Timeline 1987-2017

2017

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Fifteen civilians killed, 72 injured in Donbas over three months - UN

The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France will hold telephone talks on Monday, officials said, amid a fresh flare up in fighting in eastern Ukraine between government troops and Russian-backed rebels.

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson assured Ukraine’s leader on Sunday that the United States would not lift economic sanctions against Russia until it “reverses the actions” that prompted them and restores the country’s “territorial integrity,” appearing to set the same high bar for sanctions relief that the Obama administration did.

When Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, declared in recent days that a new state with its capital in rebel territory should replace Ukraine, the idea was quickly ridiculed.

The Russian television station Channel One has announced that it will not take part in next month’s Eurovision song contest or broadcast the competition because its contestant has been barred from the host country, Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko got assurances from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that Washington will not allow any deal that links the fates of Ukraine and Syria, Poroshenko's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked his European counterparts on Tuesday why American voters should care about the conflict in Ukraine, France's foreign minister said.

Ukraine’s DTEK Trading, owned by Rinat Akhmetov, and Moldova’s state-owned intermediary, Energocom, signed a one-year contract, on April 1, for the supply of electricity to Moldovan distributors

Hundreds of thousands of children are paying a heavy price in the three-year conflict between the government of Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk in the eastern part of the country.

UKRAINE'S state-owned passport website has crashed within hours of the European Parliament voting to grant its citizens visa-free travel into the EU.

Recent legislative amendment requires activists and journalists reporting on government corruption to file public declarations of their personal assets, Human Rights Watch said today. The new requirement is vague and could be used to deter or punish investigative journalists and partners of anti-corruption nongovernmental groups for doing their job.

Ukrainian citizens will be exempted from EU short-stay visa requirements, after Parliament endorsed an informal deal with the Council on Thursday.

Kyiv has lashed out at Eurovision after organizers called on Ukraine to lift its ban on Russian entrant Yulia Samoilova. The singer is believed to have illegally entered Moscow-annexed Crimea for a 2015 performance.

The organizers of the Eurovision song contest have threatened to ban Ukraine from future competitions unless it allows Russia’s entrant to enter the country and take part in this year’s show which Kiev is hosting.

Eurovision is currently at war with Ukraine for a Russian singer. The organizers of the contest threatened the country that it would get banned from future contests.

Russia has accused the United States and its allies of "slander" as the U.S. top diplomat and Pentagon chief denounced Russia’s actions in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Lawyers and human rights activists say Russian authorities in Crimea are increasingly imprisoning human rights activists in psychiatric hospitals and submitting them to psychological abuse.

Russia denies supplying separatists in eastern Ukraine with weapons and military gear, but pictures from the region have regularly shown modern versions of Russian weaponry.

Ukrainian video that has surfaced showing the assassination of anti-Kremlin lawmaker Denis Voronenkov

A war of words has erupted between Russia and Ukraine after Denis VoroNenkov, a former Russian MP, was gunned down in Kiev. Voronenkov was a critic of the Russian government who fled to Ukraine last year. Ukraine’s president has described the killing as an “act of state terrorism”, a charge the Kremlin denies.

Some 20,000 people were being evacuated on Thursday after explosions at a massive arms depot in eastern Ukraine, in what is being treated as an act of sabotage. The fire and blasts engulfed the base in Balakleya, creating apocalyptic scenes. There are no reports of injuries.

(warning Iranian source) - A warehouse storing tank ammunition at a military base in eastern Ukraine has been blown up by unknown saboteurs. According to the Ukrainian military, nobody was hurt in the incident which occurred early on Thursday.

Ukraine says that a fire raging at a munitions depot in the country's east, which the military blamed on an "act of sabotage", could continue for up to a week.

Russia’s Gazprom is claiming around $50 billion from Ukraine’s Naftogaz at an international arbitration over gas pricing contracts, and the claim could potentially swell to $80 billion, according to Naftogaz chief commercial officer Yuriy Vitrenko.

Ukraine has barred Russia’s entry for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest from entering the country for this year’s competition. A spokeswoman for Ukraine’s state security service said Yulia Samoylova had violated Ukrainian laws and had been banned from entering the country for three years.

See April for more

Ukraine, host nation for the 2017 Eurovision song contest, has banned the Russian entrant from entering the country, citing an unauthorized visit to Crimea

(warning Russian source) - A large scale airborne military drill kicked off at Crimea's Opuk Training Ground on Tuesday, with more than 2,500 soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces and 600 pieces of equipment participating in the exercise. Some 350 paratroopers from the Novorossiysk air assault division landed on the Crimean coast as part of the Airborne Force’s large-scale drills on the peninsula's Opuk Training Ground on Tuesday. The paratroopers as well as nine BMD-2KU airborne infantry fighting vehicles parachuted from nine Ilyushin Il-76 aricraft.

(warning Russian source) - The Ukrainian General Staff has reacted to Russian drills in Crimea. Acts of Russia were named as illegal, they also threatened Russia with counter measures. As Vladislav Seleznyov, the Ukrainian General Staff spokesman, said, Kiev would keep a close eye on the maneuvers. ‘The General Staff of Ukraine has a range of plans on prompt response to any challenges from Russia, regardless of place where they occur,’ he noted. However, he refused to reveal any details. He pointed out, that the ‘Ukrainian analysts’ who follow the exercises, figure out risks and make amendments to plans on preparation of their units. As Pravda.Ru reported, large-scale drills of the Russian Airborne forces, the Black Sea Fleet and the Aerospace Forces were started in Crimea. The Novorossiysk, Kamyshin and Ulan-Ude Air Assault Divisions are engaged, as well as some forces and means of the Black Sea Fleet, and the 4th Army of the Air Forces and Air Defence of the Southern Military District.

(warning Russian source) - More than 2,500 people along with 600 units of military equipment are taking part in large-scale exercises in the Crimea, which are carried out by the Russian Airborne forces, the Black Sea Fleet and the Aerospace Force

It is three years since Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. The BBC's Steve Rosenberg talks to people living there about life under Russian rule.

(warning Russian source) - Three Ukrainian far-right nationalist parties, All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda, National Corpus and Right Sector, announced they would join their forces, presenting their 'manifesto' in Kiev on Thursday.

Moscow has named Yuliya Samoylova as Kyiv song contest entry, ending speculation that it might boycott the competition. But now the Ukraine is threatening to ban the singer or even arrest her.

Ukraine imposed a cargo ban on traffic with the separatist east of the country on Wednesday. It marks a victory for protesters who, for weeks, have mounted barricades, to try to stop trains carrying coal and other goods from getting though. President Petro Poroshenko asked for the ban to be implemented, in something of a U-turn.

The Ukrainian Security Service, or SBU, has arrested activists who were blocking rail links to areas held by Russia-backed separatists. Dozens were detained in the operation, which prompted protests in Kyiv. The blockades have disrupted coal supplies and caused severe power shortages across the country.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the UN, holds hearings in the Case of Ukraine v. Russian Federation from 6 to 9 March 2017 (on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Ukraine).

no description

The Ukrainian Naval Forces have attacked positions of the militia on the coast of the Sea of Azov. It was reported by the Donetsk News Agency. According to Deputy Commander of the Donetsk People’s Republic’s Operative Command Eduard Basurin, the Ukrainian motorboats shelled positions of the Republic’s militia.

The incident happened on the coast of the Sea of Azov. Fire was opened from small-calibre guns and heavy machine guns. The Republic’s militia returned fire, as it was a remarkable violation of the ceasefire regime. Two motorboats then left to the city of Mariupol.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces also restored shelling against the Donetsk filtration plant. Mortar fire was opened Sunday morning.

Despite the parties’ having agreed not to carry out offensive, the Ukrainian Armed Forces broke the promise. 

The Ukrainian marines who serve in the area of the city of Mariupol, claimed that militia might attack them, advancing across the frozen sea. Before that the Ukrainian army lost 15 people while trying to break through positions of the militia on the coast of the Sea of Azov, 25 men got injured.

With the hum of the Airbus CC-150 engines in the background, 3rd Canadian Division commander Brig.-Gen.f Simon Hetherington reminded troops deploying to Ukraine on Friday of the importance of their training mission.

The former prime minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said there can be no compromise with Russia over the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

Russian-backed separatists have expropriated 40 companies in their territory - their reaction to a blockade set up by the nationalists. Will this force the government to react?

A Brazilian who fought with Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine is trying to overturn his conviction. Rafael Lusvarghi was sentenced to 13 years in prison and is believed to be the first non-Russian convicted for crimes related to the war in Ukraine. In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL, he explained why he joined the separatists and how he became disillusioned by what he called a "barbaric" conflict.

The far-right Azov battalion has a reputation for being a fierce fighting force and openly uses fascist symbols. More and more young people are joining up, women too. There’s mounting concern about democracy in Ukraine.

(warming Russian source) - The Russian rouble became the official currency in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic on Wednesday. The relevant document was signed by the local Council of Ministers and published on February 21.

The Ukrainian army says 16 of its soldiers were wounded within a 24-hour period in clashes with pro-Russian rebels. Fighting broke out despite a fresh truce was struck last week aimed at calming a conflict that has raged for nearly three years.

(warning Iranian source) - The lower house of the Dutch parliament has approved a trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Ukrainian lawmakers have hailed the move, calling it a step towards strengthening trade ties with the bloc. Lena Savchuk reports from Kiev.

comment: I left a comment on their website to tell them that 57% of the Dutch was against the deal. The remains included favors and no-voters in the referendum.

Secretary General Lamberto Zannier discusses the future of the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, and the Ukrainian president, Petro O. Poroshenko, responded at the Munich security conference to Vladimir V. Putin's decree recognizing passports issued by two separatist governments in eastern Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Saturday that a ceasefire will go into effect for eastern Ukraine on Monday. His comments followed a meeting with the foreign ministers for Ukraine, Germany and France in Munich, according to Russian state television.

A new ceasefire has been agreed between the Ukraine government and Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. The deal was announced after a meeting with Ukraine, Germany and France at a security conference in Munich. The truce, aimed at ending weeks of renewed fighting, is set to begin on Monday.

It's been three years since Ukraine's Euromaidan protesters took the streets of Kyiv to demand the resignation of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has returned to locations in the Ukrainian capital that saw some of the fiercest clashes. Between February 18 and 21, 2014, protests descended into deadly violence as government forces fought brutal street battles with antigovernment demonstrators.

Russian-backed separatists and government forces are continuing to fight in eastern Ukraine. The rebels founded the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic three years ago, but it is not internationally recognized.

Ukraine's economy is in bad shape after almost three years of fighting between the army and pro-Russia rebels in the east. But separatist leaders in the Ukraine city of Donetsk say life is beginning to improve because of financial aid from Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday that Russia must abide by a 2015 deal aimed at ending fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists as the Trump administration searches for ways to work cooperatively with Moscow.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that the United States was ready to work with Russia if it found common areas for cooperation, but said Moscow had to adhere to commitments made over Ukraine.

(warning Russian source) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his first meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was productive, stressing that Moscow is ready to work with Washington on all issues as soon as Donald Trump’s foreign policy team is fully formed.

Fighting has flared up once again in the breakaway regions of Ukraine. Pro-Russian separatist fighters say they are defending their cultural, historical and linguistic rights and say they will continue to do so with or without Russia's help.

International monitors say the fighting in eastern Ukraine over the past week was the most violent in more than a year, threatening an already fragile ceasefire. Pro-Russian separatists are fighting the government in the eastern Donbass region.

Fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russia separatists has intensified in eastern Ukraine in the last two weeks. Both sides are blaming each other for the escalation. But this sudden surge may have more to do with the change of administration in the US.

Fighting between Ukraine and pro-Russia forces continues in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Recent shelling by both sides marks the worst escalation of violence in two years. Both sides are accused of using heavy weapons that violate the 2015 internationally brokered Minsk ceasefire agreement.

Russia-backed separatists say one of their commanders in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine has been assassinated. Mikhail Tolstykh was better known by his nom de guerre, Givi. In Current Time TV's documentary about the brutal battle for Donetsk airport, he explained how he came to join the separatist forces. In 2016, Givi was charged in Ukraine with crimes including the creation of a terrorist organization, abduction, and abuse of prisoners of war.

A week-long surge of violence in and around the government-controlled town of Avdiivka in Eastern Ukraine appears to be winding down. But for some residents life will never be the same.

"Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin keeps entertaining the members of the UN Security Council. This time he suggested that Britain should “clean its conscience” by “giving back” the Falklands and Gibraltar before it can condemn Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. In other words he simply admitted that Crimea was annexed by Russia."

U.S President Donald Trump said he was willing to work with both Kiev and Moscow to resolve a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, following a telephone call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday

In the past week, Eastern Ukraine has suffered some of the heaviest fighting seen for a long time.  Heavy artillery fire, a car bomb explosion and other ceasefire violations coincided with a phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. They discussed how to mend relations between the US and Russia.  US senators and analysts are wondering whether the surge in fighting is the Kremlin testing the water with the new US president. Ukrainian government leaders and pro-Russia separatist rebels are blaming each other for the ceasefire violations.  Trump phoned Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and promised to restore peace. But between commitments to support the Ukrainian leadership in Kiev and improving relations with Putin, it remains to be seen what Trump will do. So, will be able to restore calm in Ukraine?

Thousands of civilians are living in desperate conditions without heating and electricity in the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka as clashes between government forces and pro-Russian rebels intensify. The warring sides have been locked in heavy battles for control of the government-held town for days, with each side accusing the other of launching attacks and firing heavy artillery in violation of a two-year truce agreement.

Ukraine has accused pro-Russian forces of resuming heavy artillery attacks on government troops in the town of Avdiivka. Residents says they have had no heating since the shelling intensified a few days ago.

The government-controlled town of Avdiyivka, in eastern Ukraine, sustained more shelling by Russian-backed separatists overnight.

International security and aid organizations appealed to Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists on Friday to withdraw from front lines where fighting has dramatically escalated or risk a humanitarian disaster.

The US ambassador to the United Nations offered a strong condemnation of Russia in her first appearance at the UN Security Council on Thursday, calling on Moscow to de-escalate violence in eastern Ukraine and saying that US sanctions against Moscow would remain in place until it withdraws from Crimea.

The new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has expressed "strong condemnation of Russia's actions" in eastern Ukraine and warned that Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia will not be lifted until Crimea is returned to Kyiv.

Urkaine’s prime minister has been drumming up support from the EU after renewed fighting in the country’s east. Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman blamed Russia for the violence, a charge repeatedly denied by Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the Ukrainian government of provoking this week's flare-up in fighting with Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country. At a news conference in Budapest on February 2, Putin said Kyiv was using the escalation of the conflict as a ploy to win support from new U.S. President Donald Trump.

Shelling has raged on after nightfall in eastern Ukraine, with both government troops and pro-Russian rebels reporting new casualties. Ukrainian officials say two civilians were killed when the separatists fired on the government-held frontline town of Avdiivka.

Ukraine's president appeals for more global pressure against Russia as Moscow-backed rebels and government forces clash around a frontline town in a surge of fighting that has claimed a reported 23 lives.

Ukrainian forces battled Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, as a significant upsurge in fighting continued for a fifth day.

Refugees are on the move again in eastern Ukraine as fighting intensifies between pro-Russian forces and government troops. The United Nations Security Council is expected to address the uptick in violence.

A key commander of the Russian-backed separatists in east Ukraine, Mikhail Tolstykh has been killed. The military chief, better known by his nom de guerre, Givi, was killed in what the rebels called an ‘act of terror’ organized by the Ukrainian intelligence services. Kyiv has denied it was responsible.

BBC reporter films Kiev tanks in residential area on E. Ukraine frontline

(warning Russian source) A video showing Kiev’s troops and tanks in the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdeevka emerged online, posted by a BBC correspondent working in the area. Earlier, the OSCE warned tanks were headed there, slamming the move as a violation of withdrawal lines.

The group monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine has made an urgent appeal to both sides to stop shelling and honor the cease-fire agreed to in 2015, after this week's sharp escalation in the conflict.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian armed forces is escalating, officials have warned. A higher number of ceasefire violations were reported between Sunday and Monday evenings, compared with the previous 24 hours, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine said Monday.

Children are evacuated from the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, as an upsurge in fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces leaves around 20,000 residents living in deteriorating conditions.

The council said renewed fighting was having a "severe impact" on civilians.

Fighting in the frontline town of Avdiivka has left thousands of residents without water or power in freezing conditions.

Ukraine says it is preparing a possible evacuation of the town to avoid a humanitarian crisis.

2016

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Several emails they claim to have cracked are linked to Vladislav Surkov, one of the architects of Russia's current political system.

The team said it was not possible to say whether it was the "Russian government or a well-funded [non-government] team".

2015

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With the consent of the authorities in rebel-held territory, the group is able to cross the frontline and travel to sites where it believes soldiers might have gone missing. So far Black Tulip has found and identified 613 bodies of dead soldiers. It says that between 300 and 1,500 are still missing. However Black Tulip says its valuable work, which helps the relatives of the fallen grieve, might have to stop because of a lack of funding.

The training will likely focus on lessons in tactics and combat medicine, Reuters reports. The expanded program will not include any lethal weapons or aide, a State Department spokesman told reporters.

Comment: GRU is the Russian military intelligence service. It is standard never to reveal who is working for the GRU or for the special unit Spetznaz

Comment: GRU is the Russian military intelligence service. It is standard never to reveal who is working for the GRU or for the special unit Spetznaz

comment: the affected countries are retaliated as they all have chosen to turn their back on Russia's past.

The Security Service of Ukraine posted another evidence for the presence of Russian conscript soldiers in Donbas. The posted video was recorded by members of “Donbas” battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine and showed interrogation of several Russian conscripts captured in Donbas.

2014

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Russia already banned Polish fruit and vegetable imports into the country from August 1.

It says the rebels used a Russian-made anti-aircraft system, and that an army general was among the dead.

The marchers from the Svoboda or Freedom Party were marking the birthday of a World War Two-era partisan leader.

2013

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The moves come amid Russian attempts to stop Ukraine moving towards the EU.

2012

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Russia has had repeated disputes over gas and oil supplies with Ukraine and Belarus, ex-Soviet countries through which pipelines carry much of its energy exports, leading to disruptions of flows to European Union countries. The disruptions have increased the EU's resolve to diversify supply away from Russia, while Moscow has sought to build pipelines to bypass Ukraine as a transit country, while pushing Kiev to cede control of its gas pipeline network.

Deputies from opposition and pro-government parties blocked the first session of Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday after numerous fights erupted in the parliament chamber.

For two months, Jordi Sarda Bonvehi negotiated with Ukrainian officials on behalf of a Spanish utility company about participating in a $1 billion investment fund to build a liquefied natural gas plant on the Black Sea. On Monday, he took part in a signing ceremony for the deal overseen by the prime minister in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital.

The last time Oleg Tyagnibok was a member of Ukraine’s Parliament, his colleagues kicked him out over a fiery speech in which he described how Ukrainians, during World War II, bravely fought Muscovites, Germans, Jews “and other scum,” and then used slurs to refer to the “Jewish-Russian mafia, which rules in Ukraine.”

Hundreds of Ukrainians protested alleged fraud in last month's parliamentary election and the opposition threatened to boycott the new parliament and call for a re-vote today. Western observers deemed the Oct. 28 parliamentary election unfair, saying the imprisonment of President Viktor Yanukovych's arch-foe, Yulia Tymoshenko, and non-transparent vote tallying were a step back for democracy.

The elections here did not go well. Even the enormous expenses of installing cameras at polling stations didn’t provide transparent voting. Constant problems with connections, lack of experience in using of such systems and the rush in preparation for the elections turned the idea into a new kind of entertainment. Not surprisingly, the independent election monitors pretty much called the whole event a farce.

Some people see work as a chance to get away from their families. But when Ukrainian lawmakers gather for the first session of the newly elected Verkhovna Rada, they may feel like they never left home.

International observers say Ukraine's election has been a backward step for democracy, marred by "the abuse of power and the excessive role of money". The statement from the regional security body OSCE came as early results pointed to a win for President Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions.

The daughter of Yulia Tymoshenko, the jailed former prime minister of Ukraine, has warned that this weekend's parliamentary elections could lead to an irreversible "dictatorship".

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mikola Azarov has said the price of Russian gas would be significantly reduced if Ukraine joined the CIS Custom Union with Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Azarov said on October 9 that Russia had "put forward conditions: join the customs union and tomorrow you will receive gas for $160 [per 1,000 cubic meters]." Ukraine is currently paying some $420 per 1,000 cubic meters and the country has imported less Russian gas in 2012 due to disputes over the price. Azarov said joining the CIS Customs Union would "answer the national interests of Ukraine."

A new draft law criminalizing any reference to homosexuality in the media or public domain violates Ukraine’s commitment to freedom of expression and information, the United Nations said today, urging the country’s authorities to strengthen anti-discrimination laws for all citizens.

Ukraine's high court rejected an appeal Wednesday by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who had challenged her conviction on charges of abuse of authority. She is serving a seven-year prison sentence after she was found guilty of the charges in October.

Ukraine has picked a consortium led by ExxonMobil (XOM.N) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) to develop its Skifska gas field in the Black Sea, it said on Wednesday, as it seeks to wean itself off increasingly expensive Russian gas imports. The project, whose total costs have been estimated by the government at $10-12 billion, is part of the former Soviet republic's plan to ease its dependence on gas imported from Russia, which amounted to some 40 billion cubic meters last year and accounted for nearly two thirds of the country's consumption.

The law was published in the Ukrainian parliament’s official publication – Holos Ukrainy newspaper on Friday. The law, authored by parliamentarians Vadym Kolesnichenko and Serhiy Kivalov from the Party of Regions, was adopted by parliament on July 3, triggering protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn refused to sign the law and submitted a letter of resignation. However, the Verkhovna Rada twice held votes of confidence in the speaker, and did not accept his resignation.

Ukraine's parliament will reconvene for an extra session on Monday, the chamber said, in a move which could lead to a contentious bill to make Russian the official language in parts of the former Soviet republic being signed into law.

Early this year Ukraine -- along with much of eastern Europe -- was caught in a deep and protracted cold snap. Many froze to death, energy demand spiked, and to top it all Russia accused Ukraine of stealing gas from transit pipes destined for western Europe for the second time in three years.

On Wednesday, just days after the country celebrated the final whistle of the European football championships, Ukraine once again demonstrated its position as one of the former Soviet Union's more turbulent political cultures. Nearly 1,000 demonstrators clashed with scores of black-helmeted riot police in the capital Kiev, with both sides using pepper spray and law enforcement officials wielding batons to disperse the crowds.

The chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament resigned Wednesday after refusing to sign a contentious bill that would allow local and regional governments to grant official status to Russian and other languages, while hundreds of opponents of the measure clashed violently with riot police officers in Kiev, the capital.

Police in Ukraine's capital Kiev have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters angry over a new language law that boosts the status of Russian. The clashes erupted outside a building where President Viktor Yanukovych was scheduled to give a speech.

(Russian source) - Fights between members of Ukraine’s opposition and the police broke out in Kiev, as several hundred people protested against a bill on minority languages. Tear gas was used, although it's not clear by which side, and several people were injured.

Violent scuffles broke out in the Ukrainian Rada on Thursday as deputies debated the bill which would allow the official use of Russian language in certain parts of the country.

(Russian source) - The Ukrainian Parliament resembled a pub when a rowdy brawl broke out between opposition and pro-presidential deputies. What sparked the tussle was a moot bill that sought to grant the Russian language official status in parts of the country.

Seven and a half years ago, scenes of jubilant crowds celebrating the outcome of Ukraine's Orange Revolution -- a new presidential vote after a rigged election was annulled -- filled TV screens around the world. Now the country is back in the headlines, thanks to the controversial detention of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a heroine of the revolution, and threats to boycott next month's Euro 2012 soccer matches in response.

Ukraine is likely to award tenders to two Western energy companies for potentially large shale gas fields, a government source said on Thursday, as Kiev tries to reduce its dependence on gas imports from Russia.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Yevgeniya Tymoshenko, 32, called on President Viktor Yanukovych to release her mother and other alleged political prisoners before the competition starts on June 8.

(Russian source) Four explosions struck the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk, injuring at least 29 people, among them at least 10 children. The blasts went off at a series of locations in the city center. Local authorities have launched a terrorist investigation.

Relations between the Kremlin and Kyiv are at a new low after serious gas shortages in Europe this winter. In a Q&A, Olga Shumylo-Tapiola examines energy relations between Russia and Ukraine, the potential for this latest conflict to escalate, and the implications for EU-Ukraine relations. Shumylo-Tapiola says amendments to the bilateral gas deal are unlikely before Russia’s presidential elections and that Ukraine needs to be doing more to reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas. 

PUTIN'S ELECTION CAMPAIGN

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Protesters were demonstrating on Saturday against alleged vote rigging in a December 4 parliamentary poll.

They were chanting slogans against Putin's United Russia party, with many shouting "Russia without Putin".

Protests also took place in St Petersburg - Russia's second city - where thousands of people gathered, and in other cities.
 

ROOTS PUTIN'S SOVIET POLITICS

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COLLAPSE SOVIET UNION

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Day Two, August 20th 1991

First Train With East German Refugees Arriving

Genscher at the German Embassy in Prague

4500 East Germans had taken refugee on the area of the West-German embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, with a view to be permitted to leave for West-Germany. The video shows the West-German foreign minister at that time, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, standing on the embassy's balcony and telling the refugees that their departure permission had been negociated.

Translation:
"We're trying for a solution, but I don't want to give a statement now. First I'd like to speak to the Germans from the GDR who are currently at the embassy."

comment: Hans-Dietrich Genscher was Germany's longest serving foreign minister and is widely seen as the architect of the unification between East and West Germany. He died on April 1, 2016

19898228 - EAST GERMAN WAVE OF REFUGEES SEEKING ASYLUM SWELLS, 2,000 IN A WEEK

East Germans have fled to the West in the past week, swelling a wave of refugees that has strained relations with East Berlin. The West German foreign Ministry said that 2,000 people who crossed the Hungarian border into Austria had applied to the West German embassy in Vienna for travel documents. That brings the number of illegal escapes to about 3,300 so far this month, August

19890824 - BUDAPEST.

Church gate and Maltesian flag and emblem to GV of Zugliegti church. General Secretary Ruehe of the Christian Democratic Party and West German delegation meeting East German refugees. CU of two refugees. Refugees tents. Children on swings. Ruehe interviewed. Ruehe talking to refugees. Ruehe inside gate talking to more refugees

19890822 - MUNSTER. W. GERMANY.

Train pulling into station. Police at back of food van. Queue at van by train. Mother and little girl at train window. Another queue of people waiting for food. Other refugees in Giessan camp. People queuing. People looking at notice board.

19890822 - HUNGARY-AUSTRIA BORDER AREA.

Scenes near Austrian border. Youth hitch-hiking. Abandoned East German cars on farm track. Hungarian border guards examine empty cars. Apparent bullet mark on wind screen. Hungarian guards watch over arrested East German. East German put into police van. Hungarian guards block way of East German cars on track. Group of weeping East Germans seated by roadside