Brothers and sisters!
Here’s the Summary for July 24, 2014 (for previous summary, please see Summary for July 23).
The bad news:
1. The RNBO [National Security and Defense Council] announced today that pro-Russian insurgents prepared attacks in Sloviansk schools. In only one local school, #4, four explosive devices have been found. Other educational establishments in the city were mined as well. A lab for the production of explosives was set up by insurgents on the premises of a kindergarten.
I don’t know how to characterize Putin’s mercenaries after this. I am deeply convinced that a human being is unable to prepare the murder of children–and a massive one at that. Such a creature should be referred to as something else, but not a human being.
And yet there are those who still do not consider these creatures terrorists…
2. With all our expectations, the situation in the border areas (along the Tarany–Dmytrivka–Dolzhansky–Chervonopartyzansk and near Izvaryno) is not changing for the better. The positions of our troops are still being shelled from both sides–by the terrorists and by Russia. The supply problems, which are of utmost importance, have not been resolved yet.
We are far from alarmist sentiments, but it really is a problem that cannot be silenced. On the contrary, it must be addressed first and urgently.
3. The parliamentary coalition fell apart–the “UDAR” [Vitaly Klitschko] and “Svoboda” [Oleh Tyahnybok] factions left [the coalition]. The government led by Prime Minister Yatsenyuk resigned. Changes to the budget in the context of the ATO have not been adopted, neither has the law on combating terrorism.
And this [happened] at a time when the Ministry of Finance reports that starting from August 1, there will be no money even for payments to the servicemen in the ATO zone, and that changes in the state budget are needed right now.
I understand that early elections are vital. It is hoped that the parliamentary games will not affect the ongoing ATO.
4. The State Border Service of Ukraine reported that due to the actions of Russian border guards towards people traveling to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea from mainland Ukraine, some kilometer-long queues have been formed on the administrative border of Crimea.
Here, we really must investigate what types of citizens are so eager to go to Crimea. If these are locals frequenting mainland Ukraine, who are then returning–it’s one thing. But if it comes down to Ukrainian citizens who want to relax in occupied Crimea, it’s another.
According to our estimates, in June about 100,000 Ukrainian citizens went for a vacation to Crimea, occupied by Russians. Compared to the vast influx in past summers, it seems like a miserly amount. But considering that in this same time period, because of these same Russians, our boys are dying daily in eastern Ukraine, I think this number is unacceptable. I don’t think that even a tiny trickle of Ukrainian tourists to the peninsula should be tolerated.
In any case, the line up from the mainland to Crimea is only positive in one case–if it is a queue of armored vehicles from the Ukrainian Liberation Army. I believe this day is not far off.
Dmitry Tymchuk, Coordinator, Information Resistance
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine