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Only the Opposition Platform - For Life went out to the streets to mark the Day of Ukraine's liberation from the Nazis while the authorities prohibit the term Great Patriotic War. The Chairman of the Political Council of Opposition Platform - For Life party Viktor Medvedchuk said this during his visit to Zakarpattia.

He stressed that today is a truly nationwide holiday.

Dear war veteran, Zakarpattia residents, today is truly a national holiday - the holiday of the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi-German invaders. It was on this day, 76 years ago, that the military operation also called East Carpathian Operation carried out by the 1st and 4th Ukrainian fronts was successfully completed. On October 27, Uzhhorod was liberated, and the Red Army reached the borders of modern Ukraine on October 28. This is truly a holiday. A glory, deep respect for those who died a heroic death, and there were millions of them during the Great Patriotic War, millions, who died liberating Ukraine, Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians and other representatives of the multinational Soviet Union. Millions of military servicemen, those who took the arms and defended, liberated Ukraine, and then, fulfilling their international duty, freed all of Europe, Viktor Medvedchuk said.

The politician expressed surprise that the authorities on this day did not honor the memory of the fallen soldiers and did not honor those who survived.

Behavior of the authorities in recent years is surprising, when this is simply being forgotten, when throughout the country not the authorities but the opposition, the representatives of Opposition Platform - For Life went out to honor the memory of heroes today, the memory of those who forged victory in the enemys rear, memory of the fortunately surviving Veterans and participants in hostilities of the Great Patriotic War, but the government remains silent. What about the national holiday? What about its nationwide meaning? What is the government doing today, when our fellow party members in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in Dnipro, in Kryvyi Rih, in Odesa, in Kyiv lay flowers at the graves, honors those who, fortunately, stayed with us, Viktor Medvedchuk noted.

He added that the current government, like the previous one, is rewriting the real history of the country.

At this time, the government, on one hand, bans the term Great Patriotic War, on the other hand, the other, previous authorities, prohibited the use of St. George ribbons on awards. Today they are trying to rewrite history, today those who once helped and were accomplices of fascism, those who honor this particular category of people are trying to take all the victory and what happened in 1941-45 years as their own merit, the politician summed up.

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Medvedchuk: Only Opposition Platform For Life took to streets to mark Day of Liberation of Ukraine from Nazis, while authorities ban term 'Great...

27 October 2020

Redcliffe Partners

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On 21 October 2020, during the kick-off event of the EU-fundedTwinning Project, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (the"AMC") announced that it is preparingthe draft law that will introduce amendments to the Ukrainianmerger filing thresholds. The AMC will submit the draft law to theUkrainian Parliament early this November and expects it to beadopted later this year.

According to the AMC, the proposed merger control reform willprovide that:

Among other things, it is envisaged that the draft law will:

We will follow up with more details once the abovementioneddraft law has been published by the AMC.

As regards the markets that are currently in focus, according tothe AMC these are the markets for oil and gas, pharmaceuticals,consumer goods (especially sunflower oil and chicken), rail freightand seaport operations. The regulator will now be paying much moreattention to digital markets in the future.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Anti-trust/Competition Law from Ukraine

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New Merger Control Thresholds In Ukraine And Other News From The AMC - Anti-trust/Competition Law - Ukraine - Mondaq News Alerts

SUMMARY

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international Mission members, including the Chief Observer (CO) and one first responder[1]. The Mission is supported administratively by a staff member and the Chief of Fund Administration based in Vienna.

Update on COVID-19 measures

Activities have been impacted by COVID-19 and measures undertaken by the OM to ensure the safety and duty of care of its Mission members and compliance with measures set by the host country authorities. The Mission is continuing to keep the situation under review, in close contact with the OSCE Secretariat and the Chairmanship. Following the host country recommendations, the observers are adhering to social distancing. Due to the preventive measures taken by the central and regional authorities, the OM is faced with certain difficulties, but is still able to continue to fulfil its mandate without any limitations in its observation and reporting activities.

OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS

Persons crossing the border

The profile of persons crossing the border can be categorized as follows:

Adults travelling on foot or by car with little or no luggage.

Persons in military-style outfits.

Families (often including elderly persons and/or children) travelling on foot or by car with a significant amount of luggage.

The average number of entries/exits decreased from 7,888 to 7,067 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[2].

During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to the Russian Federation, with an average net flow of nine per day for both BCPs. The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.

Responding to the COVID-19 situation, the host country has closed its borders for the majority of foreigners starting from 18 March. Among the exceptions of persons allowed to cross the border (which entered into force on 19 March), are Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons holding passports or identification documents proving permanent residence in certain areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. In addition, reportedly, due to the threat of the spread of COVID-19, starting from 10 April, the organized passenger transport commuting between the non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region of Ukraine and the Russian Federation was temporarily suspended and restored from 25 June.

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border was five, compared to six last week. One person crossed into the Russian Federation while another four persons crossed into Ukraine. These individuals crossed the border on foot.

Families with a significant amount of luggage

The OTs continued to report on families, sometimes with elderly persons and/or children, crossing the border at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, no families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation while three families were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when six families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation, while three families crossed into Ukraine.

**Bus connections **

Regular local and long-distance bus connections continued to operate between Ukraine (mostly from/to the Luhansk region) and the Russian Federation. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (245 compared to 276 observed during the previous week). There were 128 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 117 bound for Ukraine.

On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, while some buses did not display their route at all. The majority of long-distance buses commuting between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed a slight increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (885 compared to 871 during the previous reporting week); 576 at the Gukovo BCP and 309 at the Donetsk BCP, 535 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 350 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in the Russian Federation, Belarus, Lithuania and trucks with "LPR" plates.

The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of tanker trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (36 compared to 47 during the previous reporting week). These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words "Propane" and "Flammable" written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane. All trucks underwent systematic inspection by the Russian Federation officials, which could include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavourable observation position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks.

During the reporting period, the X-ray vehicle at the Donetsk BCP was not operating due to the ongoing construction activities; consequently, no X-ray checks were observed by the OTs.

Minivans

The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[3] crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. The OTs observed minivans predominantly with Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, the OTs also saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a slight decrease in the overall number of minivans crossing the border at both BCPs (154 compared to 156 observed during the previous week); 79 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 75 into Ukraine.

Trains

The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains on the railway tracks located approximately 150m south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 25 occasions; the OTs assessed that 11 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the remaining 14 trains were travelling to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections "trends and figures at a glance" below).

Visual observation was not possible because of the line of trees located between the train tracks and the BCP.

Other observations

The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region or Russian Federation licence plates. A significant number of vehicles with "LPR" plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis. The OTs also observed vehicles with Georgian and Lithuanian licence plates.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 22 September to 27 October 2020, please see the attachment here.

[1] First responders are OSCE staff or Mission members deployed for a short period of time.

[2] Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

[3] Cargo minivans: light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3.5 t and not more than 7.5 t; with or without a trailer with a maximum mass of less than 750 kg (small cargo vehicles which correspond to driving licence C1).

Read more:
Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 27 October 2020 - Ukraine -...

The recent tensions over Hungarys election interference in Ukraine, which have led Budapest to threaten to block Kyivs Euro-Atlantic integration efforts, should be resolved bilaterally, a Commissions spokesperson said on Tuesday (27 October).

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraineon Monday night that his country had banned entry of two high-ranking Hungarian officials, one of whom is the state secretary of the prime ministers office, for interfering with local elections and breaking Ukrainian law.

In response, his Hungarian counterpart Pter Szijjrt called the decision pathetic and nonsense, adding that it only sends the message that they have given up on Hungarys support for their European and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts.

Kuleba said his ministry had also started the procedure to ban more Hungarians for interference in Ukraines internal affairs during the campaigning period, adding that the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission has already been informed of the decision and the Hungarian partners will be soon.

Tensions rose after Szijjrt campaigned on social media for the candidates of the Hungarian Cultural Federation in Transcarpathia (KMKSZ) during Sundays municipal elections.

This came on the heels of an earlier warning from Kyiv, when a local NGO alleged that the Hungarian state secretary for national policy, Jnos rpd Potpi, had campaigned for the same party during his October visit.

The Ukrainian MFA said the moves ran contrary to the Ukrainian law and constituted interference in internal affairs.

Szijjrt said that labellingcontact with the Hungarian minority as interfering in Ukraines internal affairs was nonsense,as all existing European and international regulation speaks of the fact that minority affairs and minority rights cannot be considered an internal affair in any way.

Though the final results of the Sunday elections are yet to be announced, the Hungarian party in question said it had performed well and the city of Beregovo (Beregszsz) would retain its ethnic Hungarian mayor.

Budapest and Kyiv have been locked in a row over minority rights since Ukraines parliament in 2017 adopted the law On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language, which Budapest says tramples on the right of the Transcarpathian ethnic minority to study in Hungarian.

In turn, Hungary continues toblock Ukraines cooperation with NATO and the holding of Ukraine-NATO Commission talks.

Hours before a Russian state visit to Budapest on Wednesday (30 October), Hungary vetoed a joint NATO statement about Ukraine because it did not mention the deprivation of rights of the Hungarian minority in the neighbouring countrys Transcarpathia region.

Before the latest diplomatic friction, thanks partially to the efforts of the new Ukrainian administration, relations between the two neighbours seemed to be improving over the past year.

Asked if the EU should play a mediating role in the spat, Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said these are issues of bilateral relations between the two countries and the only thing that you can do is to encourage everyone who is involved in bilateral issues to try to solve them based on EU values and principles, and based on the principles of good neighbourly relations.

The EU continues its very close cooperation with Ukraine based on a very clear set of criteria and expectations and agreements, and this is not changing at this moment, and I will not go into speculation whether it might be changed later on, Stano said.

The decisions by the EU are taken by unanimity when it comes to questions related to third countries and especially their ambitions to get as close to the EU as possible, but at this point what we have are decisions that have been taken, decisions that have been made, he added.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

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EU Commission to stay out of Ukraine-Hungary row - EURACTIV

A 12-year-old boy from Ukraine lost his arm and an Egyptian tourist lost a leg in a rare shark attack while snorkeling in the Red Sea, Egypt's Environment Ministry said in a statement.

The boy had been snorkeling with his mother, their tour guide, and four others on Sunday in the Red Sea, off the coast of Ras Muhammad National Park near the resort town Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, when the shark attacked, officials said.

A social media video seen by the Environment Ministry showed a two-meter-long (six-foot-long) oceanic whitetip shark acting "hostile" toward humans near the area of the attack, and the officials said it was "likely" that the shark "was the fish that attacked the injured."

The ministry did not release any information on the status of anyone injured, but said an undisclosed number of people had been taken to the hospital.

Ukraine's State Agency for the Development of Tourism said on Monday that the 12-year-old boy had lost his arm in the attack, and is recovering in an intensive care unit.

A health official told the Associated Press that the tour guide lost a leg in the attack and the boy's mother experienced minor injuries.

The area of Ras Mohammed National Park where the shark attack happened was closed after the incident.

Shark attacks are rare in the Red Sea, but in 2010 a number of attacks believed to be carried out by a whitetip shark led to several injuries and the death of a tourist.

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12-year-old boy and his tour guide lost limbs in Red Sea shark attack - Insider - INSIDER