Mediaboss Marketing

KIEV Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:59pm EST

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addresses the session of the Polish parliament in Warsaw, December 17, 2014.

Credit: Reuters/Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine plans to spend five percent of its budget or 86 billion hryvnia ($5.5 billion) on the army and on law enforcement in 2015 and to reintroduce compulsory military service, a top security official said on Saturday.

Pro-Russian separatism erupted in Ukraine's east in April, killing over 4,700 people. While violence has lessened in recent weeks, Kiev has said it must build up its military to counter any future threats in the east.

"Victory is the only option," the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Oleksander Turchynov, said at a meeting of security officials.

It is not known how much Ukraine spent on defense and security this year, but Turchynov said the plans for 2015 represent a "colossal" increase.

He said Ukrainians between the ages of 20 and 27 would be called up for 18 months of military service. President Petro Poroshenko earlier stressed that these recruits would not have to serve on the frontline.

The uprising by the separatists, who oppose central rule by Kiev and seek union with Russia, began a month after Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in March.

The pro-Western authorities in Kiev accuse Russia of orchestrating the uprising in the east after the ouster of a president sympathetic to Moscow. The Kremlin denies it is behind the revolt.

Read the rest here:
Ukraine to spend five percent of 2015 budget on defense ...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- More than 1.7 million children in conflict-torn areas of eastern Ukraine face an "extremely serious" situation, the U.N. children's agency has warned, with their suffering exacerbated by harsh winter weather.

Many families have been forced from their homes and lack access to safe water, sanitation and schooling.

"Children continue to bear the brunt of this conflict, with schooling disrupted and access to basic services limited," said Marie-Pierre Poirier, Unicef regional director for Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

She called for extra resources to be provided to those in need.

"Extremely harsh winter conditions have made the impact of the crisis more acute," she said.

Government forces and pro-Russia rebels have been battling for control of eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions since April, after Russia annexed Ukraine's southeastern Crimea region the previous month.

According to a Unicef press release Friday, 147 schools have been closed in parts of the Donetsk region where fighting is ongoing, disrupting the education of about 50,000 children since September 1. While some schools are in ruins, others are closed because of safety concerns.

In government-controlled areas, 187 educational institutions in total have been damaged or destroyed, Unicef said.

The closures mean that besides lessons, children are missing out on the stability and routine that can be provided by school at a time of crisis, helping to alleviate their stress, the agency said.

Read the original post:
1.7M Ukraine children suffering

Video will begin in 5 seconds.

Sony hack not an act of war

Pope sends Christmas wishes

Monkey to the rescue

Boston marathon suspect in court

Sony cancels 'The Interview'

Volunteers train to join Ukraine National Guard as defence chiefs admit the army is out of shape.

Donetsk, Ukraine: Ukraine's easterly Donetsk region, dominated by Russian-speakers and buffeted by rallies by pro-Russian activists, has built a defensive trench complete with concrete barriers along its long border with Russia, its governor said on Monday.

Sergei Taruta also said measures would be taken to restore order in the region in the aftermath of Russia's takeover of Crimea after pro-Russian demonstrators overwhelmed police and stormed public buildings.

A Ukrainian serviceman digs a trench at a checkpoint near the village of Strelkovo in Kherson region adjacent to Crimea. Photo: Reuters

See the original post here:
Ukraine digs defensive trench near Russian border

Video will begin in 5 seconds.

Sony hack not an act of war

Pope sends Christmas wishes

Monkey to the rescue

Boston marathon suspect in court

Sony cancels 'The Interview'

Ukrainian troops in Crimea are urged to leave as pro-Russian forces take over the region's naval headquarters.

Kiev: Ukraine's government said on Wednesday it has begun drawing up plans to pull its troops from Crimea, where Russia is steadily taking formal control as its armed forces seize military installations across the disputed peninsula.

In a warning to Moscow, US Vice President Joe Biden declared the United States will respond to any aggression against its NATO allies, which include neighbours to Russia.

Standing side by side with a pair of Baltic leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania, MrBiden said the US was "absolutely committed" to defending its allies, adding that President Barack Obama plans to seek concrete commitments from NATO members to ensure the alliance can safeguard its collective security.

Original post:
Ukraine making plans to pull troops from Crimea

Ukraine War - BMD Hit by RPG
(Video strictly for news/educational purposes). A BMD-1 infantry carrier vehicle enters into a battleground near Uglegorskaya. They are quickly met with small arms and RPG fire, in addition...

By: GlobalLeaks

Read more from the original source:
Ukraine War - BMD Hit by RPG - Video