Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing – 18 July 2016, 7 PM Kyiv time

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported that yesterday towards Luhansk, Russina-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions at Staryi Aydar, Orikhove and Popasne. Towards Donetsk, Russian-terrorist forces carried out heavy mortar shelling of residential areas of Avdiyivka, wounding one civilian. Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions near Zaytseve with mortars. Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near Horlivka and several other locations. Towards Mariupol, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions near Starohnativka and Shyrokyne with mortars. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and five Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in action.

2.Canada’s House of Commons Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to hear testimony on Ukraine on July 19  

On July 19, at 1:00pm-2:30 PM EDT, Canada’s House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) will hear testimony on Ukraine in its hearings on Immigration Measures for the Protection of Vulnerable Groups. The hearings are televised and broadcast live online. More information on how to watch the hearings online is available at http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/XRender . Appearing as witnesses will be Iryna Dovhan (by videoconference: Kyiv, Ukraine); Oleksander Gryschenko (by videoconference: Kyiv, Ukraine); Gennadii Afanasiev (by videoconference: Kyiv, Ukraine); Michael Bociurkiw, Former Spokesperson, Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; Aleksandr Galkin, Director (by videoconference: Mariupol, Ukraine)

The investigative reporting group Bellingcat published a report, MH17 – The Open Source Investigation, Two Years Later, on July 15. The report brings together two years of research by Bellingcat into the fate of Flight MH-17. The report concludes that “Between June 23-25, 2014 the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade transported vehicles within Russia to positions close to the Russian border with Ukraine. This includes Buk 332, later sighted in Ukraine on July 17 and 18, 2014. On July 17, 2014 Buk 332 left Donetsk in the morning loaded onto a low-loader, travelling eastwards through separatist-held territory, until it reached the town of Snizhe in the early afternoon. After arriving in Snizhne, Buk 332 was unloaded and drove under its own power southward, out of the town. Buk 332 arrived at a field south of Snizhne and fired a missile that resulted in the destruction of Flight MH17. Buk 332 was next filmed travelling east through the separatist-controlled city of Luhansk on the morning of July 18, 2014. On July 21, 2014 the Russian Defence Ministry presented a series of false and fake information. This presentation included lies about the flight path of MH17, about radar data, about the location of the July 18, 2014 Luhansk video, and misdated and heavily edited satellite imagery. Almaz-Antey presented data that was not reflected by witness statements on the ground, or any open source information. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was only able to present plagiarized blog posts when asked to present their evidence on the fate of MH17. To summarize, it is our opinion the Buk missile launcher that shot down MH17 originated in Russia, and the Russian government has lied, faked evidence, and plagiarized blog posts in attempt to place blame elsewhere.” The full report is available at https://www.bellingcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mh17-two-years-later.pdf

On July 17, Ukraine’s President P. Poroshenko stated, “Ukraine remembers every victim of the MH17 tragedy. Terrorism is inadmissible in any form and perpetrators of this tragedy must be punished. Civil aircraft, Malaysian Boeing 777 was shot down by Russian terrorists who used weaponry produced and supplied by Russia. A lot has been already done to bring the criminals to justice. The Dutch Security Council has conducted a comprehensive technical investigation into the causes of the disaster. Criminal investigation of the crime is now being completed under the auspices of the Office of the Prosecutor of the Netherlands. Abusing the veto, Russia has blocked the UN Security Council decision to establish the International Tribunal on the investigation of the MH17 tragedy, which is an indirect and logical proof of its involvement in the crime. However, jointly with our partners, we are doing everything necessary to bring those guilty to justice. Just as every Ukrainian, I share the pain of those who lost their beloved ones in the MH17 tragedy. And I will keep on fighting for every criminal responsible for this tragedy to face a deserved and inevitable punishment.”