Frigate "Hetman Sakhaidachny" to meet New Year off the coast of Somalia

News / 31 December 2013 | 13:48

Frigate of Naval Forces of Ukraine “Hetman Sakhaidachny” with the staff of the national contingent on board as part of the crew of special purpose units and helicopter detachment will meet the New Year, conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden.

As spokesman for the Command Naval Forces of Ukraine captain Oleg Chubuk said, on New Year’s Eve “Hetman Sakhaidachny” will be located at the distance of several hundred nautical miles from the port of Djibouti, which it left on December 26 to meet the objectives of the last patrol within the NATO operation against piracy at sea “Ocean Shield”.

The main task of patrolling, which will continue until 3 January 2014, is aimed at ensuring the safety of navigation in certain areas of the Gulf of Aden, in particular, off the coast of Somalia.

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Liturgy will be held in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on New Year’s Eve

News / 31 December 2013 | 13:25

On New Year’s Eve, in the night of December 31 – January 1, the church office and thanksgiving prayers with reading special petitions will be held in the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

This was told by the governor of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Metropolitan Vyshgorodsky and Chernobylsky  Pavlo (Lebed).

Church office will start at 11:30 pm.

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Debts for utilities over 12 billion

News / 31 December 2013 | 12:37

In November 2013, debts of the population for housing and utilities increased by 4.2%, if to compare with October, and at the end of November made up 12 061.8 billion UAH.

It is reported by the State Statistics Service of Ukraine.

According to the Service, the average debt term of the population for all services was 3.9 months.

In January-November, the country’s population paid 34.4 billion UAH for utilities. Among the regions, the highest national average payment level was observed in Zakarpatska, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kirovograd regions (108.4-103.2%), the lowest – in Luhansk and Donetsk regions and Sevastopol (97.5-98.9 %).

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Putin wants to enhance cooperation with Ukraine in 2014

News / 31 December 2013 | 12:14

 Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to enhance the development of mutually beneficial cooperation with Ukraine in 2014. This is stated in the statement of the Kremlin press service with reference to Putin’s greetings to President Viktor Yanukovych on the occasion of New Year.

“In congratulatory message on the New Year and Merry Christmas to the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, Vladimir Putin stressed their fellow and business relationships that allow openly discuss any, even the most difficult, questions and work together to find ways to further develop partnership between the two countries for the benefit of the fraternal peoples,” statement says.

Putin expressed the hope that in the coming year the countries will be able to achieve new results in working together to enhance mutually beneficial Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in key areas.

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Azarov, Rybak congratulate Ukrainians on coming holidays

News / 31 December 2013 | 12:00

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine congratulated compatriots on the occasion of the New Year and Christmas. 

Mykola Azarov named the main achievement of this year that the Government “could keep the economy from recession, make currency and rates stable”, the Cabinet’s press office informs.

This year was a record, according to the Prime Minister, regarding collected grain, which was harvested about 63 million tons, “Ukraine has not known such yield yet. This is evidence of that we are on the right way of reforms in the agricultural sector. “

The Prime Minister said that we had to take a difficult decision this year: to suspend the Association Agreement with the European Union, “Thereby we have protected Ukraine from collapse. Also we have managed to reach historic agreement with Russia: finally the gas price was reduced that choked our economy, our country. It was possible to negotiate on restoration of full economic and trade relations. It was possible to negotiate on favorable financing for our economy and it makes 2014 – a year of development, production growth of social standards.”

Mykola Azarov also noted the successful state visit of President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to China, during which a number of major strategic agreements on investment and lending was achieved.

“Overall, 2013 was a difficult, but interesting and productive,” Mykola Azarov said, expressing hope that 2014 will be better and wished everyone good health, success and optimism.

In turn, Parliament’s chairman Volodymyr Rybak noted that the complicated for the world economy year 2013, our country managed to hold balance in vitally important branches of economy and make significant steps ahead. Ukrainians have once again proved their reputation of a hardworking and hardened nation. “We have come a long way and settled problems that helped make reasonable conclusions and tune into a better, more conscious and efficient work. And what is more important – this helped stimulate unity of citizens and strengthen their faith in our People and our State,” he said, the Parliament’s press office reports. 

“I hope that in the year to come all the good wishes will come true and this New Year will enrich you with inexhaustible energy, inspire to new achievements, open new opportunities and give you strength and energy to achieve the most ambitious goals. I wish each person happiness, love and welfare, as well as peace and well-being to each family! Happy New Year! Merry Christmas, dear friends!” Rybak wished Ukrainians.

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Heat tariffs for Ukrainian district heating provider reduced

News / 31 December 2013 | 11:45

Thermal energy tariffs will be reduced for 160 Ukrainian district heating provider starting from January 1, chairman of the National Commission of the State Public Utilities Regulation Valeriy Saratov told a briefing, ForUm correspondent reports.

According to him, the heating tariffs for public institutions will be reduced by 22-25 %, which will allow saving about 2 billion UAH, including about 1.5 billion UAH of local budgets funds.

The official added that to date, there is no reason to reduce the heat tariffs for the population.

“When calculating rates for thermal energy for the citizens, we consider the cost of natural gas of Ukrainian extraction, which, including VAT, makes up 1309 UAH per 1000 m3. A new price for Russian gas is 2448 UAH per given volume, ie higher than Ukrainian. Therefore there is reason to revise domestic tariffs,” he said.

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FM: Ukrainian woman, kept hostage in Yemen, freed

News / 31 December 2013 | 11:30

December 25, a Ukrainian citizen was freed in the Republic of Yemen. In May she was kidnapped and kept hostage till December, the Foreign Ministry press office reports.

Speaking with the staff of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the woman reported that she felt good, her life was not in danger. Now she stays with her family in Yemen.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with other involved state authorities of Ukraine implemented a set of political, diplomatic and other measures to secure her release.

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Death toll from Volgograd bombings rises to 33

News / 31 December 2013 | 11:15

The death toll from Monday’s suicide bombing attack on a trolleybus in Russia’s southern city of Volgograd has increased to 15, a medical source in the Southern Federal District told Interfax.

“The number of those killed in the terrorist attack on a trolleybus currently stands at 15. All the victims have already been identified,” he said.

Twenty-seven people injured in the blast are being treated at hospitals, he said. One of them is in critical condition, and another eight are in serious condition.

The death toll from the bombing in the December 29 terrorist attack on Volgograd’s railway station grew up to 18.

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