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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian president: 42% of industry, half of infrastructure destroyed in Donbass

Petro Poroshenko pledged to allocate $1 billion to rebuild embattled Donetsk and Luhansk regions

© ITAR-TASS/Konstantin Sazonchik

LVOV, October 3. /TASS/. A total of 50% of infrastructure has been destroyed as a result of hostilities in Donbass (Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine seeking independence from Kiev), Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Friday.

“Forty-two percent of the industrial potential, half of infrastructure have been lost in the region, mines have been flooded, blast furnaces and coke-chemical batteries have been stopped,” Poroshenko, on a working visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lvov, said.

“The task to restore Donbass is difficult. But my trips around the world show that we will be able to collect $1 billion from investors and restore Donbass very soon,” he said.

Earlier, Poroshenko pledged to allocate $1 billion to rebuild embattled Donbass. “Reconstruction will be made through a special state budget fund and a non-state fund,” the Ukrainian president told journalists in Kiev.

Clashes between Ukrainian troops and local militias in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions during Kiev’s punitive operation designed to regain control over the breakaway territories, which call themselves the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s republics, have claimed some 3,500 lives, many of them civilian, according to UN data, forced hundreds of thousands to flee Ukraine’s embattled southeast and caused massive destruction.

Talks mediated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on September 5 in Belarusian capital Minsk saw the parties to the Ukrainian conflict agree on cessation of fire and exchange of prisoners two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed his plan to settle the situation in the east of Ukraine.

The ceasefire took effect the same day but reports said it has occasionally been violated.

Poroshenko, dubbed “the chocolate king” because his structures control Ukraine’s Roshen confectionery manufacturer, won the May 25 early presidential election in Ukraine set by the provisional Kiev authorities propelled to power during a coup in Ukraine in February 2014. He had funded anti-government protests that led to the coup.

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Donetsk Eastern Ukraine Pyotr Poroshenko

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"Despite unprecedented challenges we face in recent years, positive trends are becoming stronger in national economy," the head of state said

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Russian foreign minister to meet with Bolivian counterpart in Moscow

The top diplomats are to discuss bilateral ties, political dialogue, ways of broadening cooperation in various sectors and improving the legislative and contractual framework

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The Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson stressed that "US steps are posing a major threat to security and stability of regional players"

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There is confirmed evidence of his connections with French secret services

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Alexander Lukashenko stressed that his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky should have realistic expectations

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Good GDP growth results showed in first months of 2024 — Putin

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Kremlin vows to resolve situation with Turkish Airlines refusing service to Russians

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Houthi leader says group attacked more than 100 ships in Red, Arabian seas so far

Ansar Allah strikes one ship every two days, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said

Russian international reserves up $2.5 bln in one week exceeding $603.2 bln — Central Bank

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Andrey Marochko added that the Ukrainians have also intensified artillery and drone attacks at Russian positions

All-Belarusian People's Assembly adopts new military doctrine, security concept

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Fatah accuses Hamas of actions that led to Israeli control of Gaza — report

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Putin vows maximal predictability for doing business in Russia

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Timur Ivanov was arrested by Moscow’s Basmanny Court

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Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

The US businessman commented on remarks by Gad Saad, a Canadian professor of Lebanese origin, who insisted that "the path that the West is taking will result in civil war"

Russian Embassy to Austria denied participation in ceremony at Nazi concentration camp

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Network of international conspirators plotted Crocus terrorist attack — watchdog

Yury Chikhanchin pointed out that the perpetrators of the attack were provided with money, weapons, transportation and ammunition

Cosmonauts complete spacewalk two hours ahead of schedule

The cosmonauts fulfilled their tasks way faster than planned, spending four hours and 36 minutes in space

Venezuelan foreign ministry, Russian embassy hold joint conference in Caracas

The event brought together almost 200 diplomats, foreign ministry staffers and experts in international relations

Blinken’s visit to China meant to shatter Russian-Chinese ties — senior Russian diplomat

"I think that Beijing understands this perfectly well and will not even pretend being ready to reach any agreements with the Americans to the detriment of Russia’s interests," Sergey Ryabkov said

Israel ready to accept release of fewer than 40 hostages in deal’s first phase — newspaper

According to the report, Israel is willing to acceprt the release of women, men over 50 years old and those seriously ill

US government prepares to sign $6-bln contract for arms deliveries to Ukraine — Politico

According to the article, the United States "is putting the finishing touches" on one of its largest Ukraine military aid packages to date, which may be announced on Friday

US-oriented structures try to reformat security system in Asia-Pacific region

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu underlined that this is being done by strengthening "military-political structures such as QUAD, AUKUS and the US-Japan-Philippines triad"

Promotion of Russian brands gives good return — Putin

Comprehensive mechanisms require to be worked out, the head of state noted, responding to a proposal to add new tools to support of congress and exhibition activities

West views Europe as potential theater of military operations — Lukashenko

The number of operational and combat training activities in Poland and the Baltic states increases every year, the Belarusian President noted

Russian children’s commissioner holds first face-to-face talks with Ukrainian counterparts

Maria Lvova-Belova thanked Qatar for setting up a venue for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine regarding children’s interests

US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

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IAEA chief to have working contacts with Rosatom, no meeting with Putin is planned

Rafael Grossi may visit Russia in late May

West prepares puppet structures in case of coup in Belarus — KGB

Ivan Tertel said various methods were being considered, up to "instigating a forceful seizure by illegal armed groups" being trained in the West and Ukraine

Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

Andrey Babenko said that after a crash course in Britain he had been sent to the frontline near Liman

Top Chinese diplomat calls for creating conditions for talks on Ukraine

Wang Yi also called for "resolutely opposing attempts to take advantage of the chaos and add fuel to the fire"

North Korea tests multiple rocket launchers produced at new defense enterprise

Country’s leader Kim Jong Un said the systems feature advanced technologies and "will contribute to strategic changes in the process of strengthening the artillery forces."

Senior Russian MP dubs pervasive gender reassignment in West 'human tragedy'

Vyacheslav Volodin pointed to a law recently passed by Sweden’s parliament enabling minors to transition without surgery that a national survey showed was disapproved by 59% of citizens