsk," said Marochko.

"Nationalist battalions arrived to stage provocations against servicemen of the militia of the Luhansk People's Republic," said the official representative of the Defense Ministry of the Republic.

"Despite all this, the people's militia continues to observe the Minsk agreements. Our units comply with the "ceasefire", without simultaneously weakening vigilance", he said.

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Dutch Prime Minister Ready to Go Against the Will of Voters for the Sake of Ukraine
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/dutch-prime-minister-ready-to-go.html

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, during a debate in Parliament, said that the authorities will take into account the results of the referendum on the association with Ukraine, but won't refuse the ratification of the agreement, reports TASS.

"There are three options", he said. "First, the Cabinet will refuse to consider the results of the Advisory referendum. This is not the option that will be chosen by the government. The second will take full account of the voting results (i.e, refuse to ratify). And that's not the option that the government will choose either. The third option, which the government will choose, is that the authorities will try to do something given the fact that the majority of voters voted against the document", said Rutte.

"If we refuse to ratify, we will lose the opportunity to make significant changes to the agreement with Ukraine", said the Prime Minister.

However, he promised that the Dutch government will completely abandon the association if the negotiations with the European countries "leads to nothing."

The US authorities will allocate Ukraine about $50mln to support the National Guard and State Border Guard Service of the country, Michael Carpenter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, claimed while meeting with the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Sergey Yarovoy. According to him, "the means will be allocated to purchase equipment and carry out reform of the government system".

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US promises Ukraine $50mln for National Guard
http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/americas/14-04-2016/134166-ukraine-0/

During the meeting Yarovoy also thanked Carpenter for the US support given political and diplomatic relations, as well as in the defence sphere. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense noted in his turn that Washington would continue to support Kiev. As Pravda.Ru reported, the US Vice-President Joseph Biden had announced allocation of $335mln in early April. It is supposed that money will be used for the purchase of weapons and equipment, as well as for the teaching of the service men.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow agreed to increase support for security and defense reforms.

Groysman, Vershbow Agree to Develop Security Assistance Package for Ukraine
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160415/1038070977/ukraine-nato-assistance.html

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow have agree that a new comprehensive security assistance package for Ukraine would be developed in time for the alliance's summit in July, Ukraine's cabinet said Friday.

"Groysman and Vershbow agreed to increase support for security and defense reforms. In this regard, in time for NATO's Warsaw summit in July, a comprehensive assistance package will be developed to meet the needs of our country," the cabinet's press service said.

The NATO-Ukraine Commission will be held on the sidelines of the forthcoming Warsaw summit, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow said Thursday.

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Ukraine Promotes Relations with NATO on the Basis of Warsaw Summit
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160414/1038008609/nato-ukraine-summit-warsaw.html

The NATO-Ukraine Commission will meet within the framework of the alliance's Warsaw summit at the level of heads of state, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow said Thursday.

The NATO summit is scheduled to be held in the Polish capital in early July.

In December 2014, Ukraine suspended its non-aligned status and confirmed its intention to join NATO. The alliance's officials have repeatedly stressed that Kiev will have to implement a wide range of reforms before joining the military bloc.

Last month, Ukraine and NATO agreed on a set of reforms that the Ukrainian Armed Forces must undergo to comply with the alliance's standards.

The Russian State Duma lower house of parliament does not expect that the election of Andrei Parubiy as new speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) will bring any positive changes in relations between Moscow and Kiev, deputy chief of the Duma staff, head of Duma public relations department Denis Molchanov said on Thursday.

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Russia And DPR Say New Prime Minister And Speaker Of Ukraine Junta Rada Is Just More Chaos
http://novorossia.today/russia-and-dpr-say-new-prime-minister-and-speaker-of-ukraine-junta-rada-is-just-more-chaos/

“The State Duma believes that today’s election of Andrei Parubiy as chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will not contribute to any normalization of relations between the parliaments of our countries or normalization of relations between Russia and Ukraine as a whole. We know very well the views and biography of Mr. Parubiy, primarily his active role in Ukraine’s coup”, Molchanov told reporters.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appointed Andrei Parubiy, formerly the first deputy speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, as the Verkhovna Rada chairman. A total of 284 MPs voted in favor of the decision, above the required minimum of 226 votes. Parubiy said it was a great honor and responsibility for him. He said he would not make loud promises, but intended to show by his work that the parliament will remain a key place for making decisions.

The parliament earlier backed the resignation of parliament speaker Vladimir Groysman who was elected as Ukraine’s new prime minister

DPR SAYS NEW PRIME MINISTER ELECT WILL NOT HELP POLITICAL CHAOS IN THE COUNTRY The appointment of Volodymyr Groysman as Ukraine’s new prime minister will not help end the political chaos in the country, Foreign Minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Natalya Nikonorova said on Thursday.

“Groysman’s appointment means the cabinet sets a course more loyal to Poroshenko’s policies. He said in one of his latest statements on April 5 that elections in Donbass are impossible and his remarks mirror word for word the Ukrainian president’s position,” Nikonorova was quoted by the Donetsk news agency as saying. “Along with this, we can speak about neither real opposition nor stable coalition and so this will end the political chaos by no means.”

Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada parliament accepted Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s resignation and voted to appoint former Speaker Volodymyr Groysman as the new prime minister and also approved the cabinet of ministers suggested by Groysman.

Donetsk blog, April 15: Fighting on Entire Frontline - Bombardment in Gorlovka (Video) - Kiev Creates ATO Ministry

http://russia-insider.com/en/donetsk-blog-april-15-fighting-entire-frontline-bombardment-gorlovka-video-kiev-creates-ato-ministry

April 13 represented two years since Ukraine started its so-called anti-terrorist operation (ATO), which turned into a war against the people of Donbass. Naturally, the intensity of attacks on the Ukrainian side significantly increased around this date. There is fighting along the entire front line. Kiev is not only using mortars, grenade launchers and small arms, but artillery, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, anti-aircraft systems and MLRS also (see below pictures of weapons mentioned).

The situation remains the tensest on the northern and western outskirts of Donetsk, in the Mariupol direction to the south from the DPR capital and in the suburbs of Gorlovka situated in the north of the DPR.

On the northern outskirts of Donetsk bombardment is constant, continuing throughout the night. According to soldiers in DPR positions, they usually commence with mortar fire, followed by shells from Ukrainian tanks and motorised artillery systems. After that, infantry are engaged in fighting lasting hours, with the Ukrainian side supported by mortars.

In one of the western suburbs of Donetsk during the night of April 13, according to a few residents remaining there, about 40 mortar bombs launched from the Ukrainian side landed there. A large-caliber artillery projectile also landed on the edge of a central district of the DPR capital. One of our reporters who lives near this place heard the explosion, which made windows and walls of neighbouring houses shake.

At the Yasinovatsky checkpoint, situated on the Donetsk-Gorlovka road, fighting involving infantry continues around the clock. The Ukrainian troops have been attacking the checkpoint for over a month. According to DPR soldiers, the Ukrainian military shell it at night with mortars and artillery of all types. Two days ago, the area of the railway station was hit by several 122mm artillery shells. Another night the Ukrainian side made several single launches from a “Grad” MLRS.

In some areas to the south of Donetsk a few nights were relatively quiet, but on April 13 the intensity of mortar bombing dramatically increased there. During the night, residents of one of the localities counted over 55 mortar bombs launched from Ukrainian positions. As a result of the bombardment, roofs were riddled with shrapnel, windows were shattered, and walls damaged.

In Mariupol, the largest city in the south of Donbass, in one of the central streets, local partisans, passing by a group of Ukrainian soldiers in a car, threw a grenade at them. Local residents inform that the Ukrainian command announced an "Interception" plan, which, according to available information, has so far failed.

In attacks on the northern outskirts of Gorlovka, according to the DPR soldiers and local residents, Kiev uses all equipment amassed there, including heavy artillery, infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, anti-aircraft systems, as well as tanks, which deliberately shell residential areas.

One such bombardment from the Ukrainian side started immediately after the OSCE mission completed its inspection. DONi reporters accompanied the OSCE observers and were able to record both the attack and the immediate departure of the observers (see video below). Instead of documenting a clear violation of the Minsk Agreements by Kiev, Alexander Hug, the deputy head of the OSCE mission in Ukraine, promised to install a video camera in this locality in order to facilitate the recording of violations.

The next day the local authorities reported that about ten 82mm mortar bombs landed, resulting in four private homes being seriously damaged. The DPR Defense Ministry also informed that on April 13, as a result of the bombing, one DPR soldier was killed and two civilians wounded.

On one segment of the front line near Gorlovka, DPR army units managed to push the Ukrainian military back. The result was a neutral zone about three kilometres wide between the positions of the DPR army and the Ukrainian troops where several minor localities are situated. Seeking to return the lost territory, the Ukrainian military shelled with heavy artillery both the DPR positions and those localities. According to local authorities, in the night of April 13 alone, four 122mm artillery shells were documented as hitting residential areas.

In their turn, Kiev also reports of a record number of attacks by the DPR and LPR, accusing them of using the type of heavy equipment prohibited by the Minsk Agreements. However, according to the ATO press service, the Ukrainian positions are always shelled when the OSCE representatives are not there. Moreover, in the absence of real evidence of such attacks, the Ukrainian authorities sometimes attribute to the DPR and LPR errors in shelling made by their own side.

For example, on April 13, Kiev reported of the bombardment of a school by the DPR in Ukrainian-controlled Avdeevka, situated near Donetsk. The DPR Defense Ministry believes that the school was most likely mistakenly hit by Ukrainian artillery, as the Republic does not have on the front line the type of artillery systems used in the attack, something that was repeatedly confirmed by the OSCE mission.

Yesterday, with the Ukrainian artillery incessantly at work in Donbass, Ukraine changed the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. However, the new authorities are no more willing to resolve the conflict in Donbass peacefully that the previous ones.

In his first speech, the new Prime Minister, Volodymyr Groisman, announced his intention to “heal the wounds of Ukrainians by returning the Crimea and Donbass.”

A former Ukrainian ATO spokesman, Tymchuk, informed of a meeting of Ukrainian MPs with a US delegation headed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Michael Carpenter, during which the American side threatened to cease military assistance to Ukraine if by July 2016 there were no demonstrable results of military reform.

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine announced that the “Donbass” and “Aidar” nationalist battalions, comprising residents of the former Donetsk and Luhansk regions, were to be united and shortly sent to the east.

The new government created the Anti Terrorist Operation (ATO) Ministry, which clearly indicates that Kiev is planning to continue it.

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Donbass crisis caused by US-controlled Kiev

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/donbass-crisis-caused-by-us-controlled.html

Sputnik Germany, April 15, 2016

Translated from German by Tom Winter

http://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20160415/309225717/donbass-krise-us-gesteuertem-kiew.html

The humanitarian catastrophe in the Donbass is the work of the US-controlled Ukrainian authorities and radical national groupings, according to a declaration of the human rights division at the Russian Foreign Ministry, in response to the last annual Human Rights report of the US State Department.**

"What most arouses astonishment is the assertion about thousands of civilian casualties in the Donbass being ascribed to the fault of Russia. It is abundantly clear that the humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in Ukraine is the work of the US-controlled Ukrainian authorities and radical national groups in the aftermath of the unconstitutional coup in Kiev.## And all this happened, as a consequence of never actually influencing Ukrainian authorities to deal with the extensive crimes and violations of human rights in Ukraine, and to bring to account the real culprits in such serious crimes, as the torching of the Union Hall in Odessa" it says in the statement.

In the report on the worldwide human rights situation for 2015 published last Wednesday by the US State Department, [see footnote below] it is stated that Russia has been further supporting the Donbass people's militias, and it is in this context, that reports from international observers and activists "of thousands of deaths and injuries among civilians" are cited.

In April 2014 the authorities of Ukraine started military operations against the self-declared republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, which had proclaimed their independence after the nationalist revolution February 2014 in Ukraine. Several Western and Ukrainian politicians accuse Moscow of interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meanwhile prompted Kiev to listen to the legitimate popular demands of the inhabitants of the east of the country instead of "shoving all the fault on Russia's shoes."

Lavrov strongly countered attempts by the US and some European countries to blame Russia for what is happening in eastern Ukraine.
As Moscow stated several times, Russia is not involved in the events in the southeast of Ukraine, it does not provide military equipment or ammunition to the people's militias; it is not a party to the inner Ukrainian conflict, but has an interest that Ukraine emerge from its political and economic crisis.

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sToRmR1dR said:

Donbass crisis caused by US-controlled Kiev

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/donbass-crisis-caused-by-us-controlled.html

Sputnik Germany, April 15, 2016

Translated from German by Tom Winter

http://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20160415/309225717/donbass-krise-us-gesteuertem-kiew.html

The humanitarian catastrophe in the Donbass is the work of the US-controlled Ukrainian authorities and radical national groupings, according to a declaration of the human rights division at the Russian Foreign Ministry, in response to the last annual Human Rights report of the US State Department.**

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Three Mi-24P combat helicopters have returned to Ukraine from Liberia due to the reduction of the UN mission, said the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on Saturday, reports RIA Novosti.

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Ukraine Withdraws Three Helicopters From Liberia for Redeployment in Donbass
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/ukraine-withdraws-three-helicopters.html

"In connection with the reduction of the UN mission in Liberia, there has been an optimization of the 56th separate helicopter detachment, which performed a task in the mission in the country. Thus, a special flight of the transport aircraft AN-124 "Ruslan" returned three Mi-24P combat helicopters to Ukraine," stated the message.

According to authorities, after the restoration and preventive works carried out by the specialists in parts of the UAF aviation, all three Mi-24P aircraft will be used for training flights and combat missions in the composition of the Air forces of Ukraine, including, if necessary, in the zone of the military operation in Donbass.

The head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Alexander Zakharchenko will hold a live Q&A session with residents of Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region, Donetsk News Agency said on Friday adding that the online conference is planned for April 20.

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Leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic plans live Q&A session with residents of Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region
http://novorossia.today/donetsk-republic-leader-plans-live-q-a-session-with-residents-of-ukraine-s-kharkiv-region/

This is the first case when one of Donbass leaders will respond directly to questions of those who live on the other side of the disengagement line in Ukraine’s east.

“For a long time, many questions of ordinary Ukrainian residents were submitted to my website. Questions require answers, especially questions from Kharkov. They are our neighbors, our relatives, friends and supporters live there. On April 20 we will have a direct and open conversation,” Donetsk News Agency quoted Zakharchenko as saying.

The DPR head said the online conference is the only channel of communication with Ukrainian residents adding that other channels were blockade by Kiev authorities.

A few days ago there was a leak of radioactivity from the plant in Zaporizhia

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/zaporizhia-nuclear-power-plant.html said:

Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant Experiences Release of Radioactivity
Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
11th April, 2016
Varjag-2007

A radioactive release and emergency shutdown of unit 6 occurred at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. Management of the State Emergency Service requested people not to panic, but to calmly take preventive measures:

"For preventive measures State Emergency Service experts recommend to refrain from a prolonged stay in an open area within three days, to use a medical mask, use a weak solution of iodine in cold water and red wine".

Vladimir Rogov, the leader of the Zaporizhia "Slavic Guard" writes:

These Nazi brutes are doing everything to turn all post-Ukraine space into an exclusion zone!

Meanwhile, $700 million was allocated from the budget of Ukraine for the repair and modernization of power units №1 and №2 of Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant - the junta stole more than $420 million. Moreover, in the corruption scheme, in addition to the so-called "Minister" of Energy and Coal Industry, Vladimir Demchishin, and the "President" of "Energoatom" that participate directly, there are also "President" Poroshenko and the leaders of the American company Westinghouse who are implementing the corruption schemes through its Swedish subsidiary Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB.

Quote: "...the excess background radiation at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant and the sanitary protective zone in a radius of 2.5 km is about 10 times and is not critical to the health of the population. Repair work will be tentatively held until 13th April."

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That this news goes unnoticed in western medias compared to the headlines allotted whenever a US or West European nuclear reactor lets out more steam than usual goes to show what kind of regard the US and the EU has for life in Ukraine. In the meantime Westinghouse is making business:

From Bloomberg there was:

http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=2404241 said:

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC Key Developments
Westinghouse Electric Company Enhances Ukraine Nuclear Safety with BEACON Contract Award
Mar 29 16

Westinghouse Electric Company announced that it has signed a contract with National Nuclear Energy Generating Company to license the Westinghouse BEACON Core Monitoring System for use at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant Unit 5, further diversifying fuel and related materials supply to Ukraine reactors. BEACON is successfully being used at South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3. Expanding the use to the Zaporizhia nuclear plant demonstrates Energoatom's confidence in the software to calculate the detailed power distribution for the reactor core in real time using input from plant instrumentation.

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"Diversifying fuel and related materials supply to Ukraine" Very well, but does what they sell really fit the reactors?

thorbiorn said:

A few days ago there was a leak of radioactivity from the plant in Zaporizhia

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The biggest problem with the American Westinghouse Electric Company involvement with the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, is that it was built and supplied with Soviet and Russian-made reactors which ran on a precise blend of Russian fuel. The Westinghouse company is unable to duplicate the fuel composition or quality.

In the last link below in ]Russia's Nuclear Fuel Cycle you will notice that Russia has approached "the nuclear option of generating electricity" in a comprehensive and concise manner with expanded and on going testing and development for efficiency power generation
which has included waste by-products. Russia and it's nuclear power plants rank the highest in the world for efficiency and rendering the by products back into the generation of extra energy within the cycle. It also has a strict maintenance program for operational quality.

Every nuclear plant in the U.S. is leaking radiation - some more than others. Maintenance and upgrades are lacking including disposal of spent reactor rods, radioactive open pools and by products. Russia has addressed these problems and have set up an elaborate system of business's and corporations that work side by side with the nuclear industry - to complete a cycle that involves "safety & efficiency".

This article is back dated 12/30/2014:
Russia Slams Kiev for Switching to US Supplies of Nuclear Fuel
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20141230/1016409864.html

MOSCOW, December 30 (Sputnik) —By replacing Russia with a US company as supplier of nuclear fuel, Ukraine endangers the health of its citizens and other peoples in Europe, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Ukraine signed in Brussels earlier on Tuesday an agreement to buy nuclear fuel for its Soviet- and Russian-made reactors from the US company Westinghouse.

"This dangerous experiment, attempted by Kiev, puts in danger the safety and health of Ukrainian citizens and peoples of Europe," the ministry said in a statement.

"It seems that the lessons of the Chernobyl tragedy have not taught the Kiev authorities to follow a responsible and scientifically-sound approach to the use of nuclear energy," the statement said.

Nuclear energy experts and officials have repeatedly warned the Ukrainian authorities that it would be unsafe to use US-made fuel in reactors of Soviet and Russian design.

In its Tuesday statement the Russian Foreign Ministry said that while steps to win new nuclear fuel markets don’t go against long established international practices “in the case with Westinghouse there is a rush, unacceptable for nuclear power issues and negligence towards the nuclear safety requirements.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that Kiev had no reason to worry about the reliability of its Russian nuclear fuel supply. “[Russian] state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom conducts regular and uninterrupted supplies of fuel to Ukrainian nuclear power stations,” the ministry said.


Also back dated 12/30/2014:
Is Ukraine Hiding A Huge Radiation Leak At The Largest Nuclear Power Plant In Europe?
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-30/ukraine-hiding-huge-radiation-leak-largest-nuclear-power-plant-europe

Two days ago we reported of the odd coincidence of a 2nd emergency shutdown at Ukraine's Zaporozhye Nuclear reactor - Europe's largest nuclear power plant - following our earlier fears of disinformation. Today, we get information of a leaked report sourced from three different place - unconfirmed for now (but RT is trying to verify) - that Ukrainian nuclear scioentists misled the public and a radioactive leak has been detected - citing the country’s emergency services claiming that levels of radiation are 16.3 times the legally permitted norm.

As RT reports,

A radioactive leak has been detected at Ukraine’s Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, a media report says, citing the country’s emergency services. The report claims that levels of radiation are 16 times the legally permitted norm.

LifeNews published a leaked report by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, which denies an earlier assessment by the plant’s authorities that the radiation at the facility is equal to the natural background following an incident on Sunday.

RT is trying to verify the report.

On Sunday, one reactor at the plant was automatically shut down after a glitch, becoming the second halt in operations in recent weeks. The reactor was running at 40 percent of nominal power, the plant's official website said, adding that radiation at the facility being at the level of 8-12 microroentgens an hour.

The error was later announced to have been corrected, and the troubled unit – Power Block # 6 – was plugged back into the network.

On November 28, Zaporizhia's Unit 3 was switched off for almost a week. The shutdown, which was reportedly caused by a short circuit, was made public five days later, when Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk revealed it during the first meeting of his new Cabinet.

Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is one of the four nuclear power plants in the country, which together supply a large part of Ukraine's energy needs. The Zaporizhia plant alone, Europe's largest, supplies at least one-fifth of the country’s power needs. It is the world’s fifth-largest nuclear power plant.

As LifeNews reports,
Ukrainian nuclear scientists misinformed the public and the media about the real state of affairs in the Zaporizhzhya NPP. The Internet got a summary of the State Service for Emergency Situations of the 28 and 29 December, which refute the assurances leadership Zaporizhzhya that the sixth unit was put into operation in the evening on 28 December. In addition, the permissible level of radiation at the plant, according to the measurements, was above the norm by 16 times.

Both documents addressed to the Chief of State GSCHS Ukraine in Zaporozhye region - Major General Civil Protection Lepsky. In summary for December 28, reported that at six o'clock in the Zaporizhzhya NPP due to damage to the transformer emergency generator protection system worked 6th unit.

- At 6 am on December 28 at the Zaporozhye NPP operates five units (1,2,3,4,5) ... The total capacity of 4278 MW nuclear power plant radiation background - 4.90 mSv / year., SVYAP - 4.76 mSv / year . - 16.3 times higher than the acceptable norm - said in a bulletin.

Recall that the press service of the Zaporizhzhya NPP and representatives of "Energoatom" in the afternoon on December 28 reported an emergency situation, noting that the background radiation in a sanitary zone around the plant remains normal. After that, the head of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine Dmytro Demchishin stated that repair of power will take a few days.

However, on the evening of December 28 the press service of Zaporizhzhya reported the completion of repair work and emergency unit is connected to the grid.

- December 28 2014 in 22 hours 35 minutes unit number 6 Zaporizhzhya after the fault is connected to the network. Being a set of power ... - said in a statement on the official website of the plant. There's also noted that the background radiation in the vicinity of the station corresponds to the natural.

However GSCHS summary for December 29, completely refuted this statement nuclear scientists. The document says that by 6 am Monday emergency sixth unit is not connected, the total capacity remained at the level of the previous day, and the radiation level in the vicinity of nuclear power plants and the storage of radioactive materials (SVYAP) increased.

- At 6 am on December 29 at the Zaporizhzhya NPP in five units (1,2,3,4,5) ... At 6 am on December 28 sixth unit is disconnected from the unified energy system ... The total capacity of 4278 MW nuclear power plant radiation background - 5.05 mSv / yr., SVYAP - 4.91 mSv / year. - Exceeding 16.8 times - said GSCHS Ukraine.

Recall first of background radiation above the threshold of 14 times in the area of ??Zaporozhye NPP evening of December 28 said the deputy chairman of the People's Council DNI Dennis Pushilin. He explained leak Ukrainian nuclear scientists attempt to install power rod blocks produced by the American company Westinghouse.

However, this appears more serious than simple false flags.

Curiously, all this takes place at a peculiar time: just as Ukraine announces it is replacing its nuclear fuel supplier from Russia to US conglomerate Westinghouse:

Ukraine on Tuesday sealed an additional nuclear fuel supply deal with US giant Westinghouse in order to ease its energy dependence on Russia.

Westinghouse Electric Company said it signed a deal in Brussels with Ukraine's Energoatom state nuclear power provider "to significantly increase fuel deliveries to Ukrainian nuclear power plants through 2020."

No figures were immediately available for the value of a deal which Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had said would take place.

Nor were there details on the quantities of fuel or number of reactors involved. The two sides had earlier this year extended their existing cooperation agreement through 2020.

A top Energoatom official said this month that Kiev would like to purchase additional Westinghouse nuclear fuel for 13 of its reactors.

US-based Westinghouse currently supplies fuel for only one of Ukraine's 15 operating units -- the third reactor of the South Ukranian Nuclear Power Plant that is located 300 kilometres (185 miles) south of Kiev.

Ukranian media said Energoatom and the US firm had been cooperating on nuclear fuel supplies since 2000.

The former Soviet republic had previously relied on Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL.


Russia's Nuclear Fuel Cycle
http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-o-s/russia-nuclear-fuel-cycle.aspx

Half way down the page in: Engineering and general designers

In July 2008 the St Petersburg, Moscow and Nizhny-Novgorod divisions of Atomernergoproekt were converted to joint stock companies, with all shares held by Atomenergoprom. The first two are engineering companies and general designers of nuclear power plants mainly using VVER reactors developed by Gidropress. By the end of 2015 all the following engineering companies had been consolidated into the ASE Group as Rosatom's engineering division.

angelburst29 said:

“The State Duma believes that today’s election of Andrei Parubiy as chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will not contribute to any normalization of relations between the parliaments of our countries or normalization of relations between Russia and Ukraine as a whole. We know very well the views and biography of Mr. Parubiy, primarily his active role in Ukraine’s coup”, Molchanov told reporters.

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Obviously a psychopath like him will do nothing positive for Ukraine, but will fulfill his function for the US pathocracy. More on his active role in Ukraine's coup:

From 1998 to 2004, Parubiy led the Patriot of Ukraine, a paramilitary organization of the Social-National Party. The Patriot of Ukraine also admitted to its overt racist and neo-Nazi political beliefs and its specialization in promoting political violence as a means to an end (alas, the end, which has been achieved). It constituted a paramilitary wing of the Social-National Assembly of Ukraine (S.N.A.), an assemblage of neo-Nazi organizations and other radical violent groups affiliated with the Svoboda party.

In his role as the commandant of Euromaidan from December 2013 to February 2014, Parubiy was the leader of the military wing of the coup that brought down the democratically elected President Yanukovich and subjected the parliament to a reign of terror. In this capacity, he brought into the Maidan all the neo-Nazi storm battalions that he had fostered under the S.N.A. umbrella. Independent evidence strongly points to the fact that it was precisely Parubiy, who was directly in charge of the Maidan snipers. The case is compellingly put forward in an article in the Global Research. Another convincing write-up on this is provided by Gordon Hahn in The Real "Snipers' Massacre", Ukraine, February 2014.

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Not only was Parubiy involved in the coup, but also in the mass crimes committed against the Urkainian people:

After the regime took office in the wake of the coup, Parubiy was appointed to the influential position of head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. In this role, he was tasked with the brutal repression that swept the country after the Maidan coup. He organized and coordinated the National Guard and other ultra-right, neofascist and neo-Nazi storm battalions like the Azov Battalion, which unleashed the terror in Eastern Ukraine. This would also imply that he condoned the Odessa and Mariupol massacres

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This is all from an excellent article from Russia Insider, up on SOTT:

http://www.sott.net/article/316553-Former-Neo-Nazi-commander-becomes-Speaker-of-Ukraines-Parliament
Clearly this is not a positive development for Ukraine

UAF shells the outskirts of Donetsk, Gorlovka, and Yasinovataya

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/uaf-shells-outskirts-of-donetsk.html

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
17th April, 2016

_http://www.novorosinform.org/news/id/51199

During the previous evening, and the subsequent night, units of the UAF opened fire for a total of approximately 150 minutes on the outskirts and suburbs of Donetsk, Gorlovka, and a checkpoint on the highway in the area of Yasinovataya, reports DAN news citing a source in DPR law enforcement agencies.

"The shelling by the Ukrainian side began at about 20:00 and finished near midnight. The following were fired upon by the UAF: Zaytsevo, Spartak, Zhabichevo, Vesele, Trudovskoy, the airport, the "Volvo-Center", and Yasinovatskiy checkpoint," said the agency's interlocutor. "In total across these territories, for 77 minutes, 63 mortars of calibers of 82 mm and 120 mm were fired".

The UAF were firing from positions in the occupied settlements of Zhovanka, Bahmutka, Opytne, and Piski, the cities of Maryinka and Avdiivka, and from Butovskaya mine. In addition to mortars, anti-aircraft guns, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and small arms were used. Information on the destruction and any victims is being verified.

According to the report, a private residential house burned down in a local village in Spartak in the Northern suburbs of Donetsk during the UAF shelling.

"Tonight was the result of the direct hit of a shell in Spartak on Chapayev Street, house #38 burned down, and #40's outbuilding burned down," said one of the residents of the village. "Before the morning, we were all sitting in our basements, afraid to look outside".

She added that the fire brigade arrived at the scene of the fire, but due to the shelling they were only able to get into the town until the morning.

Information on any victims has not been released.

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Odessa: Victims' Relatives Not Allowed at Kulikovo Field Under the Pretext of Mining

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/04/odessa-victims-relatives-not-allowed-at.html

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
17th April, 2016

_http://www.politnavigator.net/v-odesse-rodstvennikov-pogibshikh-ne-pustili-na-kulikovo-pole-pod-predlogom-minirovaniya.html

In Odessa, the relatives of the victims in the House of Trade Unions were not allowed to hold a weekly mourning rally on Kulikovo field under the pretext of mining. This was stated to "politnavigator" by eyewitnesses.

Tight tape was in place around Kulikovo field, and immediately the bomb squad was on duty, with military dog handlers and firefighters.

Gathered Odessans discussed the plans for the upcoming dates — May 2nd and 9th. This time everything passed calmly. Ukrainian nationalists from Odessa watched from afar, and did not enter into skirmishes.

After the gathering ended, the "search for suspicious items" on Kulikovo field immediately ended also.

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