Daily digest. The event review of the situation on the occupied, frontline and peaceful areas of the East of Ukraine and also Crimea

Checkpoint ‘Zolotoe’, Luhansk Art & Facts happening, 5 positions into ‘Road Map’ from Ukraine, Ukrainian border guards refuted ‘DPR’ fake about frozen women in the queue to checkpoint, ‘LPR’ children will see country house of Stalin, open letter from Luhansk confectionary, Russian soldier refused to war in Donbass, videointerrogation of Yanukovich.

In spite of Ukrainian border guards, who has opened on November 23 at 8 am checkpoint ‘Zolotoe’ from their side, ‘LPR’ fighters didn’t begin to pass citizens and vehicles from their side. Assistant head of the State Border Service of Ukraine Oleg Slobodyan reported about this fact.

‘Fighters don’t pass people. Movement didn’t renew’, Slobodyan said.

We add that today at 8 am Ukrainian border guards has begun pass through ‘Zolotoe’ checkpoint. It had been already registered 10 cars and 20 people.

info: ‘Zolotoe’ is the only automobile checkpoint on the demarcation line in Luhansk region. It was going to be opened on March 2016. But representatives of self-proclaimed ‘LPR’ sabotage this process since that times.

We add, ‘LPR’ fighters don’t have a wish to open checkpoint in Zolotoe and insist on opening the checkpoint in Schastie.

Because, according to their words, the road connecting Zolotoe and Pervomaisk, is ostensibly disrepair. With that OSCE observers claim that not so long ago they could move on this road. They wrote about it in their report from November 18.

Except that, representatives of the mission wrote in their report from November 16 that ‘armed ‘LPR’ member in the block-post of fighters on the South of site of withdrawal near Zolotoe had reported to observers that ‘LPR’ members are not going to open checkpoint in spite of preparing works, doing on the controlled by government side’.

The opening of virtual museum of culture activism ‘Luhansk’s Art & Facts’ will happen on Thursday, November 24 in Kyiv. The organizers of the project report that online museum is dedicated to cultural and public life of Luhansk.

“Museum will enlighten unknown cultural wave of Luhansk as one of the largest cities of Donbass and refute the opinion that one of the reasons of war is the absence of culture on the East and passivity of its inhabitants’, authors of virtual project noted.

Museum chronologically covers the period between two Ukrainian revolutions – Orange and Revolution of Dignity, this means the decade 2004 – 2013 years.

‘The date of the opening of virtual museum also is symbolic, because on November 24, 2013 first scale and organized rally to support Kyiv Euromaidan started’, authors of the project clarified.

Expected, that cultural innovators and experts of the museum craft from abroad will take part in the museum opening. Martin Dyuspol and Yana Brown from the museum Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in Berlin and also artists and public activists, whose life and activity was directly connected with Luhansk at the appointed time. Also, the representatives of Goethe-Institut and explorers from organization ‘Sostoyanie’ (Condition) will perform on the opening.  

Authors has prepared art-program except presentation: the exhibition of photos of Eugeniy Sulimenko, concert of Simon Stone band, performance from artist Slava.

At the same time the participants of the project confirm that work on the virtual museum will continue after its opening. In connection with this they invite all eyewitnesses of Luhansk to cooperate.

‘Piece of art, unique life story or simple story, memories about lovely place of public institution, impressions after the event, which happened in Luhansk etc. could become the exhibit of the museum.

The organizers invite guests of the event to bring own artifacts, the exhibition from them will be formed on the opening’, authors of the project resumed.

We add, the project ‘Luhansk’s Art & Facts’ is realizing together with Goethe-Institut Ukraine and Youth organization “STAN” under the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Federal Republic of Germany, advisory support Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum in Berlin and the technical support of the studio “Zina design”.   

The beginning of the presentation on November 24, 6 pm, Free people house (Kyiv, Kyrylivska st. 13d).

So-called ‘Road Map’ for the implementation of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the situation in the Donbass must have 5 key provisions according to Ukrainian side. Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Konstantin Eliseev has claimed about it in the interview to ‘RBC-Ukraine’.

First question is the border. According to his words, this is about providing of the permanent monitoring from OSCE side of its uncontrolled site and also about

The second is connected with withdrawal of Russian army and weapon from Ukrainian territory.

The third one is the safety in time of holding possible elections. ‘You know? that we’re discussing the entry of OSCE armed police mission’, Eliseev clarified.

The fourth is the release of hostages on the territory of Donbass and Ukrainian political prisoners on the territory of Russia.

The fifth is what to do with Russian marionettes Plotnitsky and Zakharchenko and also with fake structures, which were created in Donbass during the last time.

At the same time Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration told about demands from Russian’s side: ‘They want do minimum, demanding from Ukraine maximum. Russia has its own concrete goals and according to current situation it’s hard to talk about its frank interest to the peaceful settlement of the situation. I still have doubts, shellings continue every day and this means that base question, concerning which an agreement was reached in Berlin – lasting and unconditional ceasefire, didn’t carry out’, he explained.

Also, Konstantin Eliseev explained that Russia is going to support in Donbass ‘controlled escalation’ in the short term.

The second their goal is to ‘start flywheel of the federalization of Ukraine to dismember in future and ruin our country. So, long-term target, I think, it’s not a secret, is based on the well-known phrase of the president of Russia that the biggest XX century tragedy was the collapse of the Soviet Union. You can notice that not World War I and not World War II, but exactly the collapse of the USSR. Of course the aim to recover Soviet Union in one or another form leaves and Ukraine is the most sweet piece in this idea’ he resumed.

UKrainian border guards and police have refuted the statements of representatives of self-proclaimed ‘DPR’ about death of two women near of of the checkpoints.

So-called ‘deputy head of people’s militia dept’ of self-proclaimed ‘DPR’ Eduard Basurin has claimed that two women: Ekaterina Basmanova, Horlovka dweller and Valentina Solodkaya, Luhank region dweller died because of long standing in the queue and ‘absence of points of heating’ in time of crossing checkpoint ‘Mayorsk’ during November 21-22.

At the same time, the Head of the press service of the State Border Service of Eastern Regional Department Oksana Ivanets has refuted that information in the commentary to ‘Donbass News’.

‘Unfortunately, it happens when old people die in checkpoints. Such accidents are fixed once a month on one of checkpoints including Luhansk region. But there were no alike cases last days’, she said.

The fact of women’s death wasn’t confirmed neither in PR dept of Police of Donetsk region.

‘Facts of death on the controlled territory from the side of checkpoint ‘Mayorsk’ weren’t fixed’, police press-service reported.

Children from ‘LPR’ in the ranks of so-called project ‘Patriot’ will go to rest in patriotic camp in Abkhazia in time of winter holidays from December 28 to January 9.

According to words of so-called officials of ‘republic’, Abkhazia side has invited children. It’s planned that schoolchildren will have a rest in the Boarding in Ochamchire.

Except ‘LPR’ children also kids from ‘DPR’, South Ossetia, Pridnestrovie and Abkhazia will take part in change. Total – 100 children.

Kid program provides visits to museums, Novoafon monastery and caves, botanic garden, Sukhumi monkey nursery and the pearl of hiking is the excursion on the country house to Soviet tyrant, a sadist and murderer of millions Iosif Stalin.

Workers of Luhansk candy factory applied with open letter to ‘LPR’ chieftains and representatives of media, where they asked to stop the liquidation of confectionery production.

Text of the letter with original stylistics.

‘Dear Heads of Republic! Dear mass media representatives! Don’t let the demolition of the city-forming enterprise! Do not be indifferent!

You all know about existence of Luhansk candy factory. At a current moment the enterprise was virtually stopped. It worked only 2 weeks in 2016 (1 week in spring and 1 week in autumn). 70 people are listed at factory.

1500 people have been working here before a war. The enterprise worked 24/7. Transfers to the budget amounted to several millions. Luhansk candy factory was one of the city-forming enterprises. 20 years ago it was bought by ‘A.V.K.’ company. It included candy factories of Dnipro, Donetsk, Mukachevo and Luhansk before a war.

War has divided company on Ukrainian enterprises and L/DPR. Current owners are in Donetsk and instead of help to our Republic to recover they destroy our enterprise and going to shut our factory. There is a staff reduction at a current time (20 people from 70 will stay but maybe on two months).

They had to take out a line of sweets Luhansk at the beginning of war in 2014. Now they are going to take out all left equipment – it’s three lines of sweets and two lines of cookies. The package of documents to get permission to move out equipment is preparing. Other equipment is cutting out now and goes for a scrap metal.

If Commission for Foreign Economic Activity and Council of Ministers of ‘LPR’ allow equipment removal from Luhansk candy factory, so our enterprise will leave only naked walls! And nobody can recover our glorious enterprise after it demolition!

Don’t be indifferent! Don’t let the destruction of the Luhansk candy factory!’

Contract soldier of Russian army Vladimir Marchukov complained on compulsory retirement because of the refusal to go to war in Ukraine in 2015 to Human Rights Council. Russian RBC agency has reported about it.

The edition writes that Sergeant of 536-th separate coastal missile and artillery brigade of the military unit 10544 in the Murmansk region, Vladimir Marchukov complained to the Presidential Human Rights Council that he was dismissed from service on November 10, 2016 with the violation of his contract rights for the refusal to go in Donbass to war.

The command of the Russian army calls cause rupture of the contract ‘drunk driving and disciplinary offenses’. Marchukov confirms that lieutenant colonel Rustam Sanjapov threatened with firing on January 2015 for the refusal to go to war on the territory of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine.

Those, who agreed were sent in new unit, where they underwent military training with the change of military specialties. So, Marchukov refused and his wife, working in the dining room of the military unit, directed the complaint to Human Rights Council.

‘After the application of a wife to Human Rights Council (HRC) the command of military unit denied sending of contract soldiers in Ukraine. It explained that they were sent on the retraining. But there is no need to change the military specialty in the certificate’, rebel sergeant claimed.

Marchukov’s wife, Victory, assures that after application to HRC her pass into closed settlement was seized, she was forced to dismiss without sign into workbook and return with the child in Murmansk.

Her husband confirms that authority illegally inscribed penalties into his official card, forging signatures. Sergeant deleted this marks through the Military Prosecutor.

And Marchukov ostensibly haven’t passed the attestation on November 8, 2016 and he was fired from armed forces. Military calls this attestation the ‘window dressing’, because his official card with an order on withdrawal of the prosecution and the commander of the brigade of illegal punishment…

The interrogation of the ex-president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovich in the case of five former employees of ‘Berkut’ (videoconference) appointed on November 25, it will take place in Svyatoshino District Court of Kyiv, channel ‘112 Ukraine’ has reported about it.

The message tells that ‘five ex-former employees of ‘Berkut’ remain in custody for another 60 days. Such decision was made by Svyatoshino District Court of Kyiv.

‘Then Oleg Yanischevsky took a word, he reported that feels bad two days, he has the temperature 39 degrees, that’s why he asked to remove the session, which must be on November 24 and on which the changes in the order of interrogation of witnesses might be considered. In particular this about videointerrogation of ex-president Yanukovich’, the correspondent of TV-channel noted.

Also, it was said that ‘the presiding judge ruled on the matter today’.

‘Nobody from sides was against. Thus, The interrogation of the ex-president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovich in the case of five former employees of ‘Berkut’ (videoconference) appointed on November 25, it will take place in Svyatoshino District Court of Kyiv’, tells the message. Victims and their relatives, and relatives of the victims will visit the session.