Surviving On 30 Нryvnias (26 SEK) a Day

There are two million Ukrainians who, according to trade union data, live on the official minimum wage of Hr 907 ($115) a month or Hr 30 ($3.70) a day. The minimum wage is the basic financial unit the government uses to set other financial targets, such as pensions, student stipends, social subsidies and other payments guaranteed by the laws of Ukraine. Five volunteers agreed to live for a month off minimum wage, one made it. They can’t chat with their friends over a cup of coffee. They can’t afford meat. They can’t buy new shoes before the old ones fall apart. What they can do is eat a lot of cheap noodles and bread. They sleep in order not to feel hungry. That means they sleep a lot. They don’t live. They survive.

Read their fascinating stories at
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/91318/

Ukraine, Russia sign seven documents

November 26, 2010 (UKRINFORM). Ukraine and Russia have signed seven documents after a meeting of the interstate commission, which took place at the Russian presidential residence in Gorki outside Moscow on Friday. In particular, the sides signed a memorandum of mutual understanding between the Russian Transport Ministry, the Ukrainian Transport and Communications Ministry and Russia's Vnesheconombank on the construction of a bridge across the Strait of Kerch. (Ukrainian and Russian Presidents Viktor Yanukovych and Dmitry Medvedev earlier agreed that the construction of the bridge across the Kerch Strait worth about USD 900 million could start next year and be completed by 2014). Ukraine and Russia also signed an agreement on cooperation in the sphere of testing and the protection of rights to varieties of plants, an agreement on cooperation in conducting inspections at the sites of the stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on Ukrainian territory, as well as an plan on cooperation between the foreign ministries of both countries in 2011. The fuel and energy ministries of Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement on cooperation in the transportation of oil to Ukrainian refineries and its transit across Ukraine. The heads of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and the National Space Agency of Ukraine signed a protocol introducing amendments to an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=205573

Swedish, Russian companies interested in development of digital TV in Ukraine

November 24, 2010 (UKRINFORM). Swedish and Russian companies became interested in development of digital TV in Ukraine, Chairman of the National Council on TV and Radio Broadcasting Volodymyr Manzhosov has said. According to him, no official bids have come yet for participation in the competition to determine a digital TV provider in Ukraine, however, a number of Russian and Swedish companies became interested in this project. In particular, Swedish companies are interested in supply of technical equipment, whereas Russian companies - in possibility to become a provider of digital TV in Ukraine. Manzhosov believes that official bids from the companies will come nearer to the expiry date of their filing, December 8, 2010.
According to a concept of digital TV implementation in Ukraine till 2015, all TV channels should work exclusively in the digital format. In addition, a single provider should be determined on the competition basis that will be engaged in implementation of digital TV.

http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=205321

Prince Philippe of Belgium to pay visit to Ukraine

November 18, 2010 (UNIAN News Agency). Prince Philippe of Belgium will pay visit to Ukraine on November 21-24. The press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine disclosed to UNIAN that Ambassador of Ukraine to Kingdome of Belgium Ihor Dolhov was invited for audience to Royal Palace for a talk with Prince Philippe of Belgium on the eve of his visit to Ukraine at the head of the Economic mission. The Price noted an importance of preserving of high dynamics of the political dialogue between Ukraine and Belgium. An exchange of opinions on condition of economic cooperation between Belgium and Ukraine took place.

http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-406993.html

Over 12.5 million Ukrainians live below poverty line

November 17,2010 (UKRINFORM). The poverty level in Ukraine has increased in January-September 2010, the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine has reported. Some 26.4% of Ukrainians, or 12.5 million people, live below the poverty line. In addition, 9.5 million people live on income below the living wage. The unemployment rate calculated according to the methodology of the International Labor Organization was 8.5%, which exceeded the rate of 8.1% envisaged in an anti-crisis program. At the same time, in the first nine months of 2010 the living wage nominally increased by only 2.2%, but taking into account the consumer price index it actually fell by 4.8%.
The Ukrainian Labor and Social Policy Ministry said that the actual living wage in September 2010's prices was UAH 109 higher than a level of UAH 843 (110USD) legally established for that month.
The Accounting Chamber said that a set of food, consumer goods and services for main social and demographic groups had yet to be reviewed in accordance with the requirements of the law on the living wage. At the same time, the Accounting Chamber made a low assessment of the fulfillment of the 2010 budget in the first nine months.

http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=204575

Leaders of Foreign Ministries of Poland and Sweden to visit Ukraine

November 16, 2010 (UNIAN). Foreign Minister of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski and Foreign Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt are about to visit Ukraine on November 17, on Wednesday.
The press service of the Polish Foreign Ministry disclosed this to an UNIAN correspondent in Poland. An interlocutor of the agency noted that in Kyiv the Ministers are about to discuss a preparation of Ukraine-EU summit that will take place on November 22 in Brussels.

Ukrainian Air Force, Antonov discuss plans to re-equip army with new aircraft

November 12, 2010 (Interfax-Ukraine). Kyiv-based Antonov State Enterprise is planning to create a new multipurpose transport aircraft based on An-158 for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will replace the obsolete An-12, the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has reported. The plans to re-equip the army with new aircraft were announced at a meeting between Ukrainian Air Force Commander Serhiy Onyschenko and Antonov General Designer Dmytro Kiva.The parties discussed the ways to resolve problems on maintaining the airworthiness of An-24, An-26 and An-30 planes, as well as proposals on the army's future need for new aircraft, including An-26 light military transport aircraft.The two sides also discussed cooperation in the organization of flight tests and the mass production of the new An-70 short takeoff and landing transport aircraft.As reported, Antonov is planning to create the new An-178 transport aircraft with a cargo capacity of up to 15 tonnes to transport military and commercial cargo.

On the photo: Flag of Ukrainian Airforce.

http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/89836/

Book about Ukrainian diaspora published

Honored journalist of Ukraine Oleksandr Karpenko has published a book titled "Ukrainians - From Sea to Sea" about the Ukrainian diaspora.
The edition came off the press under the auspices of Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the opposition Batkivshchyna party. The book features the life of Ukrainian communities abroad. It is based on articles and photos by Karpenko in the results of his travels to Russia, Brazil, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Croatia and other countries. As the book author says, during his travels he sought an answer to the question, what is the historical mission of Ukrainians, what is its national idea and what is the reason for disunity of Ukrainians. According to the World Congress of Ukrainians, the number of the Ukrainian diaspora in more than 30 countries around the world exceeds 20 million people. According to official figures posted on the government portal, outside Ukraine there are about 10 million people of Ukrainian origin.

Battle For Kyiv. 1943 reconstructed in Kyiv

November 7, 2010 KYIV. (UKRINFORM). Military reconstruction clubs from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Czech Republic and Poland held the 7th Festival of Military History named "For Kyiv! Year 1943" dedicated to the 67th anniversary of liberation of Kyiv from fascist invaders, in Pyrohovo, a village near Kyiv. Besides watching a military reconstruction of the 1943 battle, the festival visitors could also get familiar with battle machinery of the Great Patriotic War times, taste field cuisine and attend a concert of military songs.

Ukraine wants European Union to cancel visas for short-term travel

November 4, 2010 (Interfax-Ukraine ). The Verkhovna Rada's committee on parliamentary cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union considers it expedient to cancel visas for Ukrainian citizens for short-term travel to EU countries, the committee's co-chairman, Borys Tarasiuk, said at a press conference on Thursday. "We, the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada and the European Parliament, expressed the view that the best systemic response to the problems linked to the visa regime with respect to Ukrainian citizens would be the cancellation of visas for Ukrainians for short-term visits to EU member states," Tarasiuk said. He said that these recommendations had been expressed in a joint report by the lawmakers of the Verkhovna Rada and the European Parliament on visa policies between Ukraine and the EU. Tarasiuk said that he was planning to submit the report to the Ukrainian president and the Cabinet of Ministers. He noted that MEPs would send the same document to the EU leadership. Tarasiuk also said that the 15th meeting of the committee on parliamentary cooperation between Ukraine and the EU had been held in Kyiv on Thursday and that it would continue in Odesa on Friday. He recalled that the committee included 16 deputies from the European Parliament and 16 Ukrainian lawmakers.

http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/88775/

Poltava mayor congratulates his opponent on winning mayoral race

November 3, 2010. Poltava city council.

Oleksandr Mamay has been elected Poltava mayor, according to unofficial poll returns.

Poltava Mayor Andriy Matkovsky has congratulated Oleksandr Mamay, who was nominated for Poltava mayor by the Sovist Ukrainy (Conscience of Ukraine) Party, on winning the mayoral election, the city council's press service told reporters on Tuesday. The press service reported that based on the preliminary results of the vote count, he had accepted Mamay's complete victory in the mayoral election.According to preliminary data, representatives of the newly elected mayor won the elections in 24 out of 25 single-mandate constituencies.

http://www.kyivpost.com/news/politics/detail/88567/

NATO may propose cooperation with Ukraine in missile defense – Rasmussen

November 3, 2010 (RIA Novosti). NATO does not rule out proposing cooperation in missile defense with Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a RIA Novosti news conference in Moscow, according to RIA Novosti. "The invitation will be open to our Euro-Atlantic partners. The invitation will also be open to Ukraine if Ukraine wishes. We don`t exclude that possibility," Rasmussen said.

http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-404491.html

Ukrainian army to get 10 modernized Bulat tanks

KYIV, November 2, 2010 (UKRINFORM). A batch of ten Bulat Т-64BМ tanks has been delivered to Chernihiv from the state-run Malyshev Plant (Kharkiv) to be further sent to the 1st separate tank brigade of the 8th army corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, dislocated in the village of Honcharivske, Chernihiv region, north of Ukraine, UKRINFORM reported citing the Defense Ministry press center. The brigade will get another nineteen tanks by the end of 2001.