Tests of Neptune cruise missile P-360 successfully completed in Ukraine

November 30, 2019 (112.com) Tests of the Neptune cruise missile P-360 successfully compete in Ukraine. During the tests, the missile performed a flight of several hundred kilometers, Defense Express reported citing Oleh Korostelev, General Director of the Ukrainian manufacturer Luch Design Bureau. "For the first time, we made an over 250 km desired track flight. That is, we can say now that the development of the aerial vehicle with the given characteristics has been completed," Korostelev said. Neptune uses a 150-kilogram high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) warhead and can be deployed on air, sea, and land platforms, though initial deployments are slated for Ukraine’s Azov Sea coastal missile defenses. The missile boasts a maximum effective range of just under 280 kilometers and is designed to destroy vessels with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons; frigates, generally; speed about 900 km/h, and the height of the flight above the crest of the waves - from 3 to 10 m.

The complex provides the simultaneous launch of up to 24 missiles (that is, a full volley of 6 launchers), with a launch interval in a volley of 3 to 5 seconds. The complex can be located up to 25 km from the coastline, and the required time for its deployment is up to 15 minutes. As it was reported earlier, missile test exercise took place in Odesa region, southern Ukraine.

Long-living scientist heads the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for more than half a century

November 27, 2019 (UNIAN) A world-renowned outstanding scientist in the field of welding, metallurgy and metal technology, the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Borys Paton is celebrating today, November 27, his 101st birthday.

Borys Paton. Courtesy ZN.ua

He was born in Kyiv on November 27, 1918 in the family of scientist and founder of Paton Institute of Electric Welding in Kyiv, Professor Evgen Paton. His mother was a housewife. In 1941, he completed Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and became an engineer. Borys Paton joined the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine on November 18, 1958 and became its president in 1962. Currently, Borys Paton is the oldest president of the Academy of Sciences in the world. He made an incredibly important contribution to metal welding technology. Borys Paton created technologies for welding under water, in outer space and automatic welding of tank armor. 

In the early 1970s and 1980s Borys Paton had advised the Soviet authorities not to build the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It is well known, that Soviet politicians did not consider the prominent academician’s opinion. Now the whole world knows what catastrophic consequences this led to.

This is an aerial photo of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant taken two or three days after the 1986 explosion that spread clouds of radioactive dust across the western part of the Soviet Union and Europe.

(Volodymir Repik / AP)

Russia-made drone dropped a few cumulative grenades on Ukrainian position

November 26, 2019 (zn.ua) Ukrainian military men have shown consequences of the attack of the Russian unmanned aerial vehicle “Enix” (commonly known as a drone) on the positions of Ukrainian troops in the Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone. As one of the military men told, the drone was spotted due to its sound that resembles a sound of the electric mowing machine. Ukrainian military men fired at the drone while it was under their position but because of the bad weather it was not possible to take aim at it. The drone dropped six cumulative grenades RKG-ZEM and lost itself in the cloud. Luckily nobody was injured during this attack.

Shell hole left by cumulative grenade on the position of Ukrainian troops

Ukrainian reconnaissance reported that mentioned above drone “Enix” was manufactured in Kazan (Russian Federation) and long ago delivered to the combat area in the Eastern Ukraine.

Russian drone “Enix” on the launcher.

You may look a brief  Ukrainian video filmed on the position that suffered Russian drone's attack

U.S. State Department on Holodomor: Soviet Union could not break spirit of Ukrainian people

November 24, 2019 (UNIAN) U.S. State Department on Holodomor Remembrance Day has said the Soviet Union could not break the spirit of the Ukrainian people. "This November we honor and remember the millions of Ukrainians who perished eighty-six years ago during Holodomor, the catastrophic famine created by the barbaric policies of the Stalin regime," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement by on November 23, 2019. According to her, through the deliberate seizure of Ukrainian land and crops and forced collectivization, the Soviet Union caused widespread starvation and death and immeasurable human suffering. "While this horrific tragedy was one of the most atrocious of the twentieth century, the Soviet Union could not break the spirit of the Ukrainian people," she said. Ortagus said Ukraine is again under attack today. "Russia's occupation of Crimea and continued aggression in eastern Ukraine has resulted in roughly 13,000 deaths. Even still Moscow attempts to manipulate and destroy the aspirations of the people of Ukraine. But Russia's malign campaign misjudges Ukrainians resilience and ignores their desire for a better future. That campaign is doomed to fail," she said. Morgan Ortagus stressed as people around the world unite in remembrance of the Holodomor's innocent victims, the United States reaffirms its commitment to a democratic and prosperous Ukraine – secure within its internationally recognized borders and able to shape its own destiny.

The Holodomor  derived from  "to kill by starvation" was a famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. It is also known as the Terror-Famine and Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and sometimes referred to as the Great Famine or the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932–33. It was part of the wider Soviet famine of 1932–33, which affected the major grain-producing areas of the country. During the Holodomor, millions of inhabitants of Ukraine, the majority of whom were ethnic Ukrainians, died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of Ukraine. Since 2006, the Holodomor has been recognized by Ukraine and 15 other countries as a genocide of the Ukrainian people carried out by the Soviet government.

Reconnaissance unit of the German Air Force in Poltava

Many interesting pictures taken in Poltava airfield and downtown during the German occupation were found recently in the Germany State Archives. Later on it turned out that many of them were taken by officers and soldiers who served in the Long-Distance Reconnaissance Squadron 3(F)/10 (Aufklärungsgruppe 10 'Tannenberg') that has been stationed in Poltava from late 1941-till late 1942.

In early 1941, the 3rd Long-Distance Reconnaissance Squadron was converted to Ju-88. From June 1941 it participated in operation “Barbarossa” and flew reconnaissance missions for the 18th German Army in the northern sector of the Eastern Front. Many of these pictures were included in my new book “Poltava in the time of the German-Russian war 1945-1941. View through the lens of camera”.

Ground crew with a Motorenanwärmer 38 (heater for engines) working on the Ju-88 D "Habicht (Hawk)" of the 3. / (F) 10 (see emblem on the nose) at the Poltava airfield - March 1942

Snowy winter of 1941 on Poltava airbase.

Flooded Poltava in early spring of 1942.

Luftwaffe officers in Poltava city park.

What would parenting be like if fathers took six months of parental leave? Take a look.

November 19, 2019 (The Washington Post) The photos all show seemingly mundane moments of family life: A parent bathing an infant in a kitchen sink, another wrangling toddlers into a stroller, or coaxing a forkful of food into a daughter’s mouth. If the parents had all been mothers, the photos wouldn’t be particularly exceptional. But all of the images are of men — fathers who, given generous parental paid leave by their government, chose to stay at home with their child for at least six months.

The images are part of a photo exhibition called “Swedish Dads,” a series of portraits of 45 fathers on display through November at the Embassy of Sweden in Kyiv. The exhibition, by Swedish photographer Johan Bävman, has toured 65 countries, but this is its first time in Ukraine. As he debuts his photo series for Ukrainian audience, Bävman hopes to tell a story of gender equality in parenting, of a new perception of masculinity and what a society could look like if it truly prioritized both.

Yesterday the exhibition was shown at the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

Whether another bust of the King will come to Poltava some day?

November 14, 2019 After the reconstruction, a hall dedicated to the history of Cossack Ukraine was reopened in the Poltava Regional Museum. In the museum, visitors can see household items, weapons, uniforms, a Cossack boat, portraits of Ukrainian hetmans, maps and much more. Among the exhibits of this hall there is also a bust of Charles XII, created by Swedish sculptor and historian Bernhard Englund and delivered to Poltava in 2009 by a delegation of the Swedish Military History Society (SMB) headed by Einar Lyth. 

During the presentation of the new museum hall, I asked the deputy director of the Poltava Regional Museum Volodymyr Moklyak about the prospect of transferring the bust created by Bernhard Englund to the Museum of the Battle of Poltava.

 He replied that such a transfer in the near future seems to be not possible and it might be easier to order another bust of the Swedish king and deliver it directly to the Museum of the Battle of Poltava.

Over 6,000 Ukrainians in prisons abroad – Rada's human rights committee

November 12, 2019 (UNIAN) Around 6,180 citizens of Ukraine are currently serving their sentences in foreign prisons. "There are 168 Ukrainians accused of transit of illegal migrants in Greek prisons alone," says Dmytro Lubynets, the chairman of an ad hoc group and the Committee on human rights, de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk, Luhansk regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, national minorities and interethnic relations, according to the press service of the Verkhovna Rada's Office.

"Organized criminal groups very often invited them to allegedly work on cruise ships, but actually involved them in illegal trafficking. The terms of the punishment are from 20 to 280 years!" he said. "That is why we decided to create an ad hoc group from among representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the National Police, and the Ministry of Social Protection. It is designed to promptly develop concrete steps for the return of the Ukrainians home," he added. The group, which is seeking ways to return Ukrainian citizens serving sentences in Greece, has developed a plan of priority steps to start the process to bring them home. 

President Poroshenko starts re-registration of confectionery assets to his eldest son's name

November 7, 2019 (UNIAN) The fifth president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has started the process of re-registering confectionery assets to the name of his eldest son, Oleksiy Poroshenko. The change in the Central European Confectionery Company (CECC) beneficiary ownership was recorded in the open register of national public figures, the Anti-Corruption Action Center said. As of November 6, Oleksiy Poroshenko was listed as the CECC's beneficiary. The data is also confirmed by Ukraine's State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and NGOs. It states that control of the company was transferred to Oleksiy Poroshenko as a result of obtaining corporate rights of Dutch-registered Roshen Europe B. V., which owns an 85% stake in the CECC. Roshen did not deny the report, saying that only the beneficiaries knew about the reasons for the change of ownership, the Ukrainian media outlet Novoye Vremya said. 

The CECC is one of the key assets in the structure of Roshen Corporation and is the founder of a number of other enterprises. Simultaneously, there is a change in the beneficiary ownership of the following CECC-founded enterprises: LLC Roshen De Luxe, LLC CC Roshen, LLC Roshen-Volyn, LLC Roshen Svit, and others, which until recently had been declared by the fifth president. Petro Poroshenko remains the beneficiary of a number of other enterprises controlled by the CECC. As UNIAN reported earlier, Roshen Corporation, the largest confectionery manufacturer in Ukraine, reduced production at its factory in Lithuania and laid off two-thirds of workers.

A new book on Poltava's history has been issued

November 1, 2019 My new book "Poltava in the time of the German-Russian war 1941-1945. View through the lens of camera" written in co-authorship with famous Ukrainian historian Viktor Reveguk was presented yesterday in Poltava Regional Museum. Poltava Regional Council decided to time the publication of the book to coincide with the celebration of the 75th anniversary of liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi invaders. 

The book is dedicated to the insufficiently known period of Poltava's history when the city was under German occupation from September 19, 1941 till 23 October 1943. The main feature of this book is more than 250 photos taken during 1941-1944 that were found in many archives of Russian Federation, Germany, and United States. 

Many of these pictures were purchased due to financial support of Svenskt Militärhistoriskt Bibliotek. Unfortunately this book was published  in a small print run but nevertheless all who attended the presentation were able to purchase this undoubtedly interesting book.

Day of liberation of Ukraine from Nazi invaders marked on October 28

October 29, 2019 (112.UA) On October 28, Ukraine marks a memorable event in its history – the Day of liberation of Ukraine from fascist invaders. It is a national holiday dedicated to the removal of German Nazi forces and their allies during World War II out of the territory of modern Ukraine. This day was chosen because it is believed that the last Nazi Reich soldier was expelled from the territory of Ukraine on this day in 1944. According to the official statement, the holiday was introduced “for the nation-wide celebration of the liberation of Ukraine from fascist invaders and to honor heroic act and sacrifice of Ukrainian people during World War II.” During World War II (1939-1945), the battles significant for the liberation of Europe from fascism took place in Ukraine. On October 27, 1944, Uzhhorod was retaken from the Germans, and Soviet troops arrived at what would be the modern western border of Ukraine. On 28 October 1944, the last territory of current Ukraine (near Uzhhorod, then part of the Kingdom of Hungary) was cleared of German troops; this is annually celebrated in Ukraine on 28 October) as the “anniversary of the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazis.” In total, the Armed Forces of the USSR held 15 assault operations involving half of all Soviet forces – 2.3 million people – on the territory of Ukrainian SSR in 1943–1944.

After the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, the name “Day of the liberation of Ukraine from fascist invaders” is considered inaccurate. Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR) insisted on using the term “expulsion of Nazi occupants from Ukraine” instead of “liberation from fascist invaders.” “The term “liberation” means freedom, but in 1944 Ukraine did not become free. With the expulsion of Nazi occupants, it did not gain freedom, but found itself under the other rule which resulted in mass repressions and deportations, including hounded thousands of Ukrainians, Poles, and the whole Crimean Tatar people,” then head of UINR Volodymyr Viatrovych said.

Liberation of Kyiv from fascist invaders in WWII, Kyiv

According to him, the thesis of more than 70 years of liberation “is a continuation of Soviet propaganda clichés that Russia still uses in the war against Ukraine.” The UINR emphasized that during the Second World War, the Soviet Union set the goal not to liberate Ukrainian people, but to restore the totalitarian regime on the territory of modern Ukraine. Ukrainian people regained freedom on August 24, 1991 - the liberation of Ukraine happened only with the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the name of the holiday has not been changed on the official level and remained the Day of the liberation of Ukraine from fascist invaders.

MINISTER OF DEFENSE OF UKRAINE HAS STARTED A WORKING VISIT TO NATO HEADQUARTERS

October 24, 2019 (Defence Express) On October 24, delegation of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has started a working visit to NATO Headquarters to participate in a meetings of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Defense Ministers of the contributor states to NATO’s “Resolute Support” training and advisory mission in Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Zagorodnyuk is scheduled to hold meetings with the Ministers of Defense of the United Kingdom, Canada, Lithuania, Poland and the United States in QUINT format. Bilateral meetings with the NATO Secretary General (in short format), the Executive Director of the European Defense Agency as well as with the Heads of Delegation of the other contributor states to the NATO’s “Resolute Support” training and advisory mission in Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are also scheduled to take place during a visit.

The QUINT is an informal decision-making group consisting of the United States and the Big Four of Western Europe (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom). It operates as a "directoire" of various entities such as NATO and the G7/G20

The letter written by the little Ukrainian girl to defenders of Ukraine who’re fighting in the Eastern Ukraine

October 18, 2019 (UNIAN) This touching letter was written by Ukrainian girl and enclosed to the parcel containing some candies and clothes. The parcel was sent to the Eastern Ukraine that is suffering Russian aggression.

Hello, My name is Marja, I am 8 years old. Please hand over enclosed clothes to children who are living in the combat area. They hardly can buy any cloths there. Please give enclosed candies to soldiers who are sad and miss their folks so much. I wish them to return home with victory as quick as possible. I and my mom prayed for them and lit candles in the church. Glory to Ukraine! Please spend my money as you think best.

Stoltenberg believes Ukraine's further integration with the Alliance will depend on reform progress.

October 15, 2019 (UNIAN) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking at the meeting of the organization's Parliamentary Assembly in London, has called on the European Union to provide a more practical support to Ukraine. In a few weeks, "the whole North Atlantic Council will go to Ukraine, visit Ukraine, and express our strong political support, and I urge also NATO Allies to provide even more practical support to Ukraine. They need our support. This is about supporting Ukraine, but it is also about upholding and supporting a rules-based order, which is of great importance for all of us," Stoltenberg said in his address.

Foto REUTERS

The secretary general added that on the path of Ukraine's further Euro-Atlantic integration, including membership, "the focus should be on reforms, on how to modernize Ukraine's defense and security institutions". As UNIAN reported earlier, NATO officials will visit Ukraine Oct 31. During their stay, the delegation will visit Kyiv and Odesa. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko expressed hope that NATO leaders would get a clear picture of the developments in the Black Sea area and approve a corresponding aid package, also called "Black Sea Package" that the Alliance had earlier offered Ukraine.

On Defenders Day, President Zelensky congratulates troops in Donbas

October 15, 2019 (UNIAN) President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Donetsk region congratulated Ukrainian military servicemen on Defenders Day. Addressing the troops, Zelensky noted that "there were times when the whole country lived too carelessly," Donbas News reports. According to the president, then it seemed that the war was something very distant. "At that time, the state either didn't care much, or at all, about its own army," he added. Zelensky emphasized that in order to realize that “shortsightedness and naive childish gullibility,” Ukraine pay a "too high a price", including the loss of a part of territories and thousands of people. 

The president explained that meant the Russian annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine managed to "be reborn", "get on its feet, wipe off the dust and say: 'You wish'." After addressing the military, Zelensky presented a number of state awards.

President Volodymyr Zelensky meets the press Thursday — all day long.

October 11, 2019 (Youtube) A press-marathon was held by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky all day yesterday (Oct. 10), in central Kyiv. The goal was to have a new and open format where journalists can ask the president all of their questions. Three-hundred journalists met with the president in the Kyiv Food Market, a popular newly opened food hall.

Estonia not to accept even one asylum seeker, enough problems with Ukrainians – Interior minister

October 9, 2019 (UNIAN) Estonian Interior Minister Mart Helme has said Estonia will not accept asylum seekers, as the country has enough problems with immigrants coming from Ukraine. At a meeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday, he said Estonia was currently facing very strong immigration pressure from former Soviet Union countries, ERR News reported. "When we look at it, asylum seekers do not come to us from the Middle East or Africa, but from Ukraine. Second place was Georgia, then Moldova, and only then came Afghanistan and such countries," Helme said. Helme said that Estonia currently has enough problems with immigrants coming from Ukraine.

"We are still struggling with this immigration pressure, and we don't see much understanding for us. Ukrainians tend to integrate into the Russian-speaking community and for us, it's a cultural and demographic problem, and if someone says it's not a problem, [for us] it's a very serious problem. And if we start opening second and third fronts to take Latin America, Venezuela, the Middle East, and then sub-Saharan West Africa, we have no power," he said. The interior minister said Estonia needs to make its position very clear to everyone. "In order to prevent the arrival of people whom we cannot accept and those we do not want to accept, we must take this position. We have long stated our position. As long as we, that is EKRE [the Conservative People's Party of Estonia], are in government, Estonia will not accept immigrants," Helme said.
He did not expand upon what the problems with Ukrainians were or what problems have been raised. Last month he suggested an inquiry should be launched to stop Ukrainians moving to Estonia under the European Union's Schengen agreement. Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu quickly said this would not be possible. Helme also believes Ukrainians who move to Estonia for work, which the vast majority do rather than seeking asylum, should face "systematic scrutiny."

U.S. clears $39 million sale of Javelin missiles to Ukraine

October 6, 2019 (Defence Blog) The United States is set to sell more military equipment to Ukraine, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Department of Defense. Earlier this year, the Defense Department made plans to provide some $250 million in aid to Ukraine, with the goal of transitioning that aid before the end of the fiscal year. The department was largely successful in that goal, a Pentagon spokesman said. “As of today, the bulk of this $250 million is on contract, the rest should be out soon,” Jonathan Rath Hoffman, the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, said during a news conference at the Pentagon today. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in its statement that the State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Ukraine for one Javelin missiles and related equipment and support.

The approval, which was announced by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 03 October, covers the one hundred fifty Javelin missiles, ten Javelin Command Launch Units, training devices, transportation, support equipment, technical data and publications as well as other equipment and support for an estimated cost not to exceed $39.2 million. “This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of Ukraine,” the DSCA said. “The Javelin system will help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in order to meet its national defense requirements.” The United States has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters since Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region that has killed more than 10,000 people.

Seven dead after WWII B-17 plane crashes, erupts into flames at Bradley Airport

October 3, 2019 (NBCNews) Seven people aboard a vintage World War II plane were killed Wednesday when it crashed shortly after takeoff, erupting into flames at Bradley International Airport, just outside of Hartford, Connecticut, authorities said. State Police Commissioner James Rovella told reporters at an evening news conference that the families of all but three of the victims had been contacted. The flight took off at 9:45 a.m. before reporting five minutes later that it was having difficulties, authorities said. "We observed that the aircraft was not gaining altitude," Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Dillon said. The plane tried to return to the airport when it crashed at 9:54 a.m., officials said.

A Boeing B-17 used by the U.S. military during World War II. Many such heavy bombers were deployed in Poltava during the operation “Frantic Joe” 

There were 13 people on board the Boeing B-17, two pilots, one attendant, and 10 passengers. Another person on the ground was injured when the plane slid off the runway and slammed into a building used to house the airport's deicing equipment, officials said. Witness Brian Hamer, who lives in Norton, Massachusetts, was less than a mile away from the airport when he spotted the B-17, “which you don’t normally see,” flying low overhead. Hamer saw smoke coming from the back of the craft and heard one engine sputter. “Then we heard all the rumbling and the thunder, and all the smoke comes up and we kind of figured it wasn’t good,” Hamer said. Another witness, Antonio Arreguin, was parked at a construction site 250 yards from the crash site when he heard an explosion — and felt the heat from the ensuing fire. “In front of me, I see this big ball of orange fire, and I knew something happened,” Arreguin said. “The ball of fire was very big.” Hartford Hospital received six patients from the crash, three were initially listed in critical condition, two in moderate condition and one with just minor injuries, doctors there said.

Read a full articleand see a video at https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vintage-b-17-plane-crashes-erupts-flames-bradley-international-airport-n1061161

Ukrainian Army Inducts Turkish Combat Drones

September 30, 2019 (DefenceWorld.net) Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 combat drones were pressed to service by the Ukrainian Army, the country’s defense ministry announced on Saturday. Ukraine announced the deal for the purchase of Turkish combat drones for its army in mid-January. Turkish UAV manufacturer Baykar was to produce six Bayraktar TB2 and deliver them to Ukraine in a year. Along with the UAVs, three ground control station systems and equipment was also mentioned to be delivered.The value of the contract is not known.

The TB2 armed UAV, was developed for tactical reconnaissance and surveillance missions and it can also carry ammo, do assaults, and has laser target acquisition. It has a service ceiling of 8,239 meters (27,030 feet) and a flight endurance of 24 hours. It can carry 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of payload and can be operated day and night.

One of Ukraine's largest exhibitions on Donbas war opens in Kyiv

September 30, 2019 (UNIAN) One of Ukraine's largest exhibitions on the war of Donbas has opened in Kyiv. The Ukrainian East project features real artifacts collected not only by museum workers, but also by the military, the families of victims and journalists, the TV news service TSN reported.

On display are over 10,000 items collected during the war. These are documents, and personal belongings, Ukrainian flags, uniforms, books, weapons, eyewitness evidence, traffic signs, and even a piano. The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II (27 Lavrska Street) houses the exhibition. The Ukrainian East project has been implemented with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, Amuseum, and the Luhansk Regional Museum.

Zelensky, Trump holding bilateral meeting in New York (video)

September 29, 2019 (UNIAN) Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Donald Trump of the United States are holding a bilateral meeting in New York City. This was reported by the Office of the President of Ukraine. The negotiations are taking place on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. Prior to that, Zelensky and Trump met at an official reception organized by the U.S.President and First Lady on September 24. As UNIAN reported earlier, Zelensky on September 24 attended the opening of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. 

On the sidelines of the session, he held a series of meetings with heads of state and international organizations, and also communicated with members of business circles and investors. On September 25, Zelensky delivered a speech during the high-level General Debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

PARTICIPATION IN TEKNOFEST ISTANBUL AEROSPACE AND TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL 2019 BECAME A NEW STEP TOWARDS COOPERATION WITH TYURKEY IN AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

September 24, 2019 (antonov.com) Within a period between 17th and 22nd of September 2019, ANTONOV Company took part in TEKNOFEST ISTANBUL Aerospace and Technology Festival 2019. The Company’s delegation was headed by Oleksandr Donets, President of ANTONOV Company.

In the course of presentation of modern ANTONOV’s aviation programmes the meetings at the high state level were conducted. Aivaras Abromavichius, director general of SC Ukroboronprom, Serhiy Kryvonos, Deputy Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the Republic of Turkey Andrii Sybiha took part in the negotiations from Ukrainian party. Suleyman Soylu, Minister of the Interior in the Republic of Turkey, together with Arsen Avakov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine visited AN-178 aircraft. “AN-178 is a very good airplane. Besides, our helicopters Mi-17 are being modernized in Ukraine. This is an example of very successful cooperation with you”, – quoted Mr. Soylu by press service of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Summarizing results of ANTONOV’s participation in TEKNOFEST ISTANBUL Aerospace and Technology Festival 2019, head of the Company Oleksandr Donets noted: “This event was very important for us to provide manufacturers of Turkey with further information about modern ANTONOV’s projects. We had possibility to discuss directions of future cooperation. The key event of the negotiation process was meeting with Ismail Demir, President of Defense Industries in the Republic of Turkey, and Mustafa Varank, Minister of Industry and Technology in the Republic of Turkey. Aspects of strategic partnership in aircraft industry were set”.

Today Poltava celebrates the Liberation Day

September 23, 2019 On September 23, 1943 the Red Army liberated the city of Poltava, that has been turned by German army into a powerful defense center in the Ukraine to the east of the Dnieper. In the fighting for the liberation of the town of Poltava, troops commanded by Lieutenant General Zhadov, Lieutenant General Managarov and airmen commanded by Lieutenant General of Aviation Goryunov, distinguished themselves, especially the 9th Guards Airborne Division (Colonel Sazonov), the 13th Guards Red Banner Infantry Division (Major General Baklanov), the 66th Guards Infantry Division (Major General Yakshin), the 95th Guards Infantry Division (Major General Nikichenko), the 97th Guards Infantry Division (Colonel Antsiferov), the 84th Kharkov Infantry Division (Major General Bunyashin), the 42nd Light Artillery Brigade (Colonel Skorodumov), the 301st Anti-tank Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Vlassenko), the 57th Tank Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Federov), the 431st Engineering Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel Boltusevich), the 294th Fighter Aviation Division (Lieutenant Colonel Taranenko) and the 266th Attack Aviation Division (Colonel Rodyakin). A unique picture below was taken by the Soviet press photographer Yakov Ryumkin during the fighting somewhere near Poltava in late September 1943. As you can see the master had no time to adjust his camera during such a quick advance of the Soviet combat group. On the background you can see battered German self-propelled gun.

It was very dangerous to shoot such photos when bullets whistled over his camera but nevertheless many military press photographers risked their lives to capture WWII as it really was. 

Photographer Yakov Ryumkin near the Brandenburg Gate (Potsdam). The photo was taken in 1945.

The Memorial to the Soldiers' Glory in Poltava

Following in the tracks of the Roos’ battalions

September 21, 2019 Today the Museum of the Battle of Poltava conducted for the first time a somewhat unusual excursion dedicated to the Via Dolorosa that the Dalarna regiment had passed during the Battle of Poltava on June 28, 1709. Most of Poltava inhabitants who attended this very interesting excursion learned about it from the Facebook social network. This is undoubtedly something new and fresh in the activities of this 110- year-old museum.

Excursion started from the place where the column of the Swedish Army under the command of the Major General Carl Gustaf  Roos  was deployed early morning June 28, 1709. Here all participants of the excursion got a copy of the map, that was published in 1918 by the General Stuff of the Swedish Army, with highlighted route that the Dalarna regiment had passed during the Battle of Poltava. Besides all participants got a Swedish infantry uniform, musket’s replicas, and disguised themselves as a Swedish warriors.

First stop was made near the assumed place where the first Russian redoubt was built on the eve of the battle (although it was half-finished). It was pointed out that all archeological examinations of the battlefield carried out by Bo Krarrström and his team proved that this redoubt was located some other place. The next stop was near the second redoubt that was taken quickly by two battalions of the Dalarna regiment and all its defenders, except for those who fled were cut down to the last man. They didn’t know what is in store for them…

After that we headed for the third Russian redoubt where Swedish losses were very heavy. Roughly 1100 men were killed of the original 2600. Colonel Gustaf Henrik von Siegroth was deadly wounded there. Of the regiment's 21 captains only four survived. Here Major General Carl Gustaf Roos decided to gather up and ordered his force to march to the verge of the wood nearby.

The last place we visited today was the place where Roos’ detachment engaged in an unequal struggle against Russians.  In the summer of 1911 Carl Bennedich and Frei Rydeberg, two Swedish lieutenants from the Northern Scania Regiment, discovered a big burial ground here.

After that we returned to the museum where discussed what happened next to the Major General  Roos' force. Those survived on the battle field marched to the place where the Swedish infantry had been deployed on the eve of the battle. Finally they have found a refuge in an abandoned redoubt north of Poltava where they were in a short time surrounded by superior Russian detachment with artillery. After deliberating with his officers Major General Roos decided to surrender. Of the original force of 3,000 men only 400 survived.

Ex-president says Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons due to threat of US sanctions

September 20, 2019 (TASS). Ukraine had to renounce nuclear weapons complying with the demands of Western countries, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk told the Russia’s 24 TV. According to President Kravchuk, Ukraine had to destroy its nuclear arsenal under the threat of US sanctions. "We were presented with a challenge - either we lay down our nuclear weapons, or they will put economic pressure on us, including sanctions," the former president said. Kravchuk stressed that Western countries did not want to lose control of nuclear weapons and therefore exerted economic pressure on Ukraine.

 He added that he had no regrets about his consent to destroy his country’s nuclear arsenal. After the break-up of the USSR, Ukraine had an impressive nuclear capability. However, its nuclear arsenal was destroyed in 1994 after it joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Kravchuk earlier said that Ukraine would resemble "a monkey with a grenade," it if did not give up nuclear weapons.

Zelensky-Trump meeting in New York is slated for next week

September 19, 2019 (UNIAN) An upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in New York City is slated for next week. "The Vice President spoke by phone today [September 18] with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to follow up on their productive September 1 meeting in Warsaw and discussed President Trump's upcoming meeting with President Zelensky next week at the UN General Assembly in New York," according to the readout of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's phone call with Zelensky, which was posted on the White House's website on September 18.

Zelensky is to meet Trump next week / Photo from president.gov.ua

The Vice President commended President Zelensky's administration for its bold action to tackle corruption through legislative reforms, and offered full U.S. support for those efforts, it said. What is more, Pence reiterated the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Ukrainian President's Office said that during the phone call with Mike Pence on September 18, Zelensky said he hoped for an increase in Ukraine security assistance.