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60 surprising facts we’ve learned about Ukraine

1. Muslims offering Christians space to perform service in their mosques? This is Ukraine.
2. Jews fraternizing with “right-wing radicals”? This is Ukraine.
3. Russian producers changing bar codes on their goods to non-Russian en masse? This is Ukraine.
4. Jews chanting “Allah Akbar!” walking past a Muslim culture center? This is Ukraine.
5. Russian diaspora supporting Ukrainians and Ukraine? This is Ukraine.
6. Young women raising money to buy batteries for APCs? This is Ukraine.
7. A Jewish oligarch fueling military vehicles at his own expense? This is Ukraine.
8. Civilians voluntarily raising money to restore their army? This is Ukraine.
9. Thousands of men enlist voluntarily instead of dodging draft? This is Ukraine.
10. The Western Ukrainian city of Lviv saving Russian-speaking Crimeans from Russian “liberators”? This is Ukraine.
11. A destitute people raising almost 7 million dollars in a week to support the Armed Forces? This is Ukraine.
12. A library put up amid bloody protests? This is Ukraine.
13. You can write to a minister or Prime Minister on Facebook and get an answer? This is Ukraine.
14. Protesters reading books and playing the piano on the barricades? This is Ukraine.
15. Football fans of every team unite to defend the people’s freedom and peace? This is Ukraine.
16. Singing the anthem when you don’t know what to do? This is Ukraine.
17. The protesters Renovating the Ukrainian House and the Bridge of Lovers damaged during assaults? This is Ukraine.
18. People putting up a modern field hospital in a couple of days? This is Ukraine.
19. You read the news of Berkut assaulting the Maidan and rush to the barricades, leaving your half-naked lover? This is Ukraine.
20. You learn of enemies on the border, leave your paramour and rush to the draft center? This is Ukraine.
21. Orthodox, Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims and Jews praying and holding services together? This is Ukraine.
22. Protesters get refuge in a cathedral and sleep on expensive carpets? This is Ukraine.
23. A suregery block opened in a monastery’s canteen? This is Ukraine.
24. Priets marching in front of rows of protesters in hard hats and carrying shields? This is Ukraine.
25. The wind always blows the tire smoke to the right side? This is Ukraine.
26. Russian occupants persuading a Ukrainian soldier to defect to their side and hear the response: “Russians never surrender!”? This is Ukraine.
27. Soldiers marching on armed enemies with nothing but flags and singing the anthem? This is Ukraine.
28. A small mine-sweeping vessel blocked by four sunk ships and surrounded by traitors and emeny vessels keeps trying to break through for days? This is Ukraine.
29. Yesterday you were a pacifist but today you have several soldiers among your friends on social networks, read military experts and post videos of military vehicles? This is Ukraine.
30. In less than a week amid occupation and sabotage the new government gathers a group of diplomats that manage to get the whole world on their side? This is Ukraine.
31. You speak of an event, say “It was so long ago!”, and then you realize that “long ago” is actually several days back? This is Ukraine…
32. A month ago everyone was telling a politician to go to hell but today everyone is praising him just as passionately? This is Ukraine.
33. Russia’s idee fixe? This is Ukraine.
34. You’ve learned to analyze the media on the fly and tell apart truth and misinformation? This is Ukraine.
35. Laughing so that you don’t cry? This is Ukraine…
36. Millions suddenly becoming patriots? This is Ukraine…
37. A national prophetic poet in ancient clothes suddenly comes to life and his works become topical? This is Ukraine.
38. You understand that the Chinese curse “May you live during a time of changes!” is not a curse anymore, but a good wish? This is Ukraine.
39. One of the first (if not THE first) constitutions in the world? This is Ukraine…
40. The people gathering a presidential candidate’s deposit in two days, no oligarch involved in paying the deposit? This is Ukraine.
41. Parents learning the anthem from their children and singing it in public places? This is Ukraine.
42. Russian, Jews, Moldavians, Hungarians, Poles, Georgians, Armenians, Crimean Tatars, Azerbaijani proudly say “I’m Ukrainian!”? This is Ukraine…
43. Children collecting tires, building barricades and playing Maidan? This is Ukraine.
44. Unarmed soldiers advancing at an armed enemy, singing the anthem they barely know, to protect their country’s pride? This is Ukraine.
45. Cadets at the “city of Russian glory” become a model for the army, taking their first ever voluntary decision and singing the Ukrainian anthem standing in the doors of their dormitory, while Russian occupants watch, mouths agape? This is Ukraine.
46. First raising money for gasoline to burn APCs, then – to fuel them? This is Ukraine.
47. A captive being tortured and paraded naked in the cold becomes a paragon of dignity for men and a sex-symbol for women, and then forgives his torturers? This is Ukraine…
48. Housewives leaving their hearths, students leaving their lovers, grandmas leaving their gossip and everyone rushing to the Maidan to pout Molotov cocktails and crush the pavement for projectiles? This is Ukraine.
49. Men that can’t fix a shelve in the bathroom for two months build a barricade in two hours? This is Ukraine.
50. The majority of the new government speaks fluent English, German, etc.? This is Ukraine…
51. Volunteer doctors going into the firing line to save the wounded, in peacetime? This is Ukraine.
52. Going to anti-government protests with national flags, singing the national anthem? This is Ukraine.
53. A grandma comes to a draft center to enlist, insisting she’s a nurse? This is Ukraine.
54. Foreign tourists greet border guards with “Glory to the heroes”? This is Ukraine!
55. The only country with a legitimately defected president? This is Ukraine.
56. Jews, Russians, Tatars and people of other ethnicities proudly calling themselves Ukrainian nationalists? This is Ukraine.
57. The church helping to arm the military? This is Ukraine.
58. Creating the UN volunteer hundred? This is Ukraine!
59. The people financing state zoos during a crisis? This is Ukraine!
60. An 82-year old standing for a few hours in a queue to volunteer into the military? This is Ukraine!
*****
Bonus:
61. The president, prime-minister or member of parliament seen by chance in a church without security guards? This is Ukraine.
62. The Slavic Ukrainians consider the Turkic Tatars their brethren? This is Ukraine.

[hr] Source: Elise.com.ua
Translated by Kirill Mikhailov

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January 21: Ukrainian army retreated from Donetsk Airport

January 21 – Ukrainian army retreated from Donetsk Airport.

January 21 – 1 Ukrainian military was killed in the ATO area in the last 24 hours, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 21 – A large number of Russian soldiers in unmarked uniform was spotted near the city of Luhansk. Approximately 60 tanks, over 50 armored infantry carriers and 100 "Tigr" all-terrain infantry mobility vehicles have appeared in the city of Krasnodon. In the of Horlivka, militants of a terrorist group "People's Republic of Donetsk" are being replaced with military of regular Russian Armed Forces. Approximately 100 Russian tanks are located near the cities of Shakhtarsk and Torez, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 21 – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has spoken about two thousand Russian soldiers crossing Ukrainian border. In addition, he said, more military equipment, including 20 tanks, were relocated to Ukraine from Russia.

January 21 – A bridge over Sieverskyi Donets river in the village of Stanytsya Luhanska was blown up at approximately noon on Wednesday, – informed the Head of Luhansk Oblast State Administration Gennadiy Moskal.

January 21 – Ukraine has requested an explanation from the Russian Federation on the reasons behind stationing over 50 thousand Russian soldiers near the border with Ukraine, informed the spokesman of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Yevhen Perebyinis.

January 21 – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has called upon the civilized world to support Ukraine in its fight against terrorism and Russia's aggression when speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. The President noted that according to Ukrainian intelligence, 9000 Russian soldiers, 500 tanks, heavy artillery and armored vehicles are currently located in Ukraine. "If this is not aggression then what is?", – asked Poroshenko.

January 21 – 8 Ukrainian soldiers were captured by terrorists at Donetsk airport, – informed the Advisor to the President of Ukraine and Assistant to the Minister of Defense Yuriy Biryukov.

January 21 – Broadcasting via TV station "Luhansk 24", the terrorists of "People's Republic of Luhansk" have called upon the residents of the city of Shchastya and the village of Stanytsya Luhanska to rally and demand that Armed Forces of Ukraine leave the abovementioned municipalities, otherwise they will shell them with artillery, – informed the Head of Luhansk Oblast State Administration Gennadiy Moskal. Stanytsya Luhanska and Shchastya are under control of Ukrainian Armed Forces.

January 21 – President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ann Brasser asked the Speaker of the State Council of the Russian Federation, Serhiy Naryshkin to help free the Ukrainian air pilot and deputy Nadiya Savchenko from Russian Prison. This is the content of the letter to the Head of the Russian Council, informs the PACE site. In her letter Brasser asked that Savchenko be released "in a timely fashion, so that she can be present at the opening of the January session of the Assembly that will take place on January 26th." In her letter, Basser noted that the state of Savchenko's health is critical as a result of the hunger strike and reminded that the Minsk protocol, approved by Russia and Ukraine, foresees the immediate of all prisoners and illegally detained people. "Therefore I ask you to pursue all avenues together with your managers in order to guarantee her immedia framework of the Minsk protocol either on humanitarian or other grounds," states the letter. She noted that Savchenko was elected to the Ukrainain Parliament, while additionally also being a member of the Ukrainian delegation in PACE.

Russia's hybrid war as international corporate raiding

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January 22: Whereas Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov said again, mockingly, that he yet needs to be presented with any evidence that Russian army is indeed fighting in Donbas

January 22 – On August 24th, 2014 (Independence Day of Ukraine) Putin's army entered Ukrainian Donbas en masse and started its offensive. On January 22nd, 2015 (Day of Ukrainian Unity – celebrating the unity of Eastern and Western Ukraine) Putin's army has ostentatiously "conquered" a symbolic Ukrainian site – Donetsk airport – today Ukrainian military left behind most parts of the airport. Whereas Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov said again, mockingly, that he yet needs to be presented with any evidence that Russian army is indeed fighting in Donbas.

January 22 – 10 Ukrainian military were killed and 16 wounded in ATO on January 21st, – informed the spokesman of the General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces Vladyslav Seleznyov.

January 22 – Whereas NATO would like to re-establish communication with colleagues from the General Staff of the Russia's Armed Forces, – stated Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Allied Command Operations, US General Philip Breedlove (Reuters).

January 22 – The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov hasn't ruled out offensive operations by the militants in the near future (stated by Turchynov as a result of his visit to the war zone, according to NSDC press-service). "New terminal has been almost completely destroyed, but our Armed Forces have strengthened their positions near the village of Pisky and inflicted a series of very strong assaults", – said Turchynov.

January 22 – Militants of the terrorist group "People's Republic of Donetsk" have "paraded" captive Ukrainian soldiers along the streets of Donetsk. Abuse of prisoners and torture of prisoners violates Hague Convention on the rules of military operations (The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907). Abuse of prisoners is punishable under Hague Tribunal. Instead, Ukrainian government is trying to start negotiations on the release of prisoners of war captured at Donetsk airport, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 22 – Self-proclaimed leader of Donetsk-based terrorists Oleksand Zakharchenko has said that they intend to "push the frontline" further from Donetsk. It has been previously reported that in September 2014, when explaining the invasion of the city of Novoazovsk and other areas by the militants and disguised Russian soldiers, Russian President Vladimir Putin explained that the main objective of the militants is "pushing the frontline further".

January 22 – In Donetsk, the terrorists fired at a trolleybus with a mobile mortar, killing seven civilians. The site of the attack is located 20 km from Donetsk airport. For several days now, the terrorists have been travelling around Donetsk in a van with a mortar, shooting at residential areas, trying to encourage the residents to take up anti-Ukrainian views.

January 22 – During the meeting in Berlin of the heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the countries of the "Normandic foursome," progress was made only regarding one issue of the Minsk agreements. This was written by Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pavlo Klimkin on his page on Twitter. "Yesterday in Berlin there was a Borodino – a diplomatic battle, which no one won or lost. We made one step forward on one point of Minsk agreements," he wrote. According to him, it concerns a ceasefire.

January 22 – Facts confirm that Russia is directly involved in the army operation in Eastern Ukraine. This was stated by the President of Lithuania, Dalia Hrybauskaite to the Lithuanian journalists during the Davos Forum, writes Delfi.lt. "This is open territorial aggression, carried out not by some terrorists-seperatists, but by Russia itself, because neither the separatists nor some other people can have such weapons. These cannot be bought at the market or on the street; they are very specific – they can only be owned by big countries," she emphasized. "All the more, there are direct indications that not only the weapons, but the army itself (Russian), its subdivisions are involved," said Hrybauskaite. According to her, Russian representatives are openly lying about the situation in Ukraine. "We really see an enormous demonstration of lying when they say one thing and do something totally opposite, when they blame one side, but, it turns out, that the obligations are not being fulfilled by the other (side)," said the President of Lithuania.

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