The Lower Dnieper Offensive took place in 1943 during the Second World War. It was one of the largest Second World War operations, involving almost 4,000,000 troops on both sides and stretching on a 1400 kilometer long front. During this four-month operation, the eastern bank of the Dnieper was recovered from German forces by five of the Red Army's Fronts, which conducted several river assault crossings to establish several bridgeheads on the western bank. Subsequently, Kiev was liberated in a separate offensive. To secure such a large-scale crossing a few dummy springboards for attack have been created by the Red Army on the eastern bank of the Dniper River. They had to distract the German forces from main springboards. One of such dummy springboard has been located close to the village of Keliberda located 100 km. away from Poltava. Four Red Army divisions deployed there incurred extremely heavy losses. About 30000 soldiers and officers have been killed there. Not long ago a new monument in commemoration of those who payed with their lives for the liberation of Kiev has been unveiled on the bank of the Dniper River.

Ukraine-Russia Fairway of Peace 2011 naval exercise starts in Sevastopol

KYIV, May 23, 2011 (UKRINFORM). The opening ceremony of the Ukrainian-Russian naval exercise Fairway of Peace 2011 was held in Sevastopol (southern Ukraine) Monday, the press service of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine reported. During the exercise, the navies of Ukraine and Russia will work out joint actions during peacekeeping operations in crisis areas. The exercise involves 9 battleships, 8 boats and auxiliary vessels, 8 planes, 3 helicopters, 260 marines of Ukraine's Navy and the Russian Black Sea Fleet, as well as aircraft of the Sevastopol tactical aviation brigade of Ukraine Air Force.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has approved of the admission of units of the armed forces of foreign states to the territory of Ukraine for participation in multinational military exercises in 2011. According to the law foreign troops are allowed into Ukraine to participate in the US-Ukrainian exercises "Rapid Trident 2011" and "Sea Breeze 2011," the Ukrainian-Russian military exercise "Fairway of Peace 2011," the Ukrainian-Polish-US military exercise "Safe Sky 2011," Ukrainian-Romanian exercises, Ukrainian-Belarusian-Russian exercises, Ukrainian-Russian and Ukrainian-Belarusian exercises with the involvement of air defense forces, the "Black Sea Rotational Force 2011" multinational exercise, the "Jackal Stone 2011" multinational exercise, the "Barrier 2011" multinational exercise, and the "Cossack Steppe 2011" multinational exercise. Troops from the following countries are expected to participate in various exercises in Ukraine in 2011: Russia, the United States, Poland, Belarus, Romania, Canada, Moldova, Serbia, Great Britain, Hungary, France, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Norway.
http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=221756

German soldiers burial place found in Ternopil region

KYIV, May 14, 2011 (UKRINFORM).
On the outskirts of the village Oliev (Ternopil region, west of Ukraine), the graves of twenty-five German soldiers have been identified. They were found by representatives of the German people's union for the care of war graves, the district council reported. The search lasted for almost fifteen years, until the village head of Oliev saw on the military picture the outskirts of his native village, where there was the burial place.


In the war times, a front line ran there, and all the gravestone crosses were razed to the ground during the fighting. Now, personal tokens of German soldiers have been discovered at the burial site, as well as bottles with notes bearing names, dates, places of birth, information about families. The remains of the German soldiers were moved to the village of Potelychi (Zhovkva district of Lviv region), where the dead Germans are buried.

The monument to the field kitchen has been unveiled in Vinnitsa region (Ukraine)

The one and only monument to the mobile field kitchen has been inaugurated in the city of Bratslav in Vinnitsa region. This indispensable attribute of the military life was invented in 1905 by the officer of the Russian Army Georgiy Turchanovich. His unique invention is still in use in many armies around the world. In 1908 gifted inventor has taken out a patent. It took only three hours to prepare a three-course dinner for one company. As an irony of fate Georgiy Turchanovich has died of starvation in 1943 when his city was under the German occupation. Not long ago his grave has been found and put in order. The city council is about to erect a bronze bust of the inventor near the monument to the mobile field kitchen.

Modern armament show on the Red Square in Moscow

Modern armament shown to the publick during the 2011 Moscow Victory Day Parade.

1. The T-90 third-generation main battle tank

2. The MSTA-S 152-mm Self-Propelled Howitzer

3. The BUK M2 self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system

4. The Smerch (Tornado) volley-fire rocket system

5. The S-400 Triumf new generation anti-aircraft weapon system

6. The Pantsir-S1 combined short to medium range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system

7. The 9K720 Iskander mobile theatre ballistic missile system

8. The RT-2UTTKh Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile

The Russian army Moscow Military Victory Parade of 2011 was held the 09 May 2011. Victory Day marks Germany’s surrender to the Soviet Union in 1945. It became the end of the Great Patriotic War for the USSR, which lost about 25 million citizens in the four years of fighting. Interestingly, until its 20th anniversary (May 9, 1965), Victory Day was not a major holiday, unlike, for instance, May 1, and was considered a work day. Apart from the anniversaries in 1965 and 1985, Victory Day celebrations in the Soviet Union did not feature a military parade. This tradition started in 1995. The biggest military parade is in Moscow’s Red Square, showcasing Russia’s military forces and equipment with aircraft, helicopters, tanks, missile systems and more. Most veterans wear their medals as they head to the parade or an event organized by a local veteran organization.

No military parade on Victory Day in Kyiv this year. The capital of Ukraine hosted a festive procession, a ceremony and a theatrical event to mark the Victory Day.

Public order will be protected by over 38,000 police workers during Victory Day celebrations

KYIV, May 6, 2011 (UKRINFORM). During celebration of the Victory Day, the public order will be protected by over 38,000 police officers, the Interior Ministry Public Order Department informed.
"The police personnel have been transferred to the enhanced variant of service for the holidays. In addition, operative headquarters will be working at the ministry and its subordinate units in order to exercise control over fulfillment of organizational and practical measures to ensure the law and order," the ministry informed.
According to tentative data, on May 9, in Ukraine, 10,000 events will take place with participation of over 3 million persons.

German experts: Ukraine's population could shrink by 5 million people by 2030

KYIV, May 1, 2011 (UKRINFORM).

Ukraine's population could shrink by five million people by 2030, experts from the Berlin Institute for Population and Development predicted in their study of the demographic situation in the countries of the former Soviet Union, an UKRINFORM correspondent in Germany said. According to projections, Ukraine's population in 2030 will be 40.19 million people.

According to the institute, 45.43 million people lived in Ukraine as of early 2010. According to the report, since 1991, the country has been shrinking by almost 300,000 per year as a result of its high mortality rate. The population in eastern Ukraine is shrinking faster than in the country's western regions, according to the report. German experts believe that the reasons for this are the outflow of residents from the country's eastern regions to the center and the west, as well as better birth rate figures in the west than in the east. In addition, the question of ageing will be urgent for Ukraine in the coming years, as the number of elderly people is expected to increase every year. German experts advised Ukraine to take steps to stop or reduce the flow of labor abroad and focus on increasing the country's attractiveness for migrants. To this end, the Ukrainian leadership must undertake crucial reforms that will bring the country to EU standards, according to the study. As UKRINFORM reported, according to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine's population was 45.745 million people as of March 1, 2011.