Civil War in Ukraine: Western Empire vs Russia

[angelburst29]

September 17, 2018 - Ukrainians Relive Bloodshed of Kiev's Maidan in Virtual Reality
Ukrainians relive bloodshed of Kiev's Maidan in virtual reality | Reuters


A visitor uses VR (Virtual Reality) glasses during the presentation of a simulator of virtual reality showing the 2013/2014 demonstration in Ukraine, when dozens of protesters were killed in the final moments of Viktor Yanukovich's rule, in Kiev, Ukraine September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

A volunteer medic and the man whose life he saved. A lawmaker whose Facebook post calling for protests in Kiev’s Maidan square helped bring down a president.

These are some of the characters featured in a virtual reality reconstruction of the bloodiest day in the 2013/2014 street demonstrations in Ukraine, when dozens of protesters were killed in the final moments of Viktor Yanukovich’s rule.

Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the protests, a group of fourteen journalists, designers and IT engineers developed a program allowing the user to walk through the area around Maidan square.

Videos of people who were there on February 20 - the bloodiest day of violence - pop up to relate their experiences and explain the significance of particular spots. A transparent blue wall marks where Yanukovich’s forces lined up to repel the protesters.

For Alexey Furman, co-founder of New Cave Media, who covered the protests as a photojournalist, the experience of recreating the event was cathartic.

Ukrainians relive bloodshed of Kiev's Maidan in virtual reality | Reuters

“For me especially it was a very traumatic morning, as it was for hundreds of other people,” he said. “I saw people getting killed.”

“I think the project actually helped fight the PTSD that I had because I’d been on Maidan dozens of times in 2013 and 2014,” he said in an interview, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder.

He used to avoid Instytutska street, which runs on a hill down to Maidan and was the scene of much of the bloodshed, because of the painful memories.

“But now to be honest, I come to Instytutska and go like ‘Oh, we still don’t have that 3D-model, we have to work on it.’”

The team says it took around 200,000 images to build the virtual reality model, a project which was part-funded with a $20,000 grant from Google Labs.

More than 100 people were killed during the protests, who came to be known locally as the ‘Heavenly Hundred”. A small strip of Instytutska was subsequently renamed after them.

From exile in Russia, Yanukovich has denied Ukrainians’ widespread belief that he ordered his special forces to open fire.

At the end of the experience, the user meets two people whom fate threw together on February 20 - a wounded protester and a medical volunteer who held his hand over the wound “for a good twenty minutes maybe even more,” said co-founder of New Cave Media Sergiy Polezhaka in an interview.

“Hiding in a tiny place under the tree ... waiting for danger to calm down a little bit, to save this protester’s life, this is the iconic image from that morning for me.”

The user will also meet the journalist turned MP Mustafa Nayyem, whose Facebook post in November 2013, calling for demonstrations against Yanukovich’s decision to pull out of a deal with the European Union, triggered the Maidan revolt.

The protests in turn lit the fuse for Russia seizing and annexing Crimea in March 2014 and the outbreak of Russian-backed separatist fighting in the Donbass region that has killed more than 10,000 despite a notional ceasefire.

 

[youlik]

Лукашенко: с Украины в Белоруссию «идет беда»

Translation
Lukashenko: trouble is coming from Ukraine to Belarus

On 24 September, in Minsk Vladimir Matveev. > > > President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko today at a meeting with state Secretary of the security Council Stanislav Zasem and Chairman of the state border Committee Anatoly Lappo announced information about the detention of a large illegal Arsenal, BelTA correspondent reports.
At the meeting, in particular, it was about a possible increase in the number of border guards and strengthening of work in certain areas. "Where necessary, we will do it. We have decided to strengthen the border with Ukraine. We see how much trouble there is for Belarus today, including weapons being transported. We have to close the border. But not for decent people, but for bandits, for those who carry weapons," the head of state said.
Alexander Lukashenko in this regard reported the information announced earlier at the report of the Minister of internal Affairs Igor Shunevich. "Now the Minister reported to me. They detained the person at whom an Arsenal: machine guns, ten machine guns, two ten rifles, ten thousand cartridges and so on, and so on", - the head of state gave details. "Collect? So all weapon fighting same. Here are the collectors ... Therefore, it was decided to establish a border with Ukraine. Need a quantity there -need a. Let's see. But not in a crowd-there one hundred, there one thousand, and on one person where it is necessary. No bosses. Chiefs should be at a minimum," the President added
Пулеметы, десяток автоматов, два десятка винтовок - Лукашенко рассказал о задержании нелегального арсенала

 

[angelburst29]

Sept. 26, 2018 - Ukrainian leader accidentally walks into Russian delegation’s room at UN headquarters
Ukrainian leader accidentally walks into Russian delegation’s room at UN headquarters

Poroshenko got the doors mixed up and accidentally entered the Russian delegation’s room as he tried to escape Russian reporters.

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko found himself in an embarrassing situation as he accidentally walked into the Russian delegation’s room trying to escape Russian reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Poroshenko, along with his bodyguards, was moving along a corridor of the UN headquarters in New York when a group of Russian journalists approached him and tried to ask questions, including on his initiative to send a UN peacekeeping mission to the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass.

"I’m not going to answer your questions, you are all a fake," Poroshenko replied.

However, as the Ukrainian president quickened his pace, he got the doors mixed up and accidentally entered the Russian delegation’s room. He walked out a moment later, and proceeded to the assembly hall in silence.

 

[angelburst29]

Taking the floor at the UN General Assembly, Poroshenko called on the member nations to support several resolutions, including the ones on Crimea, on prisoners in Russia, and on Holodomor.

Sept. 27, 2018 - Ukrainian expert comments on Poroshenko’s speech at UN GA
Ukrainian expert comments on Poroshenko’s speech at UN GA

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly was nothing but mere verbiage since he did not give his vision of the solution to the conflict in Donbass, a Ukrainian political analyst said on Thursday.

"I cannot say that Pyotr Poroshenko’s speech at the UN General Assembly was dedicated to his vision of the way to settle the conflict in Donbass and of a peacekeeping mission in particular," said Elena Dyachenko. "Nothing was said about his steps or plans after the war."

She noted that at the beginning of his speech Poroshenko had even rebuked the United Nations for doing nothing during what he called Russia’s aggression, saying that the United Nations’ silence was the Kremlin’s weapon against Ukraine. "He shamed Russia for aggression, once again shamed the United Nations for the Security Council veto, then mentioned peacekeepers, but did it briefly, saying only that a mission with a strong mandate and broad authority is needed. Then, he praised his reforms and what he called the best economic growth dynamics among developing countries, shared his joy of celebrating the 85th anniversary of Holodomor (forced famine in Ukraine)," she said.

"That was an empty speech," she noted.

Taking the floor at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Poroshenko called on the member nations to support several resolutions, including the ones on Crimea, on prisoners in Russia, and on Holodomor. He insisted sanctions be imposed on Russia over the situation in the Sea of Azov. He also demanded a United Nations mission be deployed in Donbass but no resolution to this effect was initiated by the Ukrainian side.


Sept. 28, 2018 - Ukraine’s envoy to Trilateral Contact Group resigns
Ukraine’s envoy to Trilateral Contact Group resigns

Former Ukrainian President and a signer of the Minsk accords Leonid Kuchma has resigned as Ukraine’s Plenipotentiary Representative in the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the Donbass conflict, a spokesman for the Leonid Kuchma Presidential Foundation told TASS.

"Leonid [Kuchma] has decided to leave this post," the source said.

Kuchma explained that that he had "decided long ago" to step down due to his age and the need "to offers others a chance to work."



Sept. 27, 2018 - Heads of local Orthodox Churches alarmed by Ecumenical Patriarch’s steps in Ukraine
Heads of local Orthodox Churches alarmed by Ecumenical Patriarch’s steps in Ukraine

ARMAVIR /Krasnodar region . Situation in the sphere of religion in Ukraine takes on an increasingly menacing character and members of the global community of Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches pay close attention to it, Reverend Alexander Volkov, the press secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill I told TASS on Thursday.

"It is well-known that the situation around the Orthodox Church split in Ukraine budded decades ago but it is now that the respected heads of local [national] Orthodox Churches are issuing warnings," he said. "This proves in a most obvious way that the steps taken by the Ecumenical Patriarch as regards Ukraine have complicated further rather than cleared the situation there."

"The remarks coming from the Primates of the Churches are solitary for the time being but they interpret the situation in only one way - they recognize the canonic character of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reporting to Metropolitan Onuphrius and the invalidity of the Constantinople Patriarchate’s steps [towards the canonical Church in Ukraine - TASS].

He recalled in this connection opinions voiced by Serbian Church Patriarch Irenaeus and Serbian Archbishop Irenaeus of Bac, remarks by Jerusalem Patriarchate, and statements of the ruling hierarchs of the Church of Alexandria and the Polish Church.

"No doubt, these are solitary statements for the time being but they will lead up to a general discussion of the problem soon," Rev Volkov said. "Orthodox Churches will not keep silent."

A decision on the form of pan-Orthodox discussion of the issue has not been taken yet, he said.

"The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church has decided to initiate a pan-Orthodox discussion," the Rev Volkov said. "The decision of the Synod means an appeal to the local Churches to express their shared opinion of the situation together."

Metropolitan Tikhon, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America [ONA] said in an appeal uploaded on to the OCA official website that its Synod of Bishops spoke in support of a permanent dialogue at all levels and urged all the local Orthodox Churches to react to the current crisis in Ukraine by convening a pan-Orthodox synaxis [assembly] where a true solution to the problem could be found.

"The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America supports the need for regular dialogue at every level and appeals to all local Orthodox Churches to address the current crisis in Ukraine through the convening of a Pan-Orthodox synaxis, or similar conciliar process, wherein an authentic solution can be found to this problem," His Eminence Tikhon said in a letter. "We are prepared to participate in such fraternal discussions and will be reviewing the on-going developments of this situation at our Fall Session."

"In the meantime, we call on our clergy, monastics, and faithful to offer their support and fervent prayers for His Beatitude, Metropolitan Onufry, and all the bishops, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the letter said. "May the Lord grant them continued strength and wisdom in their endeavor to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3)."

On September 7, the Constantinople Patriarchate appointed two exarchs to Ukraine, both of them ethnic Ukrainians, as part of what it said were preparations for granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Church dismissed the step as a graphic violation of Church canon and then suspended the mentioning of Patriarch Bartholomew I during services in the Russian Church or concelebrating with the hierarchs of Church of Constantinople.

Patriarch Bartholomew I said during a liturgy in Istanbul on September 23 Ukraine had the right to receive an autocephalous status for its Church and that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has the exclusive right to grant it.


September 28, 2018 - Once an outcast, Ukraine Patriarch to lead Church Split from Russia
Once an outcast, Ukrainian Patriarch ready to lead church split from Russia | Reuters


Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Kiev, Ukraine September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Patriarch Filaret was defrocked and excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox church, and accused by his opponents of being a KGB agent, having a secret family and embezzling money.

But more than a quarter of a century after he led a split of the Ukrainian church from its Russian parent following the Soviet Union’s collapse, Filaret, now 89, is close to achieving his dream of an independent national church. And he is ready to lead it.

Divisions between rival Orthodox factions have sharpened in Ukraine since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of a Kremlin-backed separatist insurgency in the eastern Donbass region.

For President Petro Poroshenko, establishing an independent church is a way of blunting Moscow’s influence in Ukraine. If he pulls it off, it would also likely boost his chances in a tight re-election race next March.

For that to happen, Ukraine needs the formal backing of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Turkey, the global spiritual head of Orthodox Christians.

Filaret said Ukraine could be weeks away from achieving its goal despite fierce opposition from Moscow, and that a synod in Istanbul would approve autocephaly latest by the end of this year. The Russian Orthodox Church has already protested by breaking off ties with Istanbul in September.

“I do not see any obstacles to getting the Tomos,” Filaret told Reuters, referring to the formal announcement that would grant the Ukrainian church “autocephaly”, or independence.

It would mark the end of a strange journey for Filaret, who was once a frontrunner to head the Russian Orthodox Church but switched tack to campaign for an independent Ukrainian church as the country won independence from Moscow.

His branch initially struggled for recognition but has grown in strength and enjoyed the support of successive presidents. He denies allegations of impropriety or working as a secret agent for the KGB, though he said under the Soviet system the clergy was forced to have contacts with the secret police.

Not shy of wading into politics, he threw his support behind “Orange Revolution” protesters in 2004 against Russia’s choice of president, Viktor Yanukovich.

During the Maidan street protests that eventually toppled Yanukovich in 2014, his church offered shelter to injured demonstrators. He says Ukraine’s place was in Europe, not under President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and has urged the West to keep sanctions on Russia.

“Putin wants to return to the past, to the period when empires existed,” Filaret said in an interview.

“But the period of the empires is over. We have already entered a period of globalization while Putin wants to remain in the period of empires.”

HEIGHTENED TENSIONS
The separatist conflict has heightened tensions between a church aligned with Russian Orthodoxy — widely referred to in Ukraine as the Moscow Patriarchate — against Filaret’s breakaway rival called the Kiev Patriarchate.

Critics of the Moscow Patriarchate call it a fifth column for the Kremlin, used to harbor separatist fighters, store weapons, justify Russian expansionism and spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Critics of Filaret call him illegitimate.

It has led to violent clashes between supporters of the rival factions over church property.

Vladimir Legoida, a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate, said one of its churches had been forcibly seized by “schismatic organizations” on Friday in western Ukraine, and accused Kiev’s leaders of unnecessary meddling.

“Ukraine’s political forces are guided by political ambitions and are trying to somehow change the current political situation, including the president’s low rating,” he said at a news conference in Moscow on Friday.

Despite his advanced years, Filaret says he is fit enough to lead the new autocephalous church if chosen, something he puts down to a moderate diet and looking after his health.

But the Moscow Patriarchate says there can be no compromise with Filaret in charge, and its supporters have warned of bloodshed if Ukraine completes its break from Russia.

If I fought for 26 years for the autocephaly of the Ukrainian church and believed that it would happen then of course, as long as God gives me strength, I will serve the Ukrainian church till the end,” Filaret said.
“There will be provocations and we anticipate them, but we will do everything according to the law, voluntarily and without any violence.”

Poroshenko is widely expected to run for a second term next year, and Filaret credits the president’s diplomatic efforts as part of God’s plan to give Ukraine an independent church. He also thinks it will give Poroshenko a boost at the polls.

“Whether he wants to go for a second term or he doesn’t, but the fact that his authority will rise in Ukraine is without a doubt,” Filaret said.

 

[Voyageur]

Sept. 27, 2018 - Heads of local Orthodox Churches alarmed by Ecumenical Patriarch’s steps in Ukraine
Heads of local Orthodox Churches alarmed by Ecumenical Patriarch’s steps in Ukraine

This seems to me to be pretty important, something to keep an eye on. I'm still trying to get my head around the religious/political issues at hand that have been going on for centuries between the orthodox and roman church, and right away it is here with this Filaret that the roman church might be quietly helping to foster the split - an opposite and outside influence, osit (it benefits them ultimately). Patriarch Bartholomew I seems to be going against the unity of the historical orthodox, and it is with this that the Russian orthodox church reacts against Constantinople. Having the Kiev branch 'independent' will be of no service:

Vladimir Legoida, a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate, said one of its churches had been forcibly seized by “schismatic organizations” on Friday in western Ukraine, and accused Kiev’s leaders of unnecessary meddling.

This kind of thing operating behind the everyday scenes may have a lot of repercussions.

 

[angelburst29]

I find it interesting that Patriarch Filaret has decided to give this "independence" a grand push at this moment, considering he's been at this separation from the Russian Orthodox Church - for years? I sense, Pope Francis has his fingers tips - all over this? It also comes on the heels of recent developments between the Pope and China. As noted below, the Pope hasn't been able to set foot in either Russia or China. That condition is still in effect - even though Pope Francis had met with the Russian Patriarch Kirill in Feb. 2016. With China, he has manipulated a way of getting his foot - slightly in the door - by a recent agreement with Beijing (probably to the detriment of China's ruling body and Xi?) As for Russia, Rome has always acted against it and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Beijing and Moscow remain two forbidden places for the head of the Catholic Church.
The Pope Looks East Toward Russia and China | HuffPost

Back-dated Feb. 28, 2016 - The patriarch and the pope will meet on Friday in Cuba’s Havana for the first time since their churches split in the 11th century.
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Hopes Churches Can Turn to Single Calendar

The meeting of Russian Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis in Havana, Cuba, will focus on a range of issues ... [...]
He also noted that the Pope will not cross the Cuban border. "The Pope will not officially cross the [Cuban] border," Volkov stated on Thursday. "The meeting will take place on a neutral territory at the [Havana] airport."
Patriarch, Pope to Discuss Persecution of Christians, Ukraine, Euthanasia

Sep 26, 2018 - Preparations for independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church cause tensions
Preparations for independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church cause tensions

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church seems on the verge of achieving independent status, a development straining ties between the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Moscow.

Earlier this month, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople dispatched two envoys to meet with Church and governmental leaders in Kyiv, to help prepare the way for a newly autocephalous – self-headed – Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

In a Sept. 7 announcement, the Patriarchate of Constantinople said that Archbishop Daniel and Bishop Ilarion would be working “within the framework of the preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.”

“The question [of independence] has already been decided” Daniel said during a meeting Sept. 17 with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The archbishop stated that “the beginning of the process of declaring the Ukrainian Orthodox Church autocephalous has begun.”

The Russian Orthodox Church is strongly opposed to independence for Ukrainian Orthodox Christians. In response to the moves toward Constantinople’s recognition of independence for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow announced last week that he would no longer mention Patriarch Bartholomew in his prayers, or celebrate liturgies together with him.

The Patriarch of Constantinople is recognized as the “first among equals” by the fourteen autocephalous Orthodox Churches, each with their own patriarch.

While Constantinople is the traditional and historical center of Eastern Orthodoxy, the Russian Orthodox Church has long exercised considerable influence and power, both because of its size and because of its closeness to Russian civil authorities.

Orthodox Christians in Ukraine are currently divided into three separate groups.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is under the authority of the Russian Church and has been the officially recognized Orthodox Church in the country.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate effectively declared itself independent from Moscow in 1992, and is considered by the Russian Church to be a schismatic group. The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, re-founded in 1990, is similarly seen as a breakaway group by the Russian Orthodox.

Patriarch Bartholomew’s plan to create a single, self-governing Church in the Ukraine, led by its own patriarch, is motivated by a desire to unify the country’s 30 million Orthodox Christians. The Russian Church sees the move as an infringement of its jurisdiction and authority.

The developments come as Ukraine still struggles politically following the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Archbishop of Kyiv, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, has said the country remains in the midst of a “silent and forgotten war.”

According to the United Nations, the Ukrainian conflict has taken the lives of more than 10,000 people and has left 1.6 million people displaced.

Earlier this month, it was reported that religious leaders in the Ukraine have been the target of Russian hacking operations aimed at frustrating civil and religious independence in the country.

On Sept. 25, the U.S. State Department released a statement in support of Patriarch Bartholomew’s plans for an independent Ukrainian Church, calling him a respected “voice of religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue.”

“The United States respects the ability of Ukraine’s Orthodox religious leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly according to their beliefs,” the statement said.

“The United States maintains unwavering support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine and the Russian occupation of Crimea. We also support Ukraine as it charts its own path and makes its own decisions and associations, free of external interference.”


September 26, 2018 - Pope asks China to show 'trust, courage and farsightedness' in new relationship
Pope asks China to show 'trust, courage and farsightedness' in new relationship | Reuters

Pope Francis urged China’s leaders on Wednesday to move ahead with “trust, courage and farsightedness” after Beijing and the Vatican struck a landmark agreement on the appointment of bishops.

In Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said China was sincere about wanting better relations with the Vatican and that the bishops’ agreement was an important step forward.

The accord, which critics have called a sellout to the Communist government, gives the Vatican a say in the choice of bishops in China. It could also be a precursor to restoring diplomatic ties with Beijing after more than 70 years. The Vatican only has diplomatic ties with Taiwan, China’s rival.

In a message addressed to Chinese Catholics, Francis said that while they should be good citizens of their country, they should not shrink from offering “a word of criticism” when necessary to defend human dignity.

China’s 12 million Catholics have been split between an underground church swearing loyalty to the Vatican and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association. The Vatican said the absence of a deal could have led to a schism between Chinese Catholics that would have been difficult to heal.

The pope’s five-page message included a section in which he addressed Chinese government leaders directly, saying he wanted to “renew my invitation to continue, with trust, courage and farsightedness, the dialogue begun some time ago”.

He said the Vatican would “work sincerely for the growth of genuine friendship with the Chinese people”.

With the accord, which both sides have said is provisional and will not be published , the Beijing government effectively recognizes the pope as leader of all Catholics in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang welcomed the agreement, saying: “China is willing to continue to meet the Vatican side halfway and have constructive dialogue, increasing understanding and accumulating mutual trust, to promote the process of continuing to improve relations.”

“FRATERNAL JOURNEY”
Francis said he realised that some Chinese Catholics who have been persecuted for their loyalty to him might feel abandoned but urged them to have faith in the new arrangement.

“Open your hearts and minds to discern the merciful plan of God, who asks us to rise above personal prejudices and conflicts between groups and communities, in order to undertake a courageous fraternal journey in the light of an authentic culture of encounter,” he said.

Rights groups accuse China of human right violations, something that critics of the agreement have highlighted.

The pope said Chinese Catholics should love and serve their country, but added their faith mandated them to defend values.
“At times, this may also require of them the effort to offer a word of criticism... for the sake of building a society that is more just, humane and respectful of the dignity of each person,” he said.

New bishops will now first be proposed by members of local Catholic communities together with Chinese authorities. The names will then be sent to the Vatican and the pope will have the final say.

As part of the deal, the pope recognised the legitimacy of seven bishops whom the government named without papal approval.

Since the deal was signed, the Vatican has not mentioned Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a rebel province. China does not allow countries to have diplomatic ties with both it and Taiwan.


Jan 29, 2018 - What Cardinal Zen told Pope Francis about the Church in China (Background on how Catholic Church operates in China)
What Cardinal Zen told Pope Francis about the Church in China

The Hong Kong cardinal is among the critics of a reported effort to normalize relations between the Catholic Church and China’s government. The Church in China is complicated by the relationship between the government-supported Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the underground Church, which includes priests and bishops who are not recognized by the government.

Every bishop recognized by Beijing must be a member of the patriotic association, and many bishops appointed by the Vatican are not recognized or approved by the Chinese government, and many have faced government persecution. At the same time, not all bishops appointed by the Chinese government have been approved by the Vatican, and thus, the ordinations of some bishops is canonically illicit.


May 9, 2018 - Pope Francis to meet with head of Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church
Pope Francis to meet with head of Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church

Pope Francis and the primate of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav, will meet for the first time later this week, the Vatican announced Wednesday.

The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia is an Eastern Orthodox Church whose territory covers the countries of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. is one of 14 self-governing Orthodox Churches originating in the Byzantine tradition, which was brought to the area through the evangelization of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius are sometimes called the “Apostles of the Slavs” for their tireless work in spreading the Gospel throughout Eastern Europe in the 9th century.

Such was their influence in Church history, through their evangelization efforts, that the late Pope John Paul II named the two brothers the patron saints of Europe, along with 5th century monastic leader St. Benedict.

Cyril and Methodius are venerated by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox. The common veneration of saints has been one of the tools Pope Francis uses to foster ecumenical relations with the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

 

[angelburst29]

September 28, 2018 - Once an outcast, Ukraine Patriarch to lead Church Split from Russia
Once an outcast, Ukrainian Patriarch ready to lead church split from Russia | Reuters

September 26, 2018 - Pope asks China to show 'trust, courage and farsightedness' in new relationship
Pope asks China to show 'trust, courage and farsightedness' in new relationship | Reuters

Sun. September 30, 2018 - Vatican deal with Beijing leaves some key questions unresolved
Vatican deal with Beijing leaves some key questions unresolved | Reuters

A landmark deal between China’s leaders and the Vatican over the appointment of bishops has been struck without Beijing taking action on long-held Church concerns over clerics in detention, Catholic Church sources familiar with the matter say.

The agreement, which gives the Vatican a long-desired say in the appointment of bishops in China, was signed last Saturday, but details have not been made public.

Three sources aware of the substance of the provisional deal say the plight of a dozen or so detained priests and bishops, some elderly, remains unresolved and will be subject to on-going Vatican efforts. Beijing has provided little clear information about their fate despite repeated Vatican requests in recent years, the sources said.

A senior Vatican source said the precise number still believed to be in detention was not clear.

Some of those held are feared to have died in detention, according to Catholic priests and activists who monitor the situation on the mainland.

Neither China’s Foreign Ministry, which has been leading the talks with the Vatican, nor the Ministry of Public Security immediately responded to requests for comment.

Vatican spokesman said he had no immediate comment. The Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese issued a statement in June protesting the renewed detention of Bishop Cui Tai from Hebei province in April, urging the release of all “unreasonably and illegally detained clergy”.

They also highlighted the detention of Baoding Bishop James Su Zhimin. Now 86, Su has been held since his arrest in October, 1997 but no details of his whereabouts or condition are known.

“The reality is this deal is a small step, a very small step...there is much hard work ahead on unresolved issues,” said one cleric familiar with the pact.

Hong Kong priests say a total figure of clerics under detention or house arrest in China is hard to pin down given official opacity. Beyond long-term detentions, some are held briefly by local authorities.

China’s approximately 12 million Catholics have been split between an underground church loyal to the pope and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association.

While some critics have slammed this month’s agreement as a betrayal that could finally crush the underground Church, Vatican officials said failure to strike the deal could have led to a fatal schism between Chinese Catholics.

“There are many other points and concrete matters that pertain to the life of the Church that can now be put forward,” said Father Federico Lombardi, a former papal spokesman who followed the negotiations closely.


“The fact that a positive result has been achieved leaves hope that others can follow, that there can be development,” he told Italy’s Catholic SIR news agency.

Role of Bishops
Another issue still to be finalised, according to the same three Catholic sources, is the future roles and responsibilities of some of the seven bishops ordained by Beijing’s state-backed church without Vatican approval but legitimized by Pope Francis to clear the way for the deal.


Two of the seven had faced earlier Vatican investigations into allegations they had wives or girlfriends, according to Catholic sources - contravening the vow of celibacy taken by Catholic priests.

They are expected to take up administrative or symbolic roles, keeping the title of bishop without carrying out full responsibilities, including the ordination of priests, the sources said. Reuters has not been able to independently confirm the personal status of these two bishops.

Under the deal, the government will no longer appoint bishops without the approval of the Vatican, which will be given candidates chosen by Catholic communities and Chinese authorities.

But uncertainty is already mounting among some Chinese faithful over how their underground body will integrate with the government-linked Church.

Father Bernardo Cervellera, editor of Rome-based Catholic news agency AsiaNews, said that underground bishops were still restricted. They can say Mass but not move around their dioceses as freely as they wanted.

Missionary priests in contact with underground counterparts in recent days say the pressure on them has intensified in recent months.

“I think of the endurance of the Catholics who suffered. It is true that they will suffer. There is always suffering in an accord, but they have great faith,” Pope Francis said on Tuesday. He has repeatedly defended the deal, which he said would give him, and not Beijing, the final say.

Reservations in Hong Kong
The Bishop of Hong Kong - for decades a vital Catholic beachhead on the edge of officially atheist China - on Saturday expressed his reservations over the pact, saying time and more details were needed before it could be fully judged, or even called an agreement.

Quoted in this weekend’s edition of the Sunday Examiner, the city’s Catholic newspaper, Bishop Michael Yeung referenced lyrics from the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA: “The winner takes it all, the loser’s standing small.”

“Catholics in China are neither radicals nor revolutionaries, instead they are really poor people,” he was quoted as saying. “It is unfortunate that the Communist government targets the Catholic Church more than any other religious group in China.”

Bishop Yeung, who told the paper he was not yet aware of the content of the accord, did not respond to Reuters’ questions.

A Hong Kong-based Vatican envoy was also quoted in the Examiner saying that the deal was of “great importance”, but more negotiations were needed to ensure more freedom and autonomy for the Church.

“I hope the agreement may also bring more trust between the two parties and will inspire other solutions for the benefit of our Catholic Church in China,” said Monsignor Ante Jozic, one of only two semi-official Vatican representatives in greater China under Communist Party control.

Jozic confirmed his remarks to Reuters, but said he could not comment further.

Hong Kong is one of the most important Catholic cities in Asia, home to an extensive network of aid agencies, missions, scholars and media that have supported Catholics in China and elsewhere.

While the Vatican instituted similar accords with Communist authorities in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, the situation in China differs because Beijing created a rival brand of Catholicism through the Patriotic Association.


September 30, 2018 - Three Schoolboys Killed by Mine in East Ukraine
Three schoolboys killed by mine in east Ukraine | Reuters

Three teenage schoolboys were killed in eastern Ukraine when they triggered a mine in an area that has seen heavy fighting between separatists and Ukrainian troops, the region’s separatist authorities said on Sunday.

The boys all studied at the same school in Horlivka, a town controlled by separatist forces, and were aged between 13 and 15, Horlivka mayor Ivan Prikhodko wrote in a social media post.

A fourth schoolboy, who is 10, was injured in the explosion and is being treated in hospital for shrapnel injuries, Prikhodko wrote.

Denis Pushilin, leader of the separatist Donetsk region that includes Horlivka, issued a statement confirming the deaths.

 

[Voyageur]

Orthodox Christians in Ukraine are currently divided into three separate groups

This brought up something Guy Mettan said of history:

“But as we have seen, in reality since the 11th century, Orthodoxy has remained one of the most powerful factors fermenting European detestation of Russia. Polish Catholics have never stopped fighting Orthodoxy. In 1596, the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom actually compelled the Western Ukraine Orthodox Church to submit to the pope and even invaded Moscow in 1612, with the Protestant kingdom of Sweden trying to do the same further to the north. The conquest of the Ukrainian Uniate Church was their only victory in a thousand years. At the end of the 20th century, Polish-born Pope John-Paul II was still trying to send missionaries to Ukraine to no avail.”

“During the Crimean War, in 1854, the bishop of Tulle wrote: “There are men called Christians more dangerous for the Church than the pagans themselves.” And the archbishop of Paris, Mgr. Sibourg, proclaimed ex cathedra: “The real reason of this war is the need to make Photius’s heresy lose ground.” Let us not forget that one of the reasons that Napoleon III decided to undertake the Crimean War, besides his desire to take revenge for the defeat suffered by his uncle Napoleon I, was to satisfy the demands of the ultramontane Catholic bishops, who supported the Polish Catholics and wished for a new crusade against Russian Orthodoxy.”

Excerpt From: Guy Mettan. “Creating Russophobia.”

I guess it has never stopped, there are just new ways to try and accomblish what has been longstanding e.g. backdoor methodes vis supporting Ukraine's 'independent' Orthodoxy as a wedge against Russian Orthodoxy (and ultimately Russia itself).

 

[angelburst29]

Oct. 1, 2018 - Ukraine needs Azov Sea Base to counter new Russian threat: Military Chief
Ukraine needs Azov Sea base to counter new Russian threat: military chief | Reuters


Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces Viktor Muzhenko inspects military exercises at a shooting range at the Tendrivska Kosa island in Kherson Region, Ukraine September 29, 2018. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Ukraine will build a military base on the Azov Sea and has sent more forces to the area to counter a worsening Russian threat, Ukraine's armed forces head told Reuters, referring to an arm of the Black Sea that is a flashpoint of tensions with Moscow.

Ukraine has been at loggerheads with Russia since the 2014 annexation of Crimea and more than 10,000 people have died in fighting between Ukrainian troops and Moscow-backed separatists. Ukraine and NATO countries accuse Russia of supplying troops and heavy weapons to eastern Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

Viktor Muzhenko, Chief of the General Staff, said Russia had moved beyond covert fighting in the Donbass region, home of a Kremlin-backed separatist insurgency, to building up its military presence on Ukraine’s borders and nakedly aggressive actions against ships sailing to Ukrainian ports.

The Azov Sea, a strategic arm of the Black Sea where Russia and Ukraine share the coastline, has become a flashpoint this year. Ukraine says Russia is preventing scores of vessels from reaching Ukrainian ports through spurious inspections and detentions.

Washington too has called on Russia to stop “harassing” ships, and supplied Ukraine with U.S. patrol boats. Moscow in turn says Ukraine might try to blockade Crimea.

“All those actions that are being taken in the Azov Sea region, are elements of building up our presence in this region for an adequate response to possible provocations by the Russian Federation,” Muzhenko said.

He said Ukraine had already deployed more air, land, sea and artillery forces to the area.

Muzhenko ruled out suggestions that Ukrainian navy ships would escort commercial vessels across the sea to prevent them being stopped by Russian ships.

Russia says its checks on shipping are lawful.

Security
“Russian checks on ships are intended exclusively to ensure security in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait, they don’t contradict international law as it applies to this maritime area,” Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, told a news conference on Sept. 22.

Muzhenko was speaking to Reuters on Saturday aboard a military plane flying back from Tendrivska Kosa island on the south coast, on the last of five days of war games across different parts of Ukraine.

Part of those exercises took place on the Hungarian border, which caused consternation in Budapest. Ukraine and Hungary have become embroiled in a series of diplomatic rows over the use of Hungarian in Ukrainian schools and Hungary issuing passports to ethnic Hungarians across the border.

Muzhenko denied the wargames were a show of strength toward Hungary, and said they were intended to counter any chance of Russia attacking Ukraine from the west.

“First of all, this concerns the ability to respond adequately to threats from the Russian Federation. We are talking about protecting our communications, about a possible response to threats, including in the west,” he said.

Washington has continued to support Ukraine under the Donald Trump administration, including supplying Javelin missiles to Ukraine, a step President Barack Obama shied away from.

Muzhenko said the Javelins had been tested and his troops trained to use them, but they had not been deployed in battle yet. Asked whether Ukraine wanted to buy the U.S. Patriot air defense system, he said various options were being considered.

 

[thorbiorn]

On Izvestia web page, ОБСЕ обнаружила ЗРК «Бук» украинских силовиков в Донбассе there was a report that BUK anti aircraft weapons had been spotted by the OSCE Special monitoring mission to Ukraine:

The OSCE found SAM "Buk" with Ukrainian forces in the Donbass

October 2, 2018, 15:25
Observers Special monitoring mission (SMM) OSCE recorded in the Donbass anti-aircraft missile systems "Buk", which belong to the armed forces of Ukraine (AFU).About it reports a press-service of the mission on Tuesday, 2 October.

Three "Buk" (9K37) found on 28 September with a drone.They were controlled by the Kiev railway station in the village of Rubezhnoye.

A day later, on September 29, observers recorded SAM already on the truck platform near the station, said "RIA Novosti".

Here is a verification of the claim Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 27 September 2018 | OSCE:

Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 27 September 2018

KYIV 28 September 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.
[...]
The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Memorandum and the Package of Measures and its Addendum.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, an SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted on 24 September two surface-to-air missile systems (9K37 Buk) near railway cars in Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk) (for previous observation at the same site, see SMM Daily Report 26 September 2018). On 27 September, the SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K37) near Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk).

To each of the reports there is a annexed file with information about ceasefire violations. For the link to the list of violations published on October 1st, there is OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Table of ceasefire violations as of 30 September 2018 | OSCE

The impression is that there is on an ongoing level is quite a lot of activity. Weapons move around, trenches are being dug, weapons are fired. The very presence of the anti aircraft shows preparedness to continue the tension. This ceasefire is more like a trench war with occasional bursts. To read the vague statements from the OSCE is an exercise. But if more shots are fired from west to east and from north to south it indicates who is the more likely culprit, which is no surprise, really.

According to Buk missile system - Wikipedia Ukraine has some 70 BUK rockets, each of which can reach a speed of about three times the speed of sound.

 

[youlik]

The OSCE found SAM "Buk" with Ukrainian forces in the Donbass

У этой новости есть довольно интригующее продолжение.


Translation
This news has a rather intriguing sequel.

...The official representative of the people's militia of the self-proclaimed Luhansk people's Republic Andrei Marochko believes that the Ukrainian security forces can convert anti-aircraft missile systems "Buk" for use on ground targets.

"Anti-aircraft missile system" Buk " is designed to recognize and destroy three classes of targets: aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles. None of the above weapons in the people's Republic. <...> When upgrading these systems and installing missiles of a different class on them, they can be used for ground targets, which, most likely, the Ukrainian commanders plan to do," Marochko concluded. ...

В ОБСЕ заявили, что обнаружили "Бук" силовиков в Донбассе - РИА Новости, 02.10.2018

 

[angelburst29]

On Izvestia web page, ОБСЕ обнаружила ЗРК «Бук» украинских силовиков в Донбассе there was a report that BUK anti aircraft weapons had been spotted by the OSCE Special monitoring mission to Ukraine:


Here is a verification of the claim Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 27 September 2018 | OSCE:
To each of the reports there is a annexed file with information about ceasefire violations. For the link to the list of violations published on October 1st, there is OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Table of ceasefire violations as of 30 September 2018 | OSCE

У этой новости есть довольно интригующее продолжение.


Translation
This news has a rather intriguing sequel.

"Anti-aircraft missile system" Buk " is designed to recognize and destroy three classes of targets: aircraft, ...

В ОБСЕ заявили, что обнаружили "Бук" силовиков в Донбассе - РИА Новости, 02.10.2018

Wonder - if these three BUK Missiles might be from the same batch - that brought down the plane?

 

[Voyageur]

Sept. 27, 2018 - Heads of local Orthodox Churches alarmed by Ecumenical Patriarch’s steps in Ukraine
Heads of local Orthodox Churches alarmed by Ecumenical Patriarch’s steps in Ukraine

It was somewhat inferred by the US and then denied, however, it was inevitable as James George Jatras writes:

For US, Meddling in Orthodox Church Affairs Is Just Another Tool Against Russia

Probably not many people who follow international affairs think the intricacies of Orthodox Church governance are particularly important.

Well, the US Department of State does.

Barely a week ago, the State Department, via the statement of a senior official, Ambassador Michael Kozak, publicly pledged that Washington would stay out of the contentious question of the status of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine: “any decision on autocephaly is an internal church matter.” (Without repeating all of the details of my previous commentaries on what some may regard as an arcane and peripheral issue, there is reason to expect that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople may soon issue a “tomos” [decree] of autocephaly [self-rule] for the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, thereby purporting to rip it out from the Russian Orthodox Church, of which the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has not asked for autocephaly, is an autonomous part.)

Especially for a government like that of the United States, which claims to have no particular religious agenda, respecting the internal canonical integrity of the Orthodox Church as a spiritual community was the only correct position.

But it didn’t last long.

Kozak’s declaration must now be considered inoperative. On September 25, the noted theologian Heather Nauert, the State Department’s spokesperson, issued the following statement:

Press Statement

Heather Nauert
Department Spokesperson

Washington, DC

September 25, 2018

The United States strongly supports religious freedom, including the freedom of members of groups to govern their religion according to their beliefs and practice their faiths freely without government interference. The United States respects the ability of Ukraine’s Orthodox religious leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly according to their beliefs. We respect the Ecumenical Patriarch as a voice of religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue.

The United States maintains unwavering support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine and the Russian occupation of Crimea. We also support Ukraine as it charts its own path and makes its own decisions and associations, free of external interference. [emphasis added]

No doubt drafted not by Nauert herself but by someone in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) the press statement avoids directly calling for autocephaly while unmistakably giving the impression of such endorsement, which is exactly how it was reported in the media, for example, “US backs Ukrainian Church bid for autocephaly.” The State Department’s praise for the Ecumenical Patriarchate reinforces that clearly intended impression.

Thus, the State Department must now be considered a party to triggering violent religious strife that will soon grip Ukraine and cause a split in the Orthodox world rivaling even the Great Schism between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism that took place in 1054. (Unlike the US, the Vatican commendably has maintained a principled position of non-interference. The Papal Nuncio in Kiev even issued a statement answering Ukrainian government spin that falsely claimed the support for autocephaly: “In order to partially correct the news given by official Government sources with regard to the meeting that took place yesterday… the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine wishes to once again state the position of the Holy See in the question of the creation of one Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, namely that this is an internal question of the Orthodox Church, on which the Holy See never did and has no intention whatsoever of expressing any evaluation, in any venue.”)

No doubt the official US imprimatur will be taken both by Kiev and the Phanar (the district in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is located) as a green light to press forward with the impending schism. That in turn will inevitability lead to violence – which of course will be blamed exclusively on Ukrainians loyal to the canonical Church and on Russia.

The game plan for such seizures was laid out by false “Patriarch Filaret” Denysenko last week in Washington, in his remarks to the Atlantic Council. He specified that following expected recognition of autocephaly by Constantinople (which uncanonically claims such authority) members of Ukrainian parishes can choose which jurisdiction to adhere to by a two-thirds vote. This opens the door to packing the putative membership in a parish by people who have no connection to it and who might not even be Orthodox believers, who will then “democratically” outvote the genuine parishioners. As for monastic establishments, that’s simple according to Denysenko: the Ukrainian government will grab them. The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture has already begun compiling an inventory of properties belonging to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in preparation for their forcible seizure by state authorities, to be turned over the Denysenkoite schismatics.

One should not suppose that the Nauert statement means the US government or the State Department has taken a sudden interest in theology and ecclesiology. Rather, it is a new twist in what always must be kept in mind (and certainly officials in Kiev never forget): that nobody in Washington really cares much about Ukraine or Ukrainians per se. They matter only to the extent to which US officials believe that keeping Ukraine out of Russia’s orbit means preventing Moscow from regaining superpower status.

To that end, pulling Ukraine firmly in to the western camp of NATO (the 2008 Bucharest declaration that Ukraine, along with Georgia, will become a member has never been rescinded) and the European Union presents Russia with an insoluble security vulnerability. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko repeated insists Ukraine will become a “full member of NATO and of the European Union.”

Hence, Poroshenko’s drive for autocephaly has exactly zero to do with spiritual values and everything to do with slamming Russia: “We will have an independent Ukrainian church as part of an independent Ukraine. This will create a spiritual independence from Russia.” His rival for the presidency, front-runner and former prime minister, Yulia Tymochenko supports it for the same reason. If that results in bloodshed, well, too bad...

The State Department’s decision to become involved in a religious matter that does not concern the US is likewise narrowly political and reflects the schizophrenia in the Trump administration concerning Russia. Trump’s 2016 declarations that he wanted to improve ties with Moscow terrified the post-Maidan leadership in Kiev, who were overtly in Hillary’s camp. When Trump unexpectedly won, they were afraid he would make a deal with Moscow over their heads.

However, with the moving into political positions of influence strongly anti-Russian figures, many of them Bush retreads and even some with “Never Trump” credentials, Ukrainian officials have good reason to feel that that danger has largely been averted. With hostility toward Russia seemingly permanent and deepening, they believe they have Washington back where they want them.

Viewed through that lens, egging on religious dissension is just another item in the toolkit.

I really don't know of course how this internal schism will play out (and the external adversary in Rome will not be sitting on their thumbs) - we will have to see. However, Jatras perhaps is giving the Poroshenko/NATO card too much credence - even though it is their aim; and despite the NATO camps designs on Ukraine to be used against Russia (and the deeper state of things in the US), it seems that Russia will a. never let that happen and b. it is difficult to tell exactly what Trump is really thinking, and there are those around him who are not stupid and can look at the math, osit.

If Yulia usurps Poroshenko down the road, that is another development that can't be exactly predicted just yet despite her actions; what she has done, said and what she seems to represent - it could get much worse, and then again, there may be binders that reine her in.

“As for our Ukrainian church, I want to say again firmly and clearly that our team and I myself support the decision to grant a tomos to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with all our heart and all our capabilities in order to make our church independent of the Russian church, so that we can strengthen our sovereignty by receiving true independence of our Orthodox church,” Tymoshenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

 

[angelburst29]

Oct. 3, 2018 - Poroshenko introduces draft law to Verkhovna Rada to prolong special status of Donbass
Poroshenko introduces draft law to Verkhovna Rada to prolong special status of Donbass

The law on granting a special self-governance status to some areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions was adopted in October 2014 with a three-year period.

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko has asked the Verkhovna Rada to urgently study a draft law on extending the special status of the Donbass territories not under Kiev’s control. The document was registered with the parliament on behalf of the head of state on Wednesday.

The document stipulates the introduction of changes into Section 1 of the law "On the special order for local self-governance in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions." There is no text of the document on the Rada’s official website yet.

The law on granting a special self-governance status to some areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions was adopted in October 2014 for a three-year period. It is a key document for a political settlement in eastern Ukraine. Representatives for the self-proclaimed Donbass republics repeatedly stated that any rejection to extend it would mean abandoning the implementation of the Minsk accord.

On October 6, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law "Creating conditions for a peaceful settlement to the situation in some areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions," that prolongs the special status of Donbass for one year. Still, Kiev introduced amendments to the law, under which the special status will come into force only after the current Ukrainian authorities gain total control over the territory from which "all illegal armed groups and military equipment, as well as militants and mercenaries" are to be withdrawn.

The law on the special status of Donbass expires on October 6, 2018. In early September, Verkhovna Rada’s First Deputy Vice Speaker Irina Gerashchenko stated that the decision to hold elections in the self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR) on November 11 would hamper the approval to prolong the law on the special status of Donbass. On September 15, US Department of State Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Walker restated the need for Ukraine to prolong the law on the special status of Donbass.


Oct. 3, 2018 - Former Ukrainian PM says Kiev will not dare to launch massive conflict in Donbass
Former Ukrainian PM says Kiev will not dare to launch massive conflict in Donbass

Commenting on Pyotr Poroshenko’s decision to introduce draft law to extend the special status of Donbass, the former Ukrainian prime minister said that its adoption would not change anything.

Kiev’s authorities will hardly dare to launch a massive conflict in Donbass, as it will lead to the crash of the Ukrainian regime, said former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov at a press conference devoted to the current situation in this country.

"I am confident that neither the Americans nor the current Kiev regime will dare to launch a massive conflict in Donbass, as it will mean the end of this regime," Azarov said. "However, I think that the provocations that Kiev is constantly carrying out may repeat."

Commenting on Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko’s decision to introduce a draft law to Verkhovna Rada to extend the special status of Donbass, the former Ukrainian prime minister said that its adoption would not change anything. "The thing is the law has been in effect since 2014… Can you name the part of this law that was executed by Kiev? Not a single one," Azarov explained.

"It is a fabrication that Ukraine wants to use as cover against the French and the Americans, who call on Kiev to at least formally support the execution of the Minsk agreements."

"So, I think that hardly anything will change after extending the law on the special status of Donbass," he concluded.


Oct. 2, 2018 - Former Ukrainian president rounds up his work at Ukraine Contact Group
Former Ukrainian president rounds up his work at Ukraine Contact Group

Kuchma made public his firm decision to leave the Contact Group last Friday, citing health reasons.

Leonid Kuchma, the second president of independent Ukraine and one of the signatories of the Minsk accords on settling the armed civil conflict in the east of the country, rounded up his mission to the Group officially on Tuesday.

He said a few days ago that he was going to quit the position. On Tuesday, his press secretary said after a regular meeting of the Group this was the last session where Kuchma took part.

"At the end of today’s meeting in Minsk, Leonid Kuchma thanked his colleagues in the Trilateral Contact Group for the work they had done together," she tweeted in Facebook. "He drew the bottom line under his performance as Ukraine’s representative in the Trilateral Contact Group this way."

"Leonid Kuchma gave special thanks to Belarus for facilitation to the negotiations," the press secretary said. The special envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Martin Sajdik thanked Kuchma on behalf of the Group for his contribution to the Minsk process.

Russia’s plenipotentiary representative to the Group, Boris Gryzlov, told reporters that Kuchma had taken a decision to quit owing to his advanced age.

Kuchma was one of the founders of the Contact Group as a format for negotiations on settling the conflict in Donbass. He took part in the very first semi-official meeting on June 23, 2014, in Donetsk.

The Minsk format took final shape only by autumn of that year. The parties to the consultations signed the first package of documents on settlement in Donbass in Minsk on September 5. Kuchma signed it on behalf of the Ukrainian authorities.


Oct. 3, 2018 - Ukrainian army surrounds Donbass village to fulfill draft quota, will include women
Ukrainian army surrounds Donbass village to fulfill draft quota, will include women - Fort Russ

Due to the catastrophic shortage of personnel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donbass region under their control raided the Borovenka village of the Kremensky district to identify men of military age, and are also planning to organize the recruitment of women for contract service and participation in hostilities. This was stated by the official representative of the People’s Militia of the LPR, Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Marochko.

According to him, in the village of Borovenka, in order to fulfill the mobilization of citizens for the armed forces of Ukraine, a draft raid was carried out.

“They set up a cordon around the perimeter of the settlement, and other soldiers entered the houses of local residents to identify men of military age,” Marochko said.

Citizens of military age were forced to take their personal belongings and passport and were taken to Severodonetsk in order to undergo a medical examination for subsequent dispatch to the troops, said lieutenant colonel Marochko.

In addition, according to him, the military leadership of Ukraine has decided to recruit women soldiers for service under the contract and recruit units intended for direct participation in hostilities.

Yesterday it became known that the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is offering Ukrainian criminals a choice of service on a contract instead of prison terms.

The autumn draft into the Armed Forces of Ukraine began October 1.

On August 25, it was reported that reinforcements from recidivist criminals arrived at the national Aydar battalion.

 

[angelburst29]

Oct. 4, 2018 - Kiev moving air defense systems to contact line in Donbass — Russian OSCE envoy
Kiev moving air defense systems to contact line in Donbass — Russian OSCE envoy

Two Buk air defense missile systems were spotted at a railway station in Mariupol.

The Ukrainian armed forces are moving their air defense systems to the contact line in Donbass, Russia’s OSCE Ambassador Alexander Lukashevich told a session of the European security agency’s Permanent Council on Thursday.

"Kiev is pulling air defense systems to the contact line. Reports of the [OSCE] Special Monitoring Mission of September 28 and October 1 say two Buk air defense missile systems were spotted at a railway station in Mariupol and several more - on the railway junction in Rubezhnoye. What are the aims they are planning to bring down?" he asked.


Oct. 5, 2018 - Kiev boosts its troops in Donbass with US weaponry — Russia’s OSCE envoy
Kiev boosts its troops in Donbass with US weaponry — Russia’s OSCE envoy

So far, Kiev has received US military assistance worth over $1 billion.

Instead of reconciliation efforts in eastern Ukraine, the Kiev government continues to reinforce its troops in the region with US-made weaponry, Russia’s permanent envoy to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Thursday.

"Instead of reconciliation efforts, Kiev continues to boost the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weaponry that it receives mostly from the United States," Alexander Lukashevich told the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna.

"So far, US assistance worth over $1 billion has already been received. According to media reports, a large-scale batch of lethal weapons and ammunition was delivered to Ukraine on August 30, which included: 3,500 firearms, over 3,100 mines, about 2 million cartridges, about 34,000 explosive devices and 52,000 rockets," he continued. "There were also reports of supplies of Javelin man-portable anti-tank missiles, Hummer armored vehicles and grenade launchers."

Moreover, the Ukrainian armed forces received two US-made Island-class patrol boats last week, the Russian diplomat said.

"During his annual address to [Ukrainian parliament] Verkhovna Rada, the president of Ukraine mentioned his intention to buy high-precision weapons from the United States, and in his recent interview to CNN he spoke of plans to get US-made air defense systems. Those actions by the US and its allies directly violate their international commitments not to deliver weaponry to zones of armed conflict," Lukashevich said.