Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
16 October 2015, 9 PM Kyiv time
- Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported at 12:30 PM Kyiv time that yesterday there were no ceasefire violations by Russian-terrorist forces. No Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded.
- Russia sends another illegal “humanitarian convoy” to occupied eastern Ukraine
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that on 15 October, Russia once again sent a “humanitarian convoy” of 101 trucks through a border checkpoint to occupied territory in eastern Ukraine. The Ministry stated, “The convoy was sent through temporarily uncontrolled sectors of the state border, in contravention of Ukrainian law, international practice and previous agreements between the two sides and the International Red Cross. Ignoring by Russia of the above-mentioned agreements did not allow the border or customs services of Ukraine to carry out their control functions. The MFA of Ukraine sent a note of protest to the Russia side with the demand to desist in illegal activities against the sovereignty of our country.”
- US State Department releases International Religious Freedom Report for 2014
In its International Religious Freedom Report for 2014, released this week, the US State Department stated, “The occupation authorities put in place by Russia de facto implement the laws of the Russian Federation on the territory of Crimea. The occupation authorities subjected religious minorities, in particular the UOC-KP, the UGCC, and Muslim Tatars to harassment, intimidation, detentions, and beatings. […] Religious minorities were subject to physical harassment and intimidation as well as a media campaign that portrayed the Crimean Tatar community, the UOC-KP, and the UGCC as ‘traitors’ or ‘extremists.’ Jewish, Muslim, and UOC-KP religious properties were vandalized.” In occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, “Following the proclamation in April of the DPR and LPR, Russian-backed separatists kidnapped, beat, and threatened Protestants, Catholics, and members of the UOC-KP and participated in anti-Semitic acts. On May 14, the DPR adopted its ‘constitution’ declaring the ‘Christian Orthodox faith…practiced by the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)” as the ‘primary and dominant’ faith in the DPR.”
- US Mission to OSCE: Russia and its proxies working to forestall elections under Ukrainian law in Donetsk, Luhansk
Speaking at the OSCE Permanent Council, US Ambassador D. Baer stated, “Russia pledged to support free and fair local elections in the special status zone in Luhansk and Donetsk in the September 2014 and February 2015 Minsk Agreements, and again most recently in the Paris Normandy Leaders’ Meeting on October 2.The February Minsk agreement stipulates these elections must be held under Ukrainian law, in accordance with OSCE standards, and observed by ODIHR. Yet, Moscow and its proxies have worked to forestall elections on the ground, undermining local security with the presence of its military forces and weapons, denying access to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) including on the border, jamming OSCE UAV’s, and supporting illegitimate ‘authorities.’ […] Russia should return, without delay, all Ukrainian hostages, including Nadiya Savchenko, Oleksander Kolchenko, and Oleg Sentsov. We recall that a discussion about beginning to lift sanctions on Russia is linked to full implementation of Minsk, and Russia still has a long way to go. We also call on Russia to uphold its OSCE commitments and end its occupation of Crimea, which remains a constant reminder of Russia’s violations of international law and disregard for OSCE commitments.”
