Prognosis of Ukrainian economy decline is worsening. Donbass ceasefire is being constantly breached by militants. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk follows the lustration expectations of Ukrainian society.
Ukraine
● President Poroshenko introduced new governors of Donetsk and Luhansk regions during а trip to Donbass. He also inspected fortifications in the combat area and stressed, that the next week will be critical for resolution of the conflict in Donbass.
● Bribery of voters became mainstream during the early parliamentary elections. Police have already opened 50 criminal cases and is asking citizens to report any facts of similar violations.
● Following the National Bank, Inflation forecast for Ukraine has been worsened by the IMF, reaching 19% by the year end. At the same time national debt is forecast to reach 102% of GDP. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde stressed the need for further financial assistance for Ukraine, to be provided both from the fund and other sources.
● National Bank slightly decreased the exchange rate of hryvnya vs major currencies: 12.95 USD/UAH (+2 cop), 16.53 UAH/EUR (+18 cop), 3.24 UAH/10 RUR (+1 cop).
● Automaidan activists picketed Presidential Administration and President’s private residence, as well as the one of the Prosecutor General Yarema, demanding all security serviceman guilty of the maidaners executions to be punished, as well as stop to persecutions of activists fighting with corrupted authorities.
Kyiv
● Internet portal, which allows to track movements of public transport equipped with GPS in real time, was launched in Kyiv.
● Mayor Klitchko is not considering to leave his job even if elected to the parliament.
War in Ukraine
● Situation in the combat area remains tense. Ukrainian army positions have been attacked tens of times.
● Volunteers discovered mass burial of Ukrainian military near Shakhtersk.
● Militants continue to shell Donetsk. Two civillians were killed and several buildings destroyed as the result. As per the UN data, 55 civilians were killed during the week and number of refugees and forced re-settlers is constantly growing. Terrorists shelled Luhans’k thermal power station in Schastye city with tanks. Two workers were wounded. The station is partially out of service. Power supply cuts are starting.
● Dutch Prime Minister reported that 272 bodies of the MH-17 Malaysian Airlines flight catastrophe have been already identified but access to the crash site is not available.
● Norway followed the EU and reinforced sanctions against Russia.
International
● As per statement of the NATO Deputy Secretary General, situation in Donbass remains unstable and could seriously deteriorate in the next several days.
● In response to aggression in Ukraine Romania will deploy the US anti-missile defense base, which was strongly opposed by Russia.
● President Poroshenko didn’t attend the CIS State Leaders Summit held in Minsk. Former USSR republics leaders decided to liquidate the Eurasian Economic Commonwealth and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was created instead. Mass strike took place in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where thousands of citizens demanded resignation of President Sargsyan, who singed Armenian accession to the EAEU.
● As per announcement of the Polish Sejm Speaker, Poland possesses solid coal reserves and could arrange its delivery to Ukraine in order to support its energy sector. Natural gas reverse shipments will continue.
Trends
● According to opinion of the Minister of Justice Petrenko, launch of the lustration process is fully dependent on the adoption of the anti-corruption legislation package by the new parliament. Lustration implicates presumption of guilt of government officials and could be appealed in the court. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk’s pursuit of speeding up the lustration process could mean that his political party seriously considerс а fight with fellows of the President Poroshenko and his party members, which have accumulated corrupted officials and deputies.
● Nomination of the ex-head of SSU Smishko to the position of Head of the Intelligence Committee, and of his former employee Kihtenko to the Governor of Donetsk region, could mean strengthening of influence of pro-Russian politician Medvedchuk – a former head of the Presidential Administration under ex-president Kuchma.
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