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Almost two years since the eruption of the conflict in South Sudan, the situation continues to deteriorate with women and small children making up the majority of most recent casualties, a representative from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the country said today.

Airbus tire la sonnette d'alarme après le crash du 9 mai dernier, près de Séville, d’un avion de transport militaire A400M durant un vol d'essai. L'accident avait fait quatre morts et deux blessés graves. L’avionneur attire l'attention des utilisateurs de l'appareil sur les systèmes électroniques en charge de la gestion des moteurs. Une défaillance grave qui aurait pu conduire à l'accident survenu en Espagne.

Laureano Márquez is not just a comedian. A political scientist by training, he uses his act to unmask the absurdity of the Venezuelan regime.

A Russian shipyard is currently building the first hydrofoil vessels since the Soviet era, a source in the shipbuilding industry told RIA Novosti Tuesday.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations.* The SMM observed ceasefire violations in and around Donetsk airport, though the fighting continued at a relatively low level. Southern Donetsk region and Luhansk region remained calm. The SMM observed earlier-recorded heavy weapons at two “DPR”-controlled holding areas to be in situ.

The SMM observed continued violations of ceasefire in and around Donetsk airport[1] (“Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled, 12km north-west of Donetsk city centre), although at a relatively low level of intensity. Over an almost 10-hour period from 7:36 to 17:30hrs, the SMM at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination observation point at Donetsk central railway station (“DPR”-controlled, 8km north-west of Donetsk city centre) heard a total of 109 explosions caused by incoming and outgoing artillery and mortar fire, as well as SALW fire including heavy machine gun bursts. The SMM concluded that the explosions occurred at locations to the west, north-west and north of its position and at distances ranging between 1.5 and 7km from its position. Locations in the areas where the SMM concluded that the explosions had occurred included in or around government-controlled Pisky to the west, “DPR”-controlled Donetsk airport to the north, and government-controlled Opytne farther north.

Further, the SMM found the security situation to be calm and observed no ceasefire violations around the “DPR”-controlled towns of Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) and Makiivka (13km east-north-east of Donetsk). Also, the SMM observed that the security situation in the village of Shyrokyne was relatively calm (20km east of Mariupol) – as it was for the previous three days – as monitored by the SMM at observation points on the eastern outskirts of Berdianske (government-controlled, 1.5km west of Shyrokyne) and in Sopyne (government-controlled, 3.5km west of Shyrokyne). The SMM did hear 21 unidentified explosions north of its position in a government-controlled area 4.5km west of Shyrokyne.

A Ukrainian Armed Forces representative to the JCCC in Avdiivka (government-controlled, 15km north-north-west of Donetsk) told the SMM on 17 May that they had received a report from an observation point that two phosphorous mortar grenades had allegedly exploded in Pisky (government-controlled, 10km north-west of Donetsk city centre). The SMM, because of insecurity in the area at the time, was not immediately able to follow up on this report.

The SMM observed that the overall security situation in Luhansk region remained calm.

The SMM observed eight small, individual military-type tents up next to the road near the Luhansk-Donetsk region administrative boundary line and near a known “DPR” military training site.

The SMM revisited two “DPR”-controlled heavy weapons holding areas east and south-east of Donetsk City and found all earlier-recorded weapons to be in situ.

Despite claims that the withdrawal of heavy weapons has been completed, the SMM observed the following weapons movements/presence in areas that are in violation of the Minsk withdrawal lines. The SMM observed three stationary unmarked main battle tanks (T-64 MBTs) in the centre of Shyrokyne. The SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) observed a total of seven tanks (type unknown) in a “DPR”-controlled area, approximately 50km north-east of Mariupol. The SMM UAV also observed one infantry fighting vehicle, two military-type trucks and people in military uniforms in the same area.

The SMM attended a government press conference in Kyiv concerning the reported recent capture of two allegedly Russian soldiers around the town of Shchastya (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk). High-ranking military participants in the press conference included the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They said that the soldiers were being treated at Kyiv Central Clinical Hospital for injuries suffered during the fighting and that they would be charged with terrorism.

The SMM observed events commemorating the anniversary of the 18 May 1944 Soviet deportation of Crimean Tatars and protesting against the events involving the Russian Federation and Crimea. In Kyiv, the SMM followed an event that included the participation of the Ukrainian President and Prime Minister as well as the Turkish Foreign Minister and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. Other events included a 17 May gathering in Kharkiv of some 100 people, both men and women and of varying ages, organized by Euromaidan activists and with the participation of the local Tatar community – as well as the presence of approximately 30 police officers. The SMM also monitored a similar commemorative event in Dnepropetrovsk attended by a small group of 20 people, including the leader of the local Tatar community and members of the Muslim community.

The SMM monitored a court hearing in Poltava (128km south-west of Kharkiv) for former Kharkiv mayor Hennadiy Kernes, who is facing criminal charges related to the detention and mistreatment of two Euromaidan activists in January 2014 – specifically the three charges of deprivation of freedom/kidnapping, making death threats, and torture. Members of a group of some 30 young, pro-unity protesters, waving Ukrainian and Right Sector flags and Fatherland and Svoboda party flags, threw eggs at one of his lawyers and also tried to force their way into the courthouse. Police eventually escorted Kernes away from the courthouse and the area, reportedly for his own safety as the focus of the protest, and the court rescheduled the hearing. Meanwhile in Kharkiv, the SMM observed the presence of some 200 riot police around Liberty Square to guard against any unrest in the wake of a court ruling there banning a proposed rally in support of the former mayor.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Odessa, Kherson, Lviv, Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk.

* Restrictions on SMM access and freedom of movement:

The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by third parties and security considerations including the lack of information on whereabouts of landmines.

The security situation in Donbas is fluid and unpredictable and the ceasefire does not hold everywhere.

• The SMM was stopped for 10 minutes at a government-controlled checkpoint at the northern entrance to Avdiivka (government-controlled, 15km north-north-west of Donetsk) and told to wait for a JCCC representative to arrive before being allowed to proceed with the JCCC escort. The Ukrainian Armed Forces JCCC representative explained the restriction by citing the presence of “DPR” reconnaissance groups in the area.
• The SMM patrolled unescorted to Novoazovsk (“DPR”-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol) though, when at one point the SMM observed a “DPR” 82mm mortar position, an armed “DPR” member told the SMM to leave the area.
• The SMM was stopped at government checkpoint CP10 at the western entrance to Sartana (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Mariupol) and asked for the nationalities of its patrol members. The patrol was allowed to proceed after 15 minutes.
• The SMM was stopped briefly at a government checkpoint in Makarove (government-controlled, 19km north-east of Luhansk), where patrol members had to declare their nationalities before proceeding.

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annex table.

Related Stories

• Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 17 May 2015
• Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 15 May 2015
• Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 14 May 2015

The Verkhovna Rada’s decision to suspend foreign debt payments is illegitimate, adviser of the Russian President Sergey Glazyev said.

Plenáris ülés : Orbán Viktor miniszterelnöknek a halálbüntetés újra-bevezetésével kapcsolatos megjegyzései, és a magyar kormány által a migránsokkal kapcsolatban elindított nemzeti konzultáció kapcsán a magyar helyzetről vitázott kedden a Parlament Frans Timmermans bizottsági alelnök, a lett tanácsi elnökség és a magyar miniszterelnök részvételével.

Forrás : © Európai Unió, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The situation in Hungary, following Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's remarks on the possibility of reinstating the death penalty there and the government’s public “consultation” on immigration, were debated by MEPs, Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Latvian State Secretary for European Affairs Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica for the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers and Mr Orbán himself on Tuesday afternoon.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The situation in Hungary, following Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's remarks on the possibility of reinstating the death penalty there and the government’s public “consultation” on immigration, were debated by MEPs, Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Latvian State Secretary for European Affairs Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica for the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers and Mr Orbán himself on Tuesday afternoon.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The situation in Hungary, following Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's remarks on the possibility of reinstating the death penalty there and the government’s public “consultation” on immigration, were debated by MEPs, Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Latvian State Secretary for European Affairs Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica for the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers and Mr Orbán himself on Tuesday afternoon.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Séance plénière : La situation en Hongrie, à la suite des remarques du Premier ministre Viktor Orbán sur l'éventuelle réintégration de la peine de mort dans ce pays et la consultation publique sur l'immigration du gouvernement ont été débattues par les députés européens, le vice-président de la Commission européenne Frans Timmermans, la secrétaire d'Etat lettone aux affaires européennes Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica pour la Présidence du Conseil des ministres et M. Orbán lui-même mardi après-midi.

Source : © Union européenne, 2015 - PE

Az uniós jogalkotási folyamat minőségének és átláthatóságának javítását célzó programot fogadott el kedden az Európai Bizottság. Az egyik újítás értelmében a bizottsági jogszabályi javaslatok elfogadását követő nyolc héten belül bármely polgár és érintett fél reagálhat, és észrevételeiket a jogalkotás során figyelembe is vennék.

Az amerikai kormány kémkedéssel vádol hat kínai állampolgárt, akik a washingtoni igazságügyi minisztérium keddi közlése szerint olyan információkat tulajdonítottak el, amelyek haditechnikai célokra is felhasználhatóak.

Tízezer eurót fizetett egy virágokkal díszített kék Chanel Neoprene táskáért Leonardo DiCaprio amerikai filmsztár egy jótékonysági árverésen, amely hétfőn este zajlott Cannes-ban.

The Western policy towards Russia is not always reasonable. Western countries have always talked about the intensification and extension of sanctions, and rarely discussed their possible easing, once some progress in Ukraine is achieved, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said.

Nagyon bízik a továbbjutásban Csemer Boglárka Boggie, aki Magyarországot képviseli Wars For Nothing című dalával az Eurovíziós Dalfesztiválon, és a kedd esti első elődöntőben lép színpadra a bécsi Stadthalléban.

Horrorba illő történetről számol be az Express brit lap. Egy 18 éves lány bal szemgolyójába olyan féreg költözött, amely feltehetően a kontaktlencséjéről került a szemébe.

Az orosz Állategészségügyi és Növényvédelmi Szövetségi Szolgálat (Rosszelhoznadzor) tizenöt magyar, két ciprusi és néhány görög cégnek engedélyezte, hogy exportálhassa termékeit Oroszországba az élelmiszerembargó feloldásának esetén - közölte Szergej Dankvert, a Rosszelhoznadzor vezetője kedden tartott moszkvai sajtótájékoztatóján. Oroszország tavaly augusztus 8-án rendelt el behozatali tilalmat az Európai Unió tagállamaiból, illetve Norvégiából, Kanadából, az Egyesült Államokból és Ausztráliából származó élelmiszerekre.

Après l'alerte technique diffusée par Airbus, les six Atlas de l'armée de l'air devaient voir leurs ECU
Plus d'infos »

SUMMARY

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both BCPs. The overall cross-border traffic increased at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs).

DETAIL

OM’s staff composition

The OM is currently operating with 22 staff members, consisting of 20 permanent international observers (incl. the Chief Observer) and two first-responders one of which is performing the duties of an administrative assistant. Nine staff members are currently on leave.

Cross-border movements common to both BCPs

The profile of the people crossing the border remains unchanged and can be categorised as follows:

1. Families on foot or travelling by car, with a lot of luggage, often accompanied by elderly people;
2. Adults (usually of younger age) with no luggage or empty cars;
3. People wearing military-style clothes with or without backpacks, crossing on foot or in vehicles.

As compared to last week, the average number of entries/exits increased overall from 7,126 to 8,348 per day for both BCPs; the average net flow went from plus 386 (i.e. more entries to the Russian Federation) to minus 104 (i.e. more exits from the Russian Federation). The Donetsk BCP continued to experience more traffic than the Gukovo BCP. The cross-border movements registered at both BCPs accounted for just over 33 percent of all entries/exits in the Rostov region. The majority of the vehicles crossing the border have number plates issued in the Luhansk region, including an increasing number of articulated trucks and the long-distance coaches commuting between Luhansk and cities in the Russian Federation, predominantly in the Rostov region.

Common observations at the BCPs

The situation at both BCPs remained calm. The OM continued to observe that the Russian Federation border guard and customs service conducted checks and controls.

Regular local and long-distance bus connections continued to operate between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation. In addition to regular bus connections, the Observer Teams (OTs) also continued to observe bus connections on irregular routes. Often the buses do not state their route; instead they just have a sign in the window saying “Irregular”.

During the reporting period, the number of men and women in military-style dress crossing the border in both directions decreased from 381 to 355 at both BCPs. These people have been crossing individually or in groups and on foot or in vehicles. Approximately eighty five percent of border crossings occurred at the Donetsk BCP. The OTs have observed that recently persons in military-style dress have been travelling by bus across the border which makes it more difficult for the OTs to observe their movement across the border. The OTs also have observed an increasing number of physically fit young men in civilian clothing, who frequently travel in groups, with short haircuts who often have camouflage-colored bags.

Furthermore, the OTs continued to observe Ukrainian vehicles including articulated trucks with “DPR/LPR” stickers on their license plates replacing the Ukrainian flag.

During the reporting week the OM continued to observe an increased number of trucks crossing the border in both directions. The OTs continued to observe dumper trucks transporting coal from the Luhansk region to the Russian Federation through the BCP Gukovo. The OTs observed intense cargo truck traffic at BCP Donetsk crossing the border in both directions. While the majority of the trucks are registered in Luhansk oblast, during the reporting period the OTs have also observed trucks registered in Belarus crossing the border. The OTs have observed that the number of trucks registered in Belarus has increased compared to the previous reporting week; in total 26 of these trucks were observed crossing the border in both directions at the Donetsk BCP. Separately, the OTs also observed tanker trucks crossing the border both ways. These crossings occurred at both BCPs. These trucks for the most part had the word “Propane” and “Flammable” written across the tanks in Russian.

Military movement

At the two BCPs the OM did not observe military movement, apart from the usual vehicles of the Russian Federation Border Guard Service.

Observation at the Gukovo BCP

The traffic flow at the Gukovo BCP increased compared to last week. A daily average of 2,415 entries and exits was recorded, which accounted for just under ten per cent of all entries/exits in the Rostov region. The net flow went from plus 162 to plus 86 (i.e. more entries to the Russian Federation) on average per day.

During the week, the OM observed a total of 52 persons in military-style clothing crossing the border at the Gukovo BCP, 26 of whom left for Ukraine while 26 entered the Russian Federation.

As in previous weeks, the OM observed dumper trucks transporting coal from the Luhansk region to the Russian Federation though the intensity of the transportation remains relatively low compared to past reporting periods. As reported previously, the observers saw Russian Federation customs officers verifying that the trucks were empty while leaving the Russian Federation.

In addition to the above-mentioned tanker trucks with the word “Propane” and “Flammable”, the OT observed a number of orange articulated fuel trucks crossing at the Gukovo BCP.

The OTs picked up on the sound of trains running down the train tracks located approximately 150 meters south west of the BCP on seventeen occasions during the reporting week; the OTs estimated that eight trains were going to Ukraine; nine were bound for the Russian Federation. Visual observation was not possible because of the line of trees in between the train tracks and the BCP.

On May 13 at 02:00hrs the OT heard several shots fired in short bursts. These shots were immediately followed by a series of 7-10 single round shots; the sounds came from the west. At 02:05hrs an additional series of three short bursts were heard from the same direction and at 02:08hrs another series was heard. It sounded like more than one weapon was being fired. On May 16 at 22:02hrs one single shot was heard from the direction north-west.

On May 14 at 09:04hrs the OT observed a military helicopter fly from the south east to the north-west; as far as the OT could see the helicopter did not violate the Ukrainian airspace. The helicopter was combat ready with anti-tank rockets and flew at an altitude of approximately 400 meters.

One ambulance was observed at the BCP Gukovo during the reporting period. No injured or wounded persons were observed in this ambulance.

Observation at the Donetsk BCP

During the reporting period the activity at the Donetsk BCP significantly increased compared to last week. The daily average of 5,933 entries and exits accounted for over twenty three percent of all entries/exits in the Rostov region. The net flow changed from plus 224 (i.e. more entries to the Russian Federation) to minus 190 (i.e. more exiting from Russian Federation) on average per day. The OT observed 303 persons in military-style clothing crossing the border at the Donetsk BCP individually and in groups; 169 persons entered the Russian Federation while 134 left for Ukraine.

Three ambulances were observed at the BCP Donetsk during the reporting period. On one occasion an ambulance crossed the border from Ukraine to the Russian Federation; the OT observed one person with crutches inside this ambulance. No injured or wounded persons were observed in any of the other two ambulances.

On May 12 at 22:27hrs and 22:29hrs two signal lights were observed in the south-west of the BCP at an estimated distance of 1 kilometer. The first light was white; the second one was red.

On May 12 at 13:15hrs the OT observed two minivans, one had arrived from Ukraine and the other from the Russian Federation, park close to each other in the central part of the BCP. There were two males in camouflage clothing and one civilian driver in the minivan that had arrived from the Russian Federation. They transferred a red coffin from the Ukrainian minivan to the Russian minivan. After the transfer the two minivans returned to where they had come from. On a different occasion during the reporting week, the OT observed two vans with a sign “Funeral Service” in Russian. There were two males in camouflage clothing in one of these vans.

On May 14 at 09:30hrs the OT observed a military helicopter fly from the south east to the north-west. The helicopter was combat ready with anti-tank rockets and flew following the borderline; as far as the OT could see the helicopter did not violate the Ukrainian airspace. It was the same helicopter that was observed a little bit earlier the same day at the Gukovo BCP flying north.

On May 17 at 21:29hrs the OT heard 10 single gun shots from direction north-north-west.

On May 15 at 15:15hrs the OT observed a group of vehicles belonging to the Russian motorcyclist club “Night Wolves” cross the border from the Russian Federation to Ukraine. The group consisted of two all road vehicles with six passengers in dark clothing, two escort vehicles that had banners with the inscription “Russian Bikers to Donbass” in Russian and 23 motorcyclists. By 16:15hrs all vehicles had crossed the border into the Russian Federation. At 20:56hrs another group of 12 motorcyclists on 8 motorcycles crossed into Ukraine from the Russian Federation. On May 17 at 10:30hrs the OT observed approximately 40 motorcyclists cross the border from Ukraine into the Russian Federation.

On May 18 at 15:00hrs the OT observed a large black unusually shaped truck-like vehicle cross the border from Ukraine into the Russian Federation. On its side it had an inscription “Mad Max” in English.

CONVOY

On 14 May 2015 at 06:52hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 50 vehicles - 44 cargo trucks and 6 support vehicles - were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services; one Russian service dog was used to check some of the cargo trucks. Ukrainian officers were present on site during the check of both the outgoing and the returning convoy. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:45hrs on 14 May.

Related Stories

• Spot Report by OSCE Observer Mission: A twenty fifth Russian convoy of 50 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned back through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point
• Weekly update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 10:00 (Moscow time), 12 May 2015
• Weekly update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 10:00 (Moscow time), 5 May 2015