RNBO: News & Analysis Center July 8 Update

February 3 – Russia began using barrier troops, which shoot its own army in the back, so that pro-Russian terrorists and Russian soldiers have nowhere to retreat. Putin, Stalin – can you see the difference? The retreat of pro-Russian terrorists near the town of Vuhlehirsk was stalled by barrier troops of the Dzerzhinsky Division of Russian Interior Ministry, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

February 3 – "There are almost no printed media in Ukrainian and no official versions of regional and municipal media in Ukrainian in Crimea today. Only one Ukrainian television show is being broadcast out of four that had existed before. Internet websites in Ukrainian are being disabled for Crimean residents", – stated Valeriya Lutkovska, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

February 3 – ATO press center informs that after another Putin's "humanitarian aid convoy" has arrived in Ukraine, the number of attacks and their intensity has increased again, said ATO spokesman Olekdsandr Motuzyanyk. "After another convoy arrived from Russia, the number of attacks and their intensity has intensified significantly. That is to say that they [the militants and regular troops] basically received the ammunition they needed. Otherwise a question arises – where do the militants get so much ammunition from if they are able to continue attacks almost around the clock".

February 3 – At NATO headquarters they expect that in the near future Russian Federation will continue to absorb unrecognized territories that appeared as a result of conflicts involving Russia, – stated NATO official during a meeting with journalists (who asked not to be named).

February 3 – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko plans to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the end of this week, – informed NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu.

February 3 – in NATO headquarters they say that they expect a noticeable deterioration of the situation during the time of the interaction with journalists a NATO high official who asked that his name not be divulged, reported from Brussels a correspondent of European Truth. "Russia is ready to support the conflict in Ukraine as long as there will not be a political solution which suits Moscow. AAnd in this is the root of the problem," stated the representative of the Alliance. "No one knows how long the conflict in Ukraine will last and how specifically will be resolved. However, there are all reasons to expect that the safety situatioon in eastern Ukraine will deteriorate. And the proof of this lies not only in the events of the last few days but also in earlier facts," he added. The co-speaker also mentioned that Russia is strengthening its activity in the conflict. "The possible deterioration of the safety situation is also supported by the increaseof Russian presence in eastern Ukraine and we have valid affirmations to assuredly state that the Russian army is acting on the side of the separatists," he emphasized.

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January 10 – 2 Ukrainian military were killed and 20 wounded in the last 24 hours in the ATO area, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 10 – Russian terrorists continue to use heavy weapons, and have once fired from "Grad" multiple rocket launcher, – stated NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko. According to him, such aggressive actions coincide with recent arrival of goods from 11th Russian "humanitarian aid convoy" at temporarily occupied areas.

January 10 – Canadian ship MSC Eloise carrying humanitarian aid for Ukrainian army has docked in the port of Odesa.

January 10 – In Luhansk region Russian terrorists have kidnaped an Israeli citizen. Sievierodonetsk City Militia Department has received a request (by post) from the Embassy of Israel to assist in tracing and locating a citizen of Israel David Horovaty, who was falsely imprisoned in Ukraine and transported to the city of Perevalsk against his will (the city is controlled by the terrorists) – statement by the Ministry of Interior.

January 10 – In the Donetsk region close to the town of Dokuchaevsk, ATO forces disabled two tanks of the militants, – informs ATO staff.

January 10 – Ukrainian Competition Commission has allowed foreigners to apply for the position of the Head of National Anti-Corruption Bureau.

January 10 – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stressed the unlawfulness of violating international borders and called for unity of Europe due to a possible threat to its security: "If again we witness such a violation, similar to what Russia has done in Ukraine, we must resist it".

January 10 – Having started at 7 am, illegal armed groups have 34 times opened fire on positions of Ukrainian troops, using mostly heavy weapons – tanks, artillery, including "Grad" multiple rocket launcher, – ATO press center.

January 10 – The Boeing passanger plane of Malaysian Airlines, was shot down by pro-Russian fighters in summer 2014; the shot which led to the catastrophe was fired by a zenith-rocket complex of BUK M1, which was brought from Russian Kursk. This is verified by the results of the investigation carried out by the organization of journalistic investigations CORRECT! V.

According to the data of the journalists, the position from which the Boeing was being fired upon, was delivered by the members of the 53rd zenith-rocket brigade, with the goal of providing protection to the Russian tank divisions, who were fighting on Ukrainian territory without their codes of identification.

The data of the British reconnaissance team Bellingcat.com indicate that on the day of of the Boeing catastrophe – July 17th – the artillery BUK traveled on the Donetsk Route No. 21, leaving Donetsk around 11 in the morning: "It is being transported on a tractor platform with a white cabin – it was reported in the investigation. The Bellingcat reserchers reached the conclusion that the самохідна self-propelling fire addition with the identification numbers 3 * 2, photographed in June amid the armed convoy, heading from Kursk in the direction of the Ukrainian border, was the same BUK which was photographed by Paris Match in Eastern Ukraine.

The photographer of the French magazine Paris Match took pictures of the moving automobile. He was close and caught the side part of the BUK – its identification number and other identity signs carelessly painted over. On the truck platform company with the BUK, there was a telephone number. It belongs to a company in Donetsk which leases automobiles. The owner of the company later informed that his machine was stolen in June by pro-Russian separatists," – it was reported in the investigation.

In answer to the question of who could have launched the rocket of BUK, all the experts, including among them former soldiers of the 53-rd brigade PPO in Kursk, agree that the seperatists were not able to use the BUK. "There is no doubt that the order to shoot at MN 17 was given by a Russian officer," summarize the authors of the investigation.

Putin's Long Shadow:

He casts a long shadow over globe. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has outlasted three American presidents and is on track to stay in power until 2024. His incursions in Georgia, the Crimea and Ukraine have rattled the West, while his crackdowns inside Russia have riled his democratic opponents.

But a joint investigation by the fifth estate and PBS' Frontline reveals an even darker side to one of the most powerful leaders in the world: Allegations of criminal activity dating as far back as his early days as a top official in St. Petersburg; ties to organized crime and money-laundering activities; and a secret personal fortune said to be in the billions.

"Putin's Long Shadow" also raises disturbing questions about the role the Russian security services played in four apartment building bombings in Moscow and other cities in 1999 that killed nearly 300 people – a tragedy Putin blamed on terrorists and used to cement his power.

Host Gillian Findlay talks to a senior police officer who tried to arrest Putin on corruption charges; an investigator who was jailed for asking too many questions about the apartment bombings; and Russian businessmen who detail the levels of corruption and collusion.

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