http://uatoday.tv/crime/ukraine-s-judge-kidnapped-by-militants-volunteer-801489.html
Vitaliy Rudenko was reportedly accused of treason by the combatants
The Russian-backed separatist forces have captured a judge of Ukraine's official Appeal Court of the Luhansk region. This is reported by a local volunteer, involved in the negotiations on the POW exchange, Oleh Kotenko in an interview with Hromadske Radio.
Although the news emerged in the media on Monday, the judge, Vitaliy Rudenko, was reportedly kidnapped three weeks ago. Rudenko was trying to enter the separatist-held town of Krasnodon in Luhansk region to attend the funeral of his father.
‘The judge had an agreement with his associate from the militant republic. The associate was supposed to give the judge the ‘green road',
so that he could enter the town',
Kotenko was quoted as saying.
The volunteer said, the judge was stopped at a road block, where he was detained by militants after they examined his documents. He was then taken to a jail, and accused of treason.
‘He hasn't been tortured',
Kotenko said.
The judge reportedly hasn't admitted to what the militants accuse him of, but according to his wife, he signed a certain unspecified document.
Negotiations on his exchange are ongoing
*************************
http://uatoday.tv/crime/yanukovych-...volvement-in-crimea-donbas-events-801499.html
Maidan massacre can be seen as the prologue to further crimes, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office says
Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Eugene Enin says that former President Viktor Yanukovych could be brought to account on a number of counts that reveal his direct involvement in events in occupied Crimea and Donbas, according to Espreso.TV.
Maidan events can be seen as the prologue to further crimes that led to disastrous developments in the Crimea and Donbas, he said.
"Yanukovych's team tried to do their best to stay in power. At first, these efforts were made by the Yanukovych-controlled law enforcement agencies. After that we saw his attempts to split the country into several parts when organizing that notorious congress in Kharkiv. Later, Yanukovych voiced an appeal for bringing foreign troops, including Russian ones, onto Ukrainian territory," Enin said.
These are the facts Yanukovych and certain representatives from Russia could be brought to account for.
"A verdict by the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be evidence of Ukraine's readiness to ensure a fair trial. It will help in the recognition of the case against Yanukovych by the international community. Precisely this is the goal of a claim to be lodged with the ICC," he said.
As reported earlier, the Prosecutor General's Office informed ex-President Viktor Yanukovych he was a suspect in eight criminal proceedings.
********************
Still no actual armistice in the battlezone, the ATO command reports
Ukrainian forces were shelled over 50 times by the combined Russian-separatists troops over the past 24 hours, the ATO Headquarters report.
The highest tensions were seen in the Mariupol area, where 31 armistice violations had been recorded. Firearms and hand mortars were engaged against the Ukrainian defenders in the towns of Pavlopil, Novotroitske, Bohdanivka, Novomykhailivka and Maryinka. In Shyrokyne, Talakivka, Vodiane and Hnutove near Mariupol the pro-Russian mercenaries engaged 82mm mortars and infantry vehicles weapons, as well as 122mm howitzers.
In Krasnohorivka, Ukrainian defenders were attacked with anti-aircraft emplacements and with both 82mm and 120mm mortars.
Donetsk direction has seen 10 fire contacts near the Ukrainian positions. In Pisky, hand mortars were engaged. Machine guns and 82mm mortars were used by the occupant forces in the village of Luhanske. Hand mortars, firearms, 120mm mortars were used.
The outskirts of the city of Avdiivka near Donetsk was also a ground for fire contacts. Mortars, machine guns, hand mortars and firearms were used against the Ukrainian positions.
In the Luhansk direction, 9 combat collisions were also recorded. Hand mortars, machine guns and mortars were used to attack the Ukrainian defenders in the towns and villages of Novozvanivka, Balka Kosharna, Novoolexandrivka and Novotoshkivske, as well as in Stanitsia Luhanska and Krymske.
*******************
http://uatoday.tv/politics/russia-c...with-shelling-civilians-in-donbas-801584.html
Russia's Investigative Committee has charged in absentia two commanders of Ukrainian military units, who are accused of shelling the civilian objects in Ukraine's Donbas region.
Russian investigators say they have gathered enough evidence "to establish the complicity" of Lieutenant Colonel Vasyl Zubanych, the commander of the 10th separate mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Army, in shelling of Krasnohorivka and Staromykhailivka - the separatist-controlled villages of Donetsk region - on June 15, 2016, which resulted in injuries of two civilians.
The second defendant is the commander of the 1st battalion of the 14th separate mechanised brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Prokopiv, who is accused of directing the artillery attack on Petrivsky and Kyivsky districts of Donetsk city on March 24 and 28 this year, when one civilian was wounded and several houses damaged.
The ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation) press centre has so far not commented on the Russia's Investigative Committee statement.
Vasyl Zubanych took an active part in fighting for Luhansk Airport in 2014. Last year he was awarded the Hero of Ukraine title and Golden star medal.
**************
The Avdiivka industrial zone is a former warehouse area, repair rooms, and production facilities in the south-eastern part of Avdiivka town. It neighbors the Donetsk-Horlivka highway. The front line is right next to the road. Since March 2016, the highway is under fire control of Ukrainian combatants. It allowed Ukraine's army to cut the connection between the two enclaves. Without the control over this highway, Russian proxies cannot advance into Ukrainian positions as a single force.
One can see the highway without any problems. As well as the militants, their lines are drawn up just beyond the fence.
The industrial zone is two kilometers of nothing but debris. Each and every step here can be the last.
"We are stalkers", lords of the area. This area where the government-controlled territory ends really reminds us of mysterious landscapes of the movie "Stalker" by Andriy Tarkovskyi. It was recognized as one of the best science fiction films of the latter half of the 20th century.
Oleksandr Samarskyi, second commander of the 72nd brigade: There is a novel by the brothers Strugatski which almost replicates our situation. You come here and have no idea if you can return.
It's up to 100 meters till the next relatively safe building. But the territory is exposed to militant fire, so fast running is a must. If one can reach the final destination, then it is considered an exam pass on survival.
The fighter is covering the journalists. There are enemy snipers everywhere. If the sniper sees camera lights, he will shoot. In order to disguise their firing positions,
militants widely use silencers and flame suppressors.
"Prometheus", fighter of 72nd brigade: We need a thermal imaging device or thermal aiming.
Today, the zone's fighters are being visited by many generals to express their support and present special insignias, for defenders of the Avdiivka industrial zone. The badges read "Industrial zone. Fight to the death". After the battle, it's a true appreciation for the soldiers.
*******************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/382442.html
The Ukrainian side insists on a ceasefire and security for civilians who cross checkpoints along the contact line, First Deputy Speaker, Ukraine's envoy to the humanitarian subgroup at Trilateral Contact Group talks in Minsk Iryna Gerashchenko has said.
"On Tuesday, November 8, only one humanitarian subgroup worked in Minsk. The issue of checkpoints was on the agenda. Ukraine insists on the unconditional observance of the ceasefire regime and creation of a safe environment for civilians who daily cross the checkpoint the contact line to receive pensions in Ukrainian-controlled territory," she said on her Facebook page on Tuesday after a meeting of the humanitarian subgroup.
She said that she supported the OSCE's proposal that a special mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) should be deployed near the checkpoint of Stanytsia Luhanska, which, in her opinion, will help maintain security near this checkpoint.
"The Ukrainian side in general backs the idea of placing standing posts of the ICRC and the OSCE near all the checkpoints. They should work there around the clock rather than visit for 15 minutes a day," Gerashchenko said.
She also said that the Ukrainian side supports the ICRC's participation in rebuilding a bridge over the Siversky Donets near Stanytsia Luhanska.
**************************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/382444.html
Representatives of separate areas of Luhansk region use a far-fetched pretext not to let the Zolote checkpoint in Luhansk region re-open, First Deputy Speaker, Ukraine's envoy to the humanitarian subgroup at Trilateral Contact Group talks in Minsk Iryna Gerashchenko has said.
"I have put point-blank the question of the opening of the checkpoint in Zolote whose work has been blocked since March 31 this year. Those in the separate areas use far-fetched reasons not to allow the re-launch of this checkpoint until now, rescheduling its opening for an indefinite date again and again. I have turned to the OSCE for facilitation of the re-opening of the checkpoint as soon as possible to share the workload of other checkpoints," she said on her Facebook page on Tuesday after a meeting of the humanitarian subgroup.
Gerashchenko said that the solution of problems related to the checkpoints would ease the life of people who have to cross the demarcation line in Donbas.
Special Representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup Viktor Medvedchuk and SBU officers who are engaged in the exchange of hostages will join the group on Wednesday, November 9, she said.
"On November 9, we will hear a report by OSCE coordinator Toni Frisch on his visit to the occupied territories and prisons where the hostages are kept. We will make every effort to release our guys," Gerashchenko said.
In addition, she said, the Russian side has been disregarding the Ukrainian side's requests at all levels for two years, giving no official information about how many Ukrainian citizens from Donbas live in the Russian Federation and their official status there.
****************
Interfax ru
16:54
Number of Ukrainian shell attacks in Donbas tops 1,000 in past 24 hours - DPR
