Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing – 8 September 2016, 6 PM Kyiv time

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported that yesterday towards Luhansk Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near Popanse. Towards Donetsk, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Verkhnotroitske, injuring two civilian residents of the town. Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions at Avdiyivka with mortars. Towards Mariupol, Russian-terrorist force shelled Ukrainian positions at Shyrokyne with mortars. At Maryinka, Starohnativka and Hranitne, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in action.

Ukraine’s Minister of Defense S. Poltorak and US Secretary of Defense A. Carter held a bilateral meeting in London. The Pentagon reported, “As a demonstration of continued U.S. support for Ukraine, Secretary Carter and Minister Poltorak co-signed a bilateral partner concept, a document that provides a framework for the United States and Ukraine to enhance the defense capacity of Ukraine’s forces, advance critical Ukrainian defense reforms, improve resource management processes, and boost defense technology cooperation. This partner concept will build on the strong partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine and will enhance the effectiveness of U.S. security assistance efforts. […]Secretary Carter today named Gen. John Abizaid (Ret.), former CENTCOM commander, as a senior defense advisor to Ukraine. Gen. Abizaid will provide authoritative advice to Minister Poltorak and other senior Ukrainian officials as Ukraine aims to implement reforms designed to bring its armed forces in line with Western principles and standards, such as enhancing democratic civilian control of the military, transitioning to a NATO-interoperable staff structure, and combatting corruption.”

The IMF will review the next tranche of aid to Ukraine under its Extended Fund Facility at an Executive Board meeting on 14 September. Reuters reported, “The Fund earlier this month said it was ‘very close’ to concluding its latest review of Ukraine’s $17.5 billion bailout. […] Ukrainian officials have said the tranche will likely amount to around $1 billion.”

The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG) reported, “Crimean Tatar leader Ilmi Umerov was released on September 7, after being held for three weeks against his will in a psychiatric clinic.  What Russia was hoping to achieve by risking Umerov’s life and resorting to punitive psychiatry remains unclear.  Presumably not the actual result, namely to highlight the Soviet-style repression unleashed since Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea. It was the charge that could not be more insane.  Umerov was initially detained on May 12 and charged in connection with an interview given to the Crimean Tatar ATR TV on March 19, 2016 in Kyiv.  In that interview he stated that Russia must be made to leave Crimea and Donbas, expressing the same position as that taken by all democratic countries. Russia has, quite incredibly, claimed that the interview contained ‘public calls to action aimed at violating Russia’s territorial integrity’. […] Russia was unable to imprison the 59-year-old Umerov because of his serious illnesses.  Instead it effectively incarcerated him in a clinic where the conditions were also dangerous for his health. [Umerov] told Krym.realii that the psychiatric assessment was aimed at exerting influence on him. It failed, and that was also entirely to be predicted.He has no intention of leaving Crimea, which is his homeland and is categorically not changing his position. […]Russia did not react to international pressure and there is nothing to suggest that it will terminate its persecution of Umerov.  […]The number of Crimean political prisoners is high and on the increase. So too is the use of other methods, including forced disappearances.  There is mass surveillance of all those whom Russia sees as ‘dissident’. […]Umerov was quite right – sanctions against Russia need to be strengthened, along with all forms of pressure.”

Speaking at the University of Oxford on 7 September, US Secretary of Defense A. Carter stated, “Despite the progress that we made together in the aftermath of the Cold War, Russia’s actions in recent years – with its violations of Ukrainian and Georgian territorial integrity, its unprofessional behavior in the air, in space, and in cyber-space, as well as its nuclear saber-rattling – all have demonstrated that Russia has a clear ambition to erode the principled international order that has served the United States, our allies and partners, the international community, and in fact Russia itself. […]It lashes out, alleging that it fears for its own viability and future, even though no nation – not the United States, not the United Kingdom – seeks to defeat it or constrain its potential. […] Let me be clear, the United States does not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia.  We don’t seek an enemy in Russia.  But also make no mistake – we will defend our allies, the principled international order, and the positive future it affords all of us.  We will counter attempts to undermine our collective security.  And we will not ignore attempts to interfere with our democratic processes. […] NATO and its members, including the U.S. and UK, are also providing support to partner countries like Ukraine and Georgia, both of which have seen their sovereignty and territorial integrity violated by Russia.  We’re helping them strengthen their capabilities for national defense, to improve their ability to work with NATO, and reform their defense institutions…all important in the face of Russian coercion and aggression.”