The post Ukraine activists throw MP in bin appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said only membership of NATO would enable Ukraine to defend itself from external aggression.

Kiev and its Western backers accuse Moscow of sending troops and tanks into eastern Ukraine in support of pro-Russian separatists battling Ukrainian forces in a conflict that has killed more than 3,000 people. Russia denies the accusations.

A ceasefire negotiated by envoys from Ukraine, Russia, the separatists and Europe’s OSCE security watchdog, has been in place in eastern Ukraine since Sept. 5 and is broadly holding despite regular but sporadic violations, especially in key flashpoints such as Donetsk.

On Saturday afternoon, a Reuters reporter heard heavy artillery fire in northern districts of Donetsk, the largest city of the region with a pre-war population of about one million. He saw plumes of black smoke above the airport, which is in government hands. The city is controlled by the rebels.

Speaking at a conference in Kiev attended by Ukrainian and European lawmakers and business leaders on Saturday, Yatseniuk made clear he did not view the ceasefire as the start of a sustainable peace process because of Putin’s ambitions.

“We are still in a stage of war and the key aggressor is the Russian Federation … Putin wants another frozen conflict (in eastern Ukraine),” said Yatseniuk, a longtime fierce critic of Moscow and a supporter of Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership.

Yatseniuk said Putin would not be content only with Crimea – annexed by Moscow in March – and with Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking eastern region.

“His goal is to take all of Ukraine … Russia is a threat to the global order and to the security of the whole of Europe.”

Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told a daily briefing that one soldier and 12 rebels had been killed in the past 24 hours, without specifying where they had died. That would bring the death toll among Ukrainian forces since the start of the ceasefire eight days ago to six.

The rebels have not said how many of their men have died in the same period.

Government forces still hold Donetsk airport, while the city is in separatist hands.

Putin says Russia has the right to defend its ethnic kin beyond its borders, though Moscow denies arming the rebels and helped broker the current ceasefire with Kiev.

Asked about future NATO membership, a red line for Russia, Yatseniuk said he realized the alliance was not ready now to admit Kiev, but added: “NATO in these particular circumstances is the only vehicle to protect Ukraine.”

There is no prospect of the Atlantic alliance admitting Ukraine, a sprawling country of 45 million people between central Europe and Russia, but Kiev has stepped up cooperation with NATO in a range of areas and has pressed member states to sell it weapons to help defeat the separatists.

HUMANITARIAN AID

On Saturday, about 100 Russian trucks arrived in the war-ravaged eastern city of Luhansk, part of a convoy sent to deliver 1,800 tonnes of humanitarian aid to residents.

It is the second such Russian aid convoy and it passed the border without any major difficulty. The first convoy in August was denounced by Ukraine and its Western allies for crossing the border without Kiev’s permission.

The Ukraine conflict has triggered several waves of Western sanctions against Russia, most recently on Friday. The new measures, branded by Putin “a bit strange” in view of the ceasefire, target banks and oil companies.

Russia, which has already introduced bans on a range of U.S. and European food imports, signaled it would respond with further sanctions of its own against Western interests.

Yatseniuk said on Saturday the latest sanctions posed a big threat to the Russian economy.

“It is bluff (by Russia) to say it does not care about the sanctions,” he said, noting that Russia relied heavily on its energy sector and some of the sanctions targeted its oil firms.

Yatseniuk defended his government’s efforts, despite the conflict, to tackle rampant corruption and overhaul the creaking economy, adding: “It is very hard to attract investors when you have Russian tanks and artillery in your country.”

His center-right People’s Front party is expected to do well in a parliamentary election on Oct. 26.

The conflict is taking a heavy toll on Ukraine’s already battered economy, which is now being supported by a 17 billion dollar loan package from the International Monetary Fund.

The economy could shrink by as much as 10 percent this year, the head of Ukraine’s central bank, Valeria Hontareva, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying on Saturday, much more than the 6.5 percent decrease previously forecast by the IMF.

Yatseniuk praised a decision on Friday to delay the implementation of a new trade pact with the European Union until the end of 2015. He said it prolonged unilateral trade benefits now enjoyed by Ukrainian firms in the EU while maintaining modest customs duties on European products entering Ukraine.

Some have seen the decision to postpone the implementation of the deal as a diplomatic victory for Russia, which is opposed to closer economic ties between Kiev and the EU, but Yatseniuk said it would be good for Ukraine’s own economy.

“We got a grace period. The EU opened its markets but Ukraine is still protected, so for Ukraine this is not a bad deal,” he said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danylo Lubkivsky submitted his resignation, saying: “(The delay) sends the wrong signal – to the aggressor, to our allies and, above all, to Ukrainian citizens.”

–

Source: Reuters

The post Ukraine PM slams Putin, ceasefire under strain in east Ukraine appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The releases followed Friday’s ceasefire deal, he said, which included an exchange of prisoners.

He was speaking during a visit to the strategic south-eastern port city of Mariupol, which has come under shelling from pro-Russian rebels in recent days.

Mr Poroshenko announced his arrival in a tweet: “Mariupol is Ukraine. We will not surrender this land to anyone.”

Before the truce came into place, pro-Russian separatists made big gains in eastern Ukraine and seized territory a few miles outside Mariupol.

However, despite some sporadic shooting, the ceasefire appears to be holding.

Fighting in the east has killed some 2,600 people since April.

Russia has repeatedly denied accusations by Ukraine and the West that it has been sending troops into Donetsk and Luhansk regions to help the rebels, who want to establish an independent state.

Rebel leader held a ceremony in Donetsk on Monday to honour its defence from the Nazis in World War Two

The conflict has sparked a humanitarian crisis in parts of eastern Ukraine – here a man distributes food at a Red Cross centre in Mariupol

“Self-defence” battalions have set up checkpoints near Mariupol

Appeal for monitors

Mr Poroshenko said that “over the past four days, we have managed to secure the release of 1,200 of our captives”, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency,

The announcement came after a ceasefire was reached in Minsk, Belarus, in talks brokered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The negotiations involved former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, leaders of the pro-Russian rebels, and a Russian delegate.

Mr Poroshenko appealed on Monday for the OSCE to send representatives to areas where the ceasefire has been broken.

Also on Monday, EU officials called a fresh meeting on imposing new sanctions against Moscow for 18:00 (16:00 GMT).

The meeting has been called at short notice after discussions failed to produce full agreement for the measures among all 28 member states, AFP reports.

Earlier an EU spokeswoman had said new sanctions against Russia would be adopted shortly and take effect on Tuesday.

But an EU spokeswoman said the sanctions would be “reversible”, depending on the situation in Ukraine.

Major state-owned oil firms including Rosneft are on the new EU sanctions list, but gas is not affected, diplomats say. US sanctions already target Rosneft.

Russia has warned that it could block international flights through its airspace if the EU goes ahead with new measures.

Analysis: Andrew Walker, BBC economics correspondent

Rosneft calls itself the leader of the Russian petroleum industry. That makes it a very important player in the European Union’s energy market. About 90% of the crude oil used in the EU is imported and Russia is, by a large margin, the biggest supplier.

The sanctions don’t appear to directly affect that relationship. They would prevent Rosneft raising money in European financial markets.

But as crude oil is mainly transported by sea, if the trade were disrupted any losses from Russian suppliers could potentially be replaced. It would almost certainly be more expensive, but it could be done, up to a point.

Gas is another story, which may explain why Gazprom’s main business is reported not to be on the new sanctions list. Russian gas is delivered to Europe by pipeline. There is a trade in gas transported by sea, but it would be very difficult to compensate for a major disruption of supplies from Russia.

Russian gas exports will not be affected if new sanctions are put in place, diplomats say

Diplomats say the new package will target Russian oil companies Rosneft and Transneft and the petroleum unit of state gas monopoly Gazprom.

Their access to financial markets will be restricted – a serious matter for Rosneft, which last month asked the Russian government for a $42bn (£25.2bn) loan.

The sanctions would also expand the visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials and entities, including separatist leaders in Ukraine.

Earlier Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned that Moscow would respond “asymmetrically” to further sanctions.

A Russian airspace ban “could drive many struggling airlines into bankruptcy”, he told a Russian daily.

–

Source: BBC

The post Russian rebels ‘free 1,200 captives’ – Poroshenko appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A military spokesman confirmed 10 deaths but Ukrainian media say as many as 20 died in the overnight attack.

The rebels say they destroyed more than 30 vehicles while unverified video shows bodies around a burning vehicle.

A team of 70 Dutch and Australian forensic experts has arrived at the crash site.

Travelling in a convoy with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitors, they are equipped to recover further human remains, the Dutch justice ministry said on its website (in Dutch).

Fighting in the region had previously hindered them reaching the area where the Malaysia Airlines jet came down on 17 July with the loss of all 298 passengers and crew.

But after Ukraine’s military declared a unilateral one-day suspension of operations against the rebels in Donetsk region on Thursday, an exploratory visit was made, followed up by the full deployment on Friday.

Australia believes that around 80 bodies remain at the site.

It is now unclear whether Ukraine’s army or separatist forces control the site, as fighting continues nearby, the BBC’s Tom, Burridge reports from Kharkiv.

On Thursday a rebel delegation held talks with officials from Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE in Minsk, capital of Belarus. The talks are to resume next week, the OSCE said in a statement.

‘Overwhelming enemy forces’

Vladyslav Seleznyov, spokesman for Ukraine’s “anti-terrorist operation”, said a unit of paratroopers had been ambushed on Thursday while moving to a new position.

“The overwhelming enemy forces ambushed our troops in Shakhtarsk, taking advantage of the topography,” he told Ukraine’s ICTV TV station.

The spokesman said the paratroopers had fought back and inflicted “significant losses” on their attackers.

Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky confirmed that 10 soldiers had been killed while a further four bodies had yet to be identified.

Another Ukrainian TV station, Channel 112, said the attack had happened during the night and 20 paratroopers had been killed.

Meanwhile, the Donetsk rebels’ news agency said on Twitter that an “enemy” column had been “repulsed” and three soldiers from Ukraine’s 25th Air Mobile Brigade had been taken prisoner.

Graphic amateur video published on YouTube, and dated 31 July, shows a burning military vehicle with charred and mangled bodies scattered nearby. The dead soldiers are said to be from the 25th Brigade.

‘Stench of death’

Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, head of the investigation at the crash scene, said: “If human remains are found during the search, they will be recovered instantly.”

The forensic experts now also have specialist vehicles for their work, the OSCE said in a tweet.

Regional OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw, who visited the site previously, said that despite reports of tampering with evidence, it looked much the same as when his team had last seen it, nearly a week ago.

“Everything is still more or less the way we saw it,” he told Boston’s NPR news station by phone.

“In some ways it is remarkable in the sense that, two weeks into this, there are many parts that haven’t been touched,” he said, speaking on Thursday.

“The stench of death is still there,” he added. “It is very hot today.”

Most of the bodies were recovered earlier by local search teams and were flown to the Netherlands, where most of the victims came from.

More than 1,500 people are believed to have been killed in the conflict which erupted in east Ukraine in April, after separatists declared independence from the new government in Kiev.

Russia, which annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region in March, has been accused of arming the rebels and has been targeted by US and EU sanctions.

–

Source: BBC

The post Rebels ambush army convoy near Ukraine crash site appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the plane was “likely downed by a surface-to-air missile … operated from a separatist-held location in eastern Ukraine.”

If pro-Russian separatists are responsible for shooting down the plane with a missile, investigators can’t rule out the possibility that Russia offered help to operate the system, she said.

Power also said Russia should take steps to cool tensions in Ukraine.

“Russia can end this war,” she said. “Russia must end this war.”

The United States and Ukraine are committed to a diplomatic solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine, she said, but if Russia continues to choose escalation, additional sanctions will follow.

Separatist leaders also boasted on social media about shooting down the plane and later deleted those references, she said.

On board were 298 people, none of whom survived the crash, she said. Three were infants.

A preliminary classified U.S. intelligence analysis has concluded that the missile that hit Flight 17 most likely was fired by pro-Russian separatists inside eastern Ukraine, according to a U.S. defense official with direct access to the latest information.

The official declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information.

Power had tough words for Russia, saying it had not lived up to its commitments to ease tensions and halt the flow of weapons over the border to the rebels in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk earlier blasted the “terrorists” he blamed for shooting down Flight 17 over Ukraine a day earlier, with 298 people aboard.

He called on all governments to back the investigation and “to support the Ukrainian government to bring to justice all these bastards who committed this international crime.”

Russia, Ukraine trade accusations

Since the Malaysia Airlines jet fell from the sky above eastern Ukraine on Thursday, Russia and Ukraine — which routinely uses the word “terrorists” to describe pro-Russian rebels — have traded blame and accusations.

“Terrorists have killed almost 300 persons with one shot,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday. “Among them are women, children, citizens of different countries of the world.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed the finger back at Ukraine, blaming its recent tough military operations against separatists for the volatility in the region.

But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin rejected that claim, telling CNN it was up to Russia to stop the flow of heavy weaponry across Ukraine’s eastern border and push the separatists to embrace a cease-fire.

He also dismissed any suggestion that Ukrainian forces may have been involved in Thursday’s tragedy.

“There was no way our forces could be engaged in any way in this incident,” Klimkin said, adding that Ukraine did not have any military assets in the area that could have shot down MH17.

Klimkin says Ukraine intercepted telephone calls between “terrorists” at the time the plane was shot down.

Yatsenyuk called for a U.N. Security Council meeting to be held and for all nations to do everything they could to stop what he said was not now just a war in Ukraine or Europe, but a “war against the world.”

Meanwhile, international inspectors headed to the crash site Friday tasked with finding the plane’s flight data recorders, which may lie amid the human remains and debris strewn across fields near the town of Torez.

Ukrainian government officials said 181 bodies had been found.

The latest information from Malaysia Airlines indicates that the Netherlands has suffered the harshest blow, with at least 189 of its citizens among those killed.

Experts have voiced concern that the crash site has not been properly secured, making the recovery of bodies and collection of evidence difficult.

Monitors head to crash site

A group of monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is on its way to the crash site near Torez, in rebel territory in the Donetsk region.

Michael Bociurkiw, who was traveling with about 30 colleagues, told CNN the OSCE had been given assurances by separatist leaders that they would be able to pass through rebel-held checkpoints.

OSCE monitors in eastern Ukraine to observe the civil conflict have previously been taken hostage by separatist groups.

There have been conflicting reports over whether the plane’s data recorders have already been recovered by rescue workers or separatists. Ukrainian officials have suggested separatists may seek to take them to Moscow.

An adviser to Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Geraschenko was quoted by Ukraine’s Interfax news agency Friday as saying that the missile launcher used to down the Malaysian plane is already in Russia and will be destroyed.

The “Buk” launcher, as well as the flight data recorders from MH17, were handed over to Russian agents across the border at a checkpoint in the Luhansk area overnight, Geraschenko claimed, citing Ukrainian intelligence sources.

Ukraine’s state security chief has also accused two Russian military intelligence officers of involvement in Thursday’s events. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said he based his allegation on intercepts of phone conversations between Russian officers, saying the conversation implicates the pro-Russian side.

CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the recording.

Ukrainian officials reported earlier this week that two Ukrainian military aircraft had been shot down in the country’s east. They accused a Russian fighter of shooting down a Ukrainian jet Wednesday and said Russian weapons had been used against an An-26 military transport plane Monday.

In an exclusive interview with the state-run Russia 24 TV channel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia would “insist on the most objective, most open and independent investigation” into what happened to Flight 17.

“We’re ready to make our own contribution, but certainly we believe the initiative must be undertaken by the authorities of the country on which territory this tragedy occurred,” he said.

“With regard to the claims raised by Kiev, that it was almost us who did it: In fact I haven’t heard any truthful statements from Kiev over the past few months.”

‘Outrage against human decency’

If the pro-Russian separatists did shoot down Flight 17, headed to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, the jet’s passengers and crew are innocent casualties in Ukraine’s separatist armed crisis.

The passengers and crew hailed from all over the world, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany and Canada. No survivors have been found.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai offered his condolences Friday to the families affected and said Malaysia would support them. The full passenger list will be released once all the next-of-kin have been contacted, he said.

If reports that the jet was shot down are confirmed, “it would contravene international law and be an outrage against human decency,” the minister said, speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

He defended the routing of the Malaysia Airlines plane over a conflict area, saying other carriers were sending their aircraft through the same airspace above Ukraine in the hours before MH17 came down.

“Following this incident, Malaysia Airlines now avoids Ukrainian airspace entirely, flying farther south over Turkey,” a statement from the airline said.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure announced Friday that the airspace over Donetsk, Luhansk and part of Kharkiv where separatists are operating had been closed indefinitely.

Three months ago, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. airlines from flying in areas some way south of where Flight 17 crashed Thursday.

The Boeing 777 jet had a “clean maintenance record,” and its last maintenance check was on July 11, Malaysia Airlines Regional Senior Vice President Huib Gorter told reporters at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam on Friday. The plane was manufactured in 1997, and it had 17 years of service, he said.

Malaysia’s transport minister said Ukraine would lead the investigation.

Who was on the plane?

The 15 crew members on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were all Malaysian nationals, officials said.

Malaysia Airlines also gave a breakdown of the known nationalities of the 283 passengers: 189 were Dutch, 29 were Malaysian, 27 were Australian, 12 were Indonesian, nine were from the United Kingdom, four were from Germany, four were from Belgium, three were from the Philippines, one was Canadian and one was from New Zealand.

Authorities were still trying to determine the nationalities of the other four people on board, it said.

The International AIDS Society said in a statement that “a number” of its members were on the plane on the way to a conference in Melbourne, Australia.

“At this incredibly sad and sensitive time, the IAS stands with our international family and sends condolences to the loved ones of those who have been lost to this tragedy,” the statement said.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who knew some of those on board through the work of his foundation, told CNN that news of the crash was “awful.”

‘Blown out of the sky’

Leaders and diplomats from around the world have called for investigators to be given unobstructed access to the disputed region.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Ukraine’s President had accepted an offer of U.S. experts to help investigate the crash.

The plane was apparently shot down,”not an accident, blown out of the sky,” Biden said Thursday.

“It is critical that there be a full, credible, and unimpeded international investigation as quickly as possible,” the White House said in a statement.

The Obama administration believes Ukraine did not have the capability in the region — let alone the motivation — to shoot down the plane, a U.S. official told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

But the White House placed some blame on Russia and warned that evidence must not be tampered with.

“While we do not yet have all the facts, we do know that this incident occurred in the context of a crisis in Ukraine that is fueled by Russian support for the separatists, including through arms, materiel and training,” it said in a statement.

But defense expert and retired Brig. Gen. Kevin Ryan said Ukraine and Russia both have the missile capability to shoot down such an aircraft at such an altitude.

Russia-Ukraine dispute

Tensions have been high between Ukraine and Russia since street protests forced former pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February. Russia subsequently annexed Ukraine’s southeastern Crimea region, and a pro-Russian separatist rebellion has been raging in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Ukraine’s government has accused Russia of allowing weapons and military equipment, including tanks, to cross the border illegally into the hands of pro-Russian separatists.

Merkel stressed Friday that Russia must do more to ease the crisis in Ukraine.

“Russia is largely responsible for what’s happening in the Ukraine now, and I would make an appeal — that the Russian President and the Russian government should make a contribution so that a political solution can be found,” she said.

European Union leaders agreed this week to expand sanctions against individuals and entities in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, with details to be decided by the end of the month. Expanded U.S. sanctions were also announced in Washington.

Airline’s troubles

Thursday’s crash marks the second time this year that Malaysia Airlines has faced an incident involving a downed plane.

On March 8, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people on board. Searchers have found no trace of the Boeing 777 or its passengers despite extensive search efforts.

Flight 370 probably flew into the southern Indian Ocean on autopilot with an unresponsive crew, Australian authorities said last month.

A new underwater search is expected to begin in August. It will be broadly in an area where planes and vessels had already looked for debris on the surface of the water.

–

Source: CNN

The post Malaysian plane shot down by pro-Russian separatist rebels – US appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Malaysia Airlines said it had lost contact with Flight MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukraine, it said in a tweet.

An aviation source in Moscow told Reuters the plane had been found burning on the ground in east Ukraine.

It had failed to enter Russian airspace, the source said.

Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the plane had been hit by a missile at an altitude of 10,000m (33,000ft).

A number of military planes have been shot down by missiles in recent weeks over eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatist rebels have been fighting government forces.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the reports of the crash and was “urgently working to establish what has happened”.

–

Source: BBC

The post Malaysia airliner crashes in east Ukraine appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The An-26 plane was hit at an altitude of 6,500m (21,325ft), a statement on the presidential website said.

It said the plane had been targeted with “a more powerful missile weapon” than a shoulder-carried missile, probably fired from Russia.

Russia has not commented on the claim. The crew survived.

It was not immediately known if there were any other people on board the aircraft. Rebel forces earlier said they had targeted the aircraft.

The crew members of the downed plane had already contacted the Ukrainian military, and a search-and-rescue operation was now under way, the statement said.

Direct talks plea

This comes as the Ukrainian air force said it had delivered “five powerful air strikes” on targets in the eastern Luhansk region in a bid to end a rebel blockade of a strategic airport there.

Several targets were hit near the airport in the rebel-held city of Luhansk, a military spokesman said.

Ukraine’s military later said the airport had been “unblocked” and the army had retaken several villages.

A resident in Luhansk has told the BBC that some air strikes hit Luhansk on Monday.

Meanwhile, the rebels claimed they had destroyed a Ukrainian armed convoy near the airport.

Fighting in the area has intensified since a rebel rocket attack near the Russian border on Friday, in which at least 19 government soldiers were killed.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has vowed tough retaliation for that attack.

Tensions rose further over the weekend when Russia accused Ukrainian forces of shelling across the border, killing one person and wounding two others.

At least 15 civilians were killed in Luhansk and the neighbouring Donetsk region on Sunday, reports say.

Germany and Russia have urged direct talks between Kiev and the rebels.

And the UK and US have renewed calls for Russia to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine where it is accused of backing the rebels.

In a telephone conversation, Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama stressed the need for Moscow to take further steps towards peace or face further sanctions.

Separatist rebels have been fighting the government in Kiev since declaring independence in Luhansk and the neighbouring region of Donetsk in April.

The government began an “anti-terrorist operation” in April to crush the rebellion in the eastern regions.

More than 1,000 civilians and combatants are believed to have died in the fighting, which followed Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March.

–

Source: BBC

The post Ukraine military plane shot down as fighting rages appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This follows a recent appeal by some Ghanaian students in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine for government to rescue them from  Luhansk in Eastern Ukraine.

According the students their lives were at risk as a result of the on-going clashes between the pro-Russian forces and the Ukrainian military.

The Russian Separatists on Monday took over two Ukrainian military bases in Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine after days of combat in the Soviet Nation.

Eight civilians have been confirmed dead as a result of the raid.

Reacting to the ongoing situation via her twitter handle, Hannah Tetteh admitted that, the attention of her Ministry had been drawn to the plight of the Ghanaian students in the Luhansk area.

She also revealed that  the Ghanaian mission has been directed to cater for  the train fare of the students  to Kiev and house them for a week while the situation in the Luhansk area is monitored.

@EPTON_233 we have asked the mission to take care of their train fares to Kiev, & house them for a week while monitoring the situation

— Hanna Tetteh (@HannaTetteh) June 6, 2014

@EPTON_233 during this period we will assess the most appropriate further action regarding their stay in Ukraine — Hanna Tetteh (@HannaTetteh) June 6, 2014

According to her, information at the Ghanaian embassy in Moscow shows that there are currently 150 students in Luhanks and the Donesk area.

@EPTON_233 Information from our Embassy in Moscow is that we have 150 Ghanaian students in Lughansk & Donesk. They are to move to Kiev.

— Hanna Tetteh (@HannaTetteh) June 6, 2014

The Ukrainian conflict began in February 2014 after a series of violent events in the capital of Kiev, culminated with the ousting of the then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.

The Russian President, Vladmir Putin and Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko met on Monday have called for a quick end to the ongoing  bloodshed in eastern Ukraine.

By: Benjamin Epton Owusu/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ministry orders Embassy to protect students in Ukraine appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Russian Separatists on Monday took over two Ukrainian military bases in Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine after days of combat in the Soviet Nation.

Eight civilians are alleged to have died as a result of the raid.

Speaking to Citi News, some Ghanaian students in the Luhansk area say they are not safe anymore noting that “the city is under siege, the Ukrainian army is firing from air, land everywhere. We want our government to get us home, we are struggling.”

According to them, all attempts to reach the Ghana Mission has not yielded any result “we call them, they refuse to answer the call. We have sent them the names of all the Ghanaian students here.”

They further added that “all routes are blocked, the road to Kiev is blocked, the only free route is by train and that has been booked by the Indian embassy for its students. It is difficult to get access to Kiev.”

The Ukrainian conflict began in February 2014 after a series of violent events in the capital of Kiev, culminated with the ousting of the then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.

The Russian President, Vladmir Putin and Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko met on Monday have called for a quick end to the ongoing  bloodshed in eastern Ukraine.

By: Benjamin Epton Owusu/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghanaian students stranded in Ukraine appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.