And just as predicted... #Russia Warns Of “Unfortunate Consequences” Over Ethnic Tension In #Baltic States http://t.co/UGqo0ksRaM @maxseddon
— Mark Sabah (@MarkSabah) September 15, 2014
Andrei Babitsky from RFE/RL's Moldovan Service has been talking to Andrei Purgin, the deputy prime minister of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic. According to him, the separatists signed the Minsk cease-fire agreement to focus on restoring the region's damaged infrastructure before winter sets in:
Economically, Purgin conceded, the regions have a lot of work to do. He said the separatists agreed to the September 5 Minsk cease-fire primarily because of the damage the war has done to the region's economic infrastructure.
"Winter is just around the corner," Purgin said. "There is a humanitarian catastrophe and colossal damage." He said not a single rail line to Donetsk is operating and dozens of bridges and pipelines are out of commission. He accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting electricity substations "in order to deprive civilians of water and electricity."
The Donetsk authorities say they are using the cease-fire to repair some of the damage.
"We have replaced kilometers of wiring," Purgin said. "We have extended electricity supplies to dozens of major populated areas and hundreds of smaller ones. We are reestablishing gas and water provision."
"Very few enterprises or mines are still working," Purgin said. "Very few. Many mines are idle, although several continue surface work. Some are pumping out water -- three mines in Donetsk are flooded. The situation is extremely serious.
Read the entire article here
I submitted to the Parliament a draft law on ratification of the Association Agreement with the European Union. pic.twitter.com/O9wYfHRdfK
— Petro Poroshenko (@PoroshenkoEng) September 15, 2014
Via @nickrudnev: Photos from Rapid Trident. @USArmyEurope flickr https://t.co/Cdz1T4j01S
— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) September 15, 2014
if you don't believe Russians will follow through on drastic threats, read this @shaunwalker7 piece from a year ago http://t.co/E0xO2vh2r4
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) September 15, 2014
Ukraine 'repels rebels at airport' http://t.co/a0nC3a5dU1
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) September 15, 2014
Lutuhyne, where Ukrainian army convoy was obliterated Aug 31st. pic.twitter.com/0WKPNr3vaK
— Paul Adams (@BBCPaulAdams) September 15, 2014
Statement by Catherine Ashton on the reported holding of local "elections" in Crimea "The European Union... http://t.co/74T6DMRBMy
— EU Delegation UA (@EUDelegationUA) September 15, 2014
Our news desk is reporting that Vladimir Putin's United Russia party seems to be pretty popular in Crimea, at least according to official figures:
Russian ultranationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky claims regional elections in five Russian constituencies, including Moscow, were rigged.
Zhirinovsky's statement today came amid reports that the ruling United Russia party is winning more than 70 percent of the votes in parliamentary elections in Crimea, which Russia controversially annexed from Ukraine in March.
Zhirinovsky's Liberal Democratic Party of Russia is running second in Crimea with just over 8 percent of the vote.
Russia's Communist Party also refused to recognize the election results in Kirov Oblast.
United Russia candidates are reportedly winning the overhwhelming majority of contests held in the 84 Russian regions where general and local elections were held on September 14.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the elections in Crimea "prove that powers in Russia are based on legal procedures."
Ukraine has called the elections in Crimea "illegal."
(AFP, Interfax)
Here are the latest situation maps for eastern Ukraine from both Kyiv's Security and Defense Council and the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR):
THE SITUATION IN THE EASTERN REGIONS OF UKRAINE – 15.09.14 http://t.co/hso4sNO5pP pic.twitter.com/OviCZCHbZz
— NSDC of Ukraine (@NSDC_ua) September 15, 2014
Карта боевых действий 12-14 сентября pic.twitter.com/EkpvfxjOcM
— ДНР Новороссия (@press_dnr) September 15, 2014