March 30 Kyiv (UKRINFORM) Ukraine strongly condemns the terrorist attacks that killed and injured scores of innocent people in Moscow, reads a letter of condolences of Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko sent to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "Ukraine strongly condemns these severe and cynical terrorist attacks, which killed and injured dozens of people. Please convey our sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the victims and wishes for speedy recovery to all those who have suffered from the terrorist attacks," the telegram says. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has already delivered condolences over the Moscow subway explosions, according to the presidential press-service. In his letter to President Dmitry Medvedev, Yanukovych said that 'our country shares the pane of bereavement that hit the Russian Federation'. The Ukrainian President expressed condolences to the families of those killed and injured and the friendly Russian people. No Ukrainian citizen has been found among the Moscow blasts casualties, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. As UKRINFORM reported, powerful explosions rocked two subway stations in central Moscow during the Monday morning rush hour. The first explosion occurred about 8 a.m. at Lubyanka subway station, and another blast happened about 30 minutes later at Park Kultury station, on the same train line. Russian investigators combing two subway stations attacked by two female suicide bombers think Chechen rebels may have been behind the rush-hour strike killing 38 and injuring at least 102. This latest attack, it is widely thought by Russian media referring to their sources in security forces, could be retaliation for a raid last month by Russian forces in Ingushetia, Chechnya's western neighbour, in which 20 insurgents died. Officials have declared Tuesday a day of mourning for the victims.Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Ukraine strongly condemns Moscow terror attacks
March 30 Kyiv (UKRINFORM) Ukraine strongly condemns the terrorist attacks that killed and injured scores of innocent people in Moscow, reads a letter of condolences of Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko sent to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "Ukraine strongly condemns these severe and cynical terrorist attacks, which killed and injured dozens of people. Please convey our sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the victims and wishes for speedy recovery to all those who have suffered from the terrorist attacks," the telegram says. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has already delivered condolences over the Moscow subway explosions, according to the presidential press-service. In his letter to President Dmitry Medvedev, Yanukovych said that 'our country shares the pane of bereavement that hit the Russian Federation'. The Ukrainian President expressed condolences to the families of those killed and injured and the friendly Russian people. No Ukrainian citizen has been found among the Moscow blasts casualties, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. As UKRINFORM reported, powerful explosions rocked two subway stations in central Moscow during the Monday morning rush hour. The first explosion occurred about 8 a.m. at Lubyanka subway station, and another blast happened about 30 minutes later at Park Kultury station, on the same train line. Russian investigators combing two subway stations attacked by two female suicide bombers think Chechen rebels may have been behind the rush-hour strike killing 38 and injuring at least 102. This latest attack, it is widely thought by Russian media referring to their sources in security forces, could be retaliation for a raid last month by Russian forces in Ingushetia, Chechnya's western neighbour, in which 20 insurgents died. Officials have declared Tuesday a day of mourning for the victims.Monday, March 29, 2010
Kyiv's police authorities have made a decision to strengthen security at subway stations
March 29 Kyiv (Ukrainian News Agency) The Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv has tightened security at subway stations in view of the blasts in Moscow subway, the press-service of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv told reporters. "As soon as the information about the blasts in Moscow subway has been revealed, Kyiv's police authorities have made a decision without waiting for any regulations or a Collegium meeting to strengthen security at subway stations with a big passenger flow," a spokesman for the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said. The security has also been tightened at transfer stations, he added.As Ukrainian News reported, the Ministry of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from the Consequences of Chornobyl Catastrophe of Ukraine reported about 35 people killed and about 70 wounded from terror attacks occurred in Moscow subway on Monday morning.
Dozens killed in Moscow metro blasts
March 29 Moscow (BBC) At least 38 people have been killed after two female suicide bombers blew themselves up on Moscow Metro trains in the morning rush hour, officials say. Twenty-four died in the first blast at 0756 (0356 GMT) as a train stood at the central Lubyanka station, beneath the offices of the FSB intelligence agency. About 40 minutes later, a second explosion
ripped through a train at Park Kultury, leaving another 14 dead. The FSB said it was likely a group from the North Caucasus was responsible. The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says no group has yet said it 
carried out the attacks, but past suicide bombings in the capital have been carried out by or blamed on Islamist rebels fighting for independence in Chechnya. People were yelling like hell... Within about two minutes everything was covered in smoke. In February, Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov said "the zone of military operations will be extended to the territory of Russia... the war is coming to their cities".Putin Shows Little Interest In Azarov’s Gas Price Pitch
March 29, 2010 Moscow (The Moscow Times). Russia's interest in operating Ukraine's gas transit pipelines has declined after it took pains to promote other export routes, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, signaling that Kiev may have a hard time convincing Moscow to lower its gas import bill. Putin made the statement Thursday night after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Azarov. The new Ukrainian prime minister laid out proposals for compensating Russia for a lower gas price, including an offer for Gazprom to join a planned international consortium that would run Ukrainian transit pipelines.The European Union is wary of any friction between Moscow and Kiev in their gas trade, because 80 percent of the Russian gas it buys is transported across Ukraine. Previous disagreements between the countries have led to disruptions of substantial transit deliveries, most recently in January 2009. Some interest in the consortium plan — a reincarnation of an agreement dating back to the early 2000s — still exists, Putin said. If created, the consortium would have to invest heavily in the long-neglected pipelines, recouping the money by collecting transit fees. “If this takes shape in the course of a constructive dialogue, we, of course, are ready for this work,” Putin said. The European Union has estimated that an upgrade of Ukraine's gas pipeline grid, which is 10 years past its expected operational life, would cost 2.5 billion euros ($3.3 billion). The 13,500-kilometer pipeline network was built 40 years ago. Moscow and Kiev plan to hold the next round of talks next month, when their intergovernmental commissions will meet to discuss trade, Azarov said. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich is hoping to sign a deal revising the gas prices downward when President Dmitry Medvedev travels to Kiev in May.
“I am strongly convinced that we can find solutions even for the most difficult problems,” Azarov said after talks with Putin. In an attempt to reduce its reliance on former Soviet republics for transit of Gazprom's gas, Russia has pursued alternative routes in recent years. A separate Gazprom-led consortium is set to break ground Thursday for the construction of the Nord Stream undersea pipeline to carry its gas to Europe. Gazprom also has made considerable progress toward building another undersea gas pipeline, South Stream, later this decade.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Russia agrees to revise gas contracts signed earlier, Azarov says
KYIV, March 26 (UKRINFORM). Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, commenting his Thursday's visit to Moscow, called as very important the fact that during the talks Russia granted consent to price downward revision of the gas contracts, the Prime Minister told a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers Friday. At the same time, Kommersant Ukraina reported referring to its sources at the Russian Gazprom, the parties failed to reach agreement on anything specific. In Moscow the Ukrainian delegation was told that the talk about gas price reduction would become possible only on condition Ukraine buys at least 52 billion cubic meters, as contracted. Serhiy Tulub, member of Verkhovna Rada's (Parliament of Ukraine) committee for the fuel and energy complex, says that Ukraine may agree to a greater volume of gas purchase if receives from Russia the right to re-export. In the 1st quarter of 2010, Ukraine bought from Gazprom about 6 billion cubic meters of gas. St. Petersburg shipwrights to change masts on legendary British battleship
March 28, 2010 (TV-Novosti) The masts of the British light cruiser Belfast, which escorted Polar convoys during WWII, will be manufactured at the shipyard of Russian United Industrial Corporation (UIC) in St. Petersburg. The UIC press-service announced that the works will be finished within four months at the expense of the corporation, as reported by Interfax news agency. The price tag of the works has not been announced, but British media evaluates it at £250,000 to £500,000. The UIC specifically underlined that only their shipyard has the technological know
-how and fabricating capacity to perform that complicated remount. The cruiser Belfast is the very last battleship that took part in Polar convoys to remain afloat. In 1971, it was moored close to the Tower Bridge on the Thames in London as an exhibit at the Imperial Museum of Military History. On December 1943, Belfast participated in the naval Battle of the North Cape, when Royal Navy ships sent to the bottom illustrated the danger of the Arctic Nazi German’s battle-cruiser Scharnhorst off Norway’s shores. UIC combines two of St. Petersburg’s leading shipbuilding facilities, North Dockyard and Baltic Works.See video about British light cruiser Belfast at
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Friday, March 26, 2010
National Bank of Ukraine has issued a coin dedicated to Pylyp Orlyk and his Constitution
NBU puts into circulation the silver coin named the 300th Anniversary of Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution. The coin is dedicated to the monument of the Ukrainian legal thought of the 18th century, the code of Pacts and Constitutions of Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporizhzhia Forces. This document became the first European Constitution in the modern understanding, (preserving in the National Archives of Sweden) it was adopted on April 5 (16), 1710, when Pylyp Orlyk was elected the Hetman of Ukraine. The constitution was confirmed by Charles XII and it also names the Swedish King as the protector of Ukraine. Between 1711 and 1714, together with Crimean Tatars and small groups of Ukrainian Cossacks, Orlyk carried out unsuccessful raids into Right-bank Ukraine. Afterwards, Pylyp Orlyk followed the Swedish king Charles XII to Sweden via Vienna and Stralsund. Orlyk with his wife Hanna Hertsyk and six children arrived in Ystad, Sweden on the New Year's day of 1716. They lived in the city of Kristianstad for some years. Orlyk and his family left Stockholm in 1720 but his widow and children received financial support from the Parliament of Sweden until 1747.
The first coin dedicated to the Ukrainian Hetman Pylyp Orlyk was issued in 2002 (see photo).
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