UKRAINE IN NEWS REPORTS OF THE WESTERN MEDIA. APRIL 2020 REVIEW

Living in such a large European Country as Ukraine is one might get a sudden feeling that the outside knowledge about Ukraine is rather different from the reality we witness from the inside. So, let us retrospectively revive what did happen in Ukraine and how Ukraine was depicted in foreign media during April, 2020.

In Ukraine, the quarantine regime is increasing

In public places only in masks and for two, children without adults are forbidden to go out. The poorest in Ukraine will acquire aid. There are more than 935,000 coronavirus infected in the world, 215,000 of which are in the United States.

Coronavirus incidence statistics in Ukraine: 794 cases were confirmed COVID-19 (125 of them last day). 20 people died, 13 recovered. There is no confirmed case so far only in the Nikolaev area. Another 32 Ukrainians are being treated for a coronavirus abroad, 8 Ukrainians have recovered, 4 Ukrainians have died from a coronavirus in Italy – reports Corona 24 News in their report from April 1, 2020.

Ukraine: Dozens Stranded in a War Zone

Ukrainian authorities, in response to the threat of COVID-19, shut down all movement across the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, but they have not made adequate provisions for those who may be stranded as a result, Human Rights Watch said today. The line separates areas under the control of Russia-backed armed groups from those under government control.

“Ukraine is facing a public health emergency, and the government has every reason to limit movement, including in the conflict-affected areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “At the same time, it should strive to keep families together and ensure the humanitarian needs of people who get stranded.”

Dozens of people have been stranded for days at a checkpoint in eastern Ukraine, unable to cross into areas not controlled by the government and in many cases without the financial means to shelter in decent conditions. In a positive development, on April 1, Ukrainian authorities allowed 26 of 60 people to cross at Stanitsa Luhanska into non-government-controlled areas. They should now strive to resolve the plight of those who remain stranded, either by allowing them to cross to rejoin their families, or helping to accommodate them while they wait – that was another observation by the Human Rights Watch on April 2, 2020.

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 79/2020 issued on 3 April 2020

Compared to the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.

Members of the armed formations continued to deny the SMM passage towards non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region at checkpoints near Verkhnoshyrokivske, Olenivka and Horlivka and to government-controlled areas of Luhansk region at a checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska’s bridge.

The SMM saw four weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The SMM monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable construction of power lines near government-controlled Maiorsk as well as demining activities in cemeteries in government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.

The SMM again saw that entry-exit checkpoints of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions and corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations remained closed for traffic amid the COVID-19 outbreak – OSCE reports from the day of April 3, 2020

Ukraine COVID-19 death toll rises to 28 as total cases exceed 1,000

The death toll from the COVID-19 epidemic in Ukraine rose to 28, as the number of confirmed cases reached 1,096, the country’s health ministry said.

According to the ministry, 154 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,096.

Meanwhile, a group of experts under the Ministry of Health are studying the findings of China, Italy and France, and will offer Ukrainian doctors new COVID-19 protocols in the coming days – has stated Xinhua report on April 4, 2020.

Ukraine: Fire Near Contaminated Chernobyl Site Extinguished

Emergency authorities in Ukraine say there are no signs of any fire still burning in the uninhabited exclusion zone around the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant after firefighters mobilized to put out a blaze. The country’s State Emergency Service said early on Sunday that background radiation levels were “within normal limits.”

More than 130 firefighters, three aircraft, and 21 vehicles were deployed on April 4 to battle the fire, which was said to have burned around 20 hectares (50 acres) in the long-vacated area near where an explosion at a Soviet nuclear plant in 1986 sent a plume of radioactive fallout high into the air and across swaths of Europe.

Fire and safety crews were said to be inspecting the area overnight on April 4-5 to eliminate any threat from sites where there was still smoldering.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service said that “as of April 5, 7:00 a.m., there was no open fire, only some isolated cells smoldering.” It said firefighters hadn’t seen any flames since around 8:00 p.m. on April 4. There was no threat to settlements, the State Emergency Service said.

A number of regions of Ukraine this week have reported brushfires amid unseasonably dry conditions. Fires are a routine threat in the forested region around the exclusion zone where an explosion 33 years ago ripped a roof off the fourth reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant near the now-abandoned town of Pripyat – the Voice of America declares in its article from April 5, 2020.

Ukraine continues to battle forest fire near Chernobyl

Emergency teams in Ukraine on Monday continued battling a forest fire in the contaminated area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that has raised radiation fears.

Police said they tracked down a person suspected of starting the blaze by setting dry grass on fire in the area. The 27-year-old man said he burned grass “for fun” and then failed to extinguish the fire when the wind caused it to expand quickly.

Two blazes erupted Saturday in the zone around Chernobyl that was sealed after the 1986 explosion at the plant.

Firefighters said they managed Monday to put out the smaller of the two fires, which engulfed about five hectares (12 acres), but the second one continued burning, covering about 20 hectares (50 acres). They said they were using aircraft to extinguish the blaze.

The authorities said that radiation levels in the area engulfed by fires substantially exceeded normal levels, but the emergencies service said radiation levels in the capital, Kyiv, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south, were within norms – states another news report according to the Associated Press, April 6, 2020.

Sorry, We’re Closed: Countries Shut Their Borders

At least 93 percent of the world’s population was living in a country that had imposed partial or complete border closures to keep out noncitizens and nonresidents as part of the fight against COVID-19 – warned Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as far as April 7, 2020.

Visegrad States To Give Aid To Eastern Partnership Countries

Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic – the so-called Visegrad Four group of Central European countries – will launch a solidarity program for the six members of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) to help them fight the coronavirus outbreak.

In an April 8 joint statement on the future of the Eastern Partnership, the four EU members said they will “launch an extraordinary ‘V4EastSolidarity program’ for the EaP countries” that would provide up to 250,000 euros in aid.

The partnership, which was launched in 2009 and consists of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine is meant to bring the countries closer to the EU without the concrete offer of future membership in the bloc. Information from Free Europe/Radio Liberty, April 8, 2020.

On The Front Line In Ukraine, Soldiers Brace To Fight A Silent, Deadly Enemy

Ukraine’s war-weary soldiers have fought a grinding trench war against Russia-backed forces for six years. But now there is a new foe taking aim at them – and with this one, there is nothing to signal a looming attack. There is no rustling of the grass in no-man’s-land, no trip wire to catch its advance.
The deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe makes no sound, and no bulletproof helmet or vest can protect the soldiers from it – almost in a poetic manner describes Ukrainian-Russian War events Radio Free Europe in April 9, 2020.

FUIB selected as financial partner of Ukrposhta for the purchase of 500 vehicles

The bank won the internal competition of the company and will now provide transactional support in vehicle fleet renovation by the purchase of five hundred new FIAT Doblo Maxi passenger cars from the supplier Trade House Ukrlada (Ital Motors) with a total contract amount almoust of 8.5 million euro, 6.4 million euro of which is the amount of financing by FUIB. FUIB started providing financial leasing services two years ago, defining for itself the following main areas: passenger and cargo vehicles, agricultural machinery, special equipment and railroad cars – such was the report of USUBC on April 10, 2020.

In March 2019, the monetary base that includes cash circulating beyond banks, as well as reserves of the banks and other money, rose by 4% to UAH 481.846 billion

The National Bank of Ukraine has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

In the year to date, the monetary base has risen by 0.9% from UAH 477.491 billion.

The monetary base in March 2020, rose by 2.8% to UAH 1,518.261 billion, and since the start of the year it has risen by 5.6% from UAH 1,438.311 billion – shares the good news the Ukrainian News, April 11, 2020.

Peace Offensive against Russia

As the coronavirus rages, so do global politics. In Ukraine, the last two weeks have been tumultuous, but good. Russia got pushed back several times. Is this a turning point for Ukraine? It could be if President Volodymyr Zelensky makes the next right move.

The turn began late March when the establishment of a supergroup inside the Minsk accords peace structure was postponed. The new Coordinating Council would have de facto legitimized Russia’s puppets in Luhansk and Donetsk and bent Kyiv further to Russia’s control.

Most of the applause is for the Ukrainian patriots who saw through the ruse and went to the streets demanding “no capitulation; no peace at any price with Russia”! Germany and France, signatories to Minsk, criticized Russia’s ploy. Even U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed national sovereignty and territorial integrity in a gesture of support.

The president made the right call. There is much speculation whether Yermak will keep his post and even more on what the next round of Minsk will bring. Zelensky must continue ensuring it serves Ukraine – League of Ukrainian Canadians April 12, 2020.

Top Ukrainian Security Official Detained For Alleged Collaboration With Russia’s FSB

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) says one of its top officials has been detained on suspicion of collaborating with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

The SBU said Major General Valeriy Shaytanov is suspected of high treason and terrorism.

It said audio and video recordings gathered during the case provided “irrefutable evidence” of the crime.

According to the SBU, Shaytanov started working for the FSB in 2014 and had planned “terrorist acts” in Ukraine, including allegedly planning to murder Adam Osmayev, the leader of Chechen volunteers fighting on the

Ukrainian side against Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine’s east – Radio Free Europe informs its listeners on April 13, 2020.

Ukraine says forest fire ‘no threat’ to Chernobyl nuclear plant

Forest fires are raging in a contaminated area near the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant, but Ukrainian officials insisted there is no radiation threat. Hundreds of firefighters backed by aircraft have battled several forest fires around Chernobyl since last week. They managed to contain the initial blaze, but new fires flared close to the decommissioned plant.

The emergency service said radiation levels in the capital, Kyiv, about 100km (60 miles) south of the plant, were within norms.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised transparency on the issue and will meet the head of the emergency service later on Tuesday. “Society must know the truth and be safe,” he said in his statement.

The fire, one of several which followed unusually dry weather, began on April 3, 2020 in the western part of the exclusion zone and spread to nearby forests – such was Aljazeera report on Ukraine’s events from April 14, 2020.

Exclusive: Ukraine Ready to Ban Wheat Exports if Necessary-Official

Ukraine, one of world’s top grain exporters, is ready to ban wheat exports if sales exceed limits agreed with traders, the deputy economy minister in charge of agriculture told Reuters on Wednesday. Any further restrictions of Ukraine’s grain exports could speed up trade from Black Sea producers Russia and Kazakhstan, depleting their grain export quotas earlier than anticipated.

Ukraine has exported 18 million tonnes of wheat so far in 2019/20, leaving an additional 2 million tonnes available for export over the rest of this season that runs until June 30, in line with a memorandum signed with traders.

“If the pace of exports becomes such that we are exporting 2 million tonnes in April, so, as we agreed (with traders) and warned – we will have to implement the paragraph of the memorandum to stop exports,” Taras Vysotskiy told Reuters – this was published by the New York Times as of April 15, 2020.

Coronavirus pandemic: Ukraine flies to the rescue

It seems that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is the latest international leader to join the fan club of Ukraine’s giant Antonov cargo planes. “I saw these planes. They are huge. They have extraordinary power,” he observed earlier this week.

The NATO leader’s comments came in response to the prominent role currently being played by Ukrainian Antonov planes in the delivery of medical supplies from China to NATO member countries as part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. This air freight cooperation, said Stoltenberg, was an example of the close cooperation between NATO and Ukraine.

Ukraine’s fleet of colossal Antonov cargo planes is certainly good at attracting attention. The fleet’s flagship aircraft, the An-225 Mriya, is the largest transport plane in the world and turns heads wherever it goes with its towering frame, 89-meter wingspan and 32 wheels.

When the An-225 touched down at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport on April 15 carrying 100 tons of medical equipment from China, tens of thousands of viewers tuned in to live online footage of the plane’s arrival. Ukraine rarely enjoys soft power successes on such a scale – praised Ukrainian efforts the Atlantic сouncil in April 16, 2020.

EU-Ukraine relations – factsheet

Ukraine is a priority partner for the European Union (EU). The EU supports Ukraine in ensuring a stable, prosperous and democratic future for its citizens and is unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Association Agreement (AA), including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) signed in 2014, is the main tool for bringing Ukraine and the EU closer together, promoting deeper political ties, stronger economic links and respect for common values. Ukraine continues an ambitious reform programme to accelerate economic growth and improve the livelihoods of its citizens. Priority reforms include the fight against corruption, reform of the judiciary, constitutional and electoral reforms, improvement of the business climate and energy efficiency, as well as reform of public administration and decentralization. Since 2014, the EU and the Financial Institutions have mobilised more than €15 billion in grants and loans to support the reform process, with strong conditionality on continued progress – it is nice to read but every Ukrainian also accept this as a friendly reminding, putten down in the Ukrainian Constitution: “Ukraine is heading the EU” and we glad that Europe understands us following the European Union April 17, 2020.

EU Members Cool On Eastern Partnership Aspirations, Concerned About Visa Liberalization

EU states have yet to reach a full agreement on the membership aspirations of their eastern neighbors and are concerned about the consequences of the already implemented visa liberalization, according to a leaked document seen by RFE/RL.

The seven-page document is being debated by diplomats from the 27 EU states representing the European Council.

It represents the response to the European Commission’s communique on the Eastern Partnership that was presented last month, and is expected to be approved in the coming days.

The Eastern Partnership program was launched in 2009 and is meant to bring Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine closer to the bloc without a clear offer of future membership – RFE/RL reported in April 21, 2020.

U.S.-Ukraine Partnership to Reduce Biological Threats

The U.S. Embassy would like to set the record straight regarding disinformation spreading in some circles in Ukraine that mirrors Russian disinformation regarding the strong U.S.-Ukrainian partnership to reduce biological threats.

Here in Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Biological Threat Reduction Program works with the Ukrainian Government to consolidate and secure pathogens and toxins of security concern in Ukrainian government facilities, while allowing for peaceful research and vaccine development. We also work with our Ukrainian partners to ensure Ukraine can detect and report outbreaks caused by dangerous pathogens before they pose security or stability threats.

Our joint efforts help to ensure that dangerous pathogens do not fall into the wrong hands. We’re proud to partner with the Ministry of Health, State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, and the Ministry of Defense to make us all safer – stated the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv April 22, 2020.

Foreign Ministers to Confer on Ukraine Peace Efforts

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he will hold a video conference next week with his Russian, Ukrainian and French counterparts to try to secure progress in efforts to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

A summit of the four countries’ leaders in Paris in December brought an agreement to revive the peace process and for Kiev and Russia-backed separatists to exchange prisoners. But it failed to resolve crucial issues such as a timeline on local elections and control of the borders in the rebel-held region.

Maas said he has spoken with his counterparts in recent days. “We noted, and no one disputed this, that significant parts of the decisions from the summit in Paris have not yet been implemented,” he said. – “That’s why it is important to give a new impetus to the decisions and the implementation of the decisions,” he said. The foreign ministers agreed to hold a video conference next week, he said, without specifying a date.

Last week, Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels exchanged 34 prisoners.

Germany and France brokered a 2015 peace agreement for eastern Ukraine that was signed in Minsk, and have since sought to shepherd its implementation. But it remains unclear when their leaders will hold another summit with Russia and Ukraine – the Associated Press released this information concerning Ukraine in April 22, 2020.

Chemistry Professor Caught In Ukrainian-Styled ‘Breaking Bad’ Operation

In a scene eerily reminiscent of the hit TV series about a teacher who decides to manufacture and sell high-grade drugs to provide for his family, a Kyiv chemistry professor has been arrested for allegedly setting up a secret lab to produce methamphetamine and other illegal drugs.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said in a Facebook post dated April 22, that the unidentified professor, who used to teach chemistry at a university in the capital, had been detained on suspicion of organizing a group to manufacture illegal substances.

“The group had two secret labs, one at the group leader’s place of residence in [Kyiv], and another in a garage of a rented private house in the Kyiv region,” the SBU statement said, adding that in addition to making his own drugs, the professor used his expertise to instruct others on how to make drugs.

According to the statement, the group had received component chemicals from Asia and Western Europe and distributed the drugs via the Internet.

The SBU said preliminary findings showed group members planned to produce nearly 30 kilograms of psychotropic drugs worth about 7.5 million hryvnyas ($275,000) at black-market prices – informed Radio Free Europe in April 23, 2020.

Does Putin want peace?

Putin’s actions demonstrate that the election of Volodymyr Zelenskyy has actually changed nothing. In reality, Russia’s war aims remain the same as they were in 2014. Ideally, the Kremlin would like to reassert its authority over Ukraine and draw the country back into the Russian orbit. If this proves impossible, Moscow’s priority is to prevent Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration by destabilizing the country and making it ungovernable. In other words, Ukraine should either be Russian or it should be a failed state.

The overriding objective is to make sure a successful and democratic Ukraine does not emerge to serve as a source of inspiration for the Russian public. Putin remains haunted by the rapid Soviet retreat from Central Europe and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union itself. He fears a repeat of the same historic processes, and his worst nightmare is a Moscow Maidan inspired by Ukraine’s own struggle for democracy. This makes any Russian retreat from Ukraine unthinkable, and explains why the Kremlin is prepared to pay such a high geopolitical price for a seemingly futile war that has been locked in stalemate for the past five years – getting knowledge spread the Atlantic Council in April 23, 2020.

Ukraine’s Job Offer to Saakashvili Angers Georgia

The government of Georgia, led by former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s longtime foes, has voiced objection to his possible appointment to the post of deputy prime minister of Ukraine, saying such a move would negatively affect relations between the two countries.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said in Tbilisi on April 24 that it was “absolutely unacceptable” for Ukraine to appoint to a top post a person who has been convicted in his native Georgia and is wanted on charges of abuse of power.

“If such a decision is made we would recall our ambassador from Kyiv for consultations, at a minimum,” Gakharia told journalists.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian lawmakers representing the ruling Servant of the People party said they were divided over the government’s proposal to give Saakashvili the post of deputy prime minister in charge of reforms.

Saakashvili, whose appointment needs to be approved by parliament, told reporters that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had asked him to conduct talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Ukraine, which desperately needs IMF loans to shore up its economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, is to face “the most difficult social and economic test since it won independence,” he said.

If Saakashvili’s appointment is approved, it would mark a remarkable political comeback for the 52-year-old, who served as Georgian president from 2004 to 2013 – has reported the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in April 24, 2020.

Zelenskiy’s First Year: He Promised Sweeping Changes. How’s He Doing?

A year ago, a beaming Volodymyr Zelenskiy strolled into his campaign headquarters to the theme song of the popular TV sitcom in which he played an accidental president. Confetti showered from the rafters and a crowd of supporters erupted in applause. He had just won Ukraine’s presidential runoff election with 73 percent of the vote, the largest tally in the country’s history.

The moment is captured in a slickly produced 50-minute video released by his office on April 21, the anniversary of the election. More of a public-relations puff piece than a documentary film, it sometimes resembles the sitcom and shines an uncritical light on Zelenskiy’s first year in office.

In reality, the first year since the 42-year-old comedic actor’s election has been chock full of ups and downs and twists and turns, with plenty of serious criticism over his governing from constituents and international observers, not to mention an array of opponents. Zelenskiy has faced a number of scandals and his country has been boxed into matters ranging from the impeachment of U.S. President Donald Trump – which stemmed largely from a telephone conversation between the two leaders in July 2019 – and the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in Iran in January.

He also inherited an ongoing war with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, persistent corruption, and the powerful influence of Ukraine’s oligarchs, among other issues.

So, how has he done so far?

“It could have been worse,” says Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of the news site Ukraine World and analytics director at Internews Ukraine. “Zelenskiy came to this post totally unprepared and he’s facing unprecedented challenges.”

One year after Ukraine elected a political novice to lead the country of some 40 million people, RFE/RL takes a look at some of those challenges and how experts believe Zelenskiy has fared: Whether he has delivered on his campaign promises and how he is managing ongoing crises amid the onslaught of the coronavirus – almost warning “I’ll being watching you” the Radio Free Europe published another analytical issue by their writer Christopher Miller in April 25, 2020.

Joint Statement by President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Meeting on the Elbe

Marks the 75th Anniversary of the historic meeting between American and Soviet troops, who shook hands on the damaged bridge over the Elbe River. This event heralded the decisive defeat of the Nazi regime.

The meeting on the Elbe represented a culmination of tremendous efforts by the many countries and peoples that joined forces under the framework of the United Nations Declaration of 1942. This common struggle required enormous sacrifice by millions of soldiers, sailors, and citizens in multiple theaters of war.

We also recognize the contributions from millions of men and women on the home front, who forged vast quantities of war materials for use around the world. Workers and manufacturers played a crucial role in supplying the allied forces with the tools necessary for victory.

The “Spirit of the Elbe” is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valor and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be forgotten – Ukraine was not mentioned in the Joint Statement by President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir Putin, Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Meeting on the Elbe, that is why we dare to refere on it once again. White House April 25, 2020.

UN: Consequences Remain Decades After Chernobyl Disaster

The United Nations says persistent and serious long-term consequences remain more than 30 years after the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

The world body is marking International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day on April 26, the 34th anniversary of the accident that spread a radioactive cloud over large parts of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia.

The anniversary is being marked after fires recently burned in the 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the plant, raising concerns about the potential release of radioactive particles into the air – honorably remins the Voice of America in April 26, 2020.

Ukraine – Additional Financing for the Serving People, Improving Health Project

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved Additional Financing for the Serving People, Improving Health Project.

Ukraine IBRD Credit: $135 million. Terms: Maturity=17. Years; Grace=5.5 years. Project ID: P170740. Project Description: The objectives of the Project are to: (i) improve efficiency and quality of health services, particularly for non-communicable diseases, in line with the health sector reforms, and (ii) prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 – informs the Radio Free Europe in April 27, 2020.

1,000 medical workers to be tested for COVID-19 in eastern Ukraine

Around 1,000 medical workers at a regional intensive care hospital in the city of Mariupol in Ukraine’s Donetsk region are to be tested for COVID-19 after 19 doctors there were confirmed to have the virus, Ukrinform news agency reported Tuesday. All 19 doctors who tested positive were showing no symptoms, local authorities said at a news briefing. It was reported earlier by media that 22 new cases of coronavirus infection had been detected in Mariupol on April 25, including the 19 doctors.

So far, 52 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the region, including those of 27 medical workers.

Ukraine has reported 401 new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 9,410 and 239 deaths as of Tuesday. A total of 1,843 health workers have been diagnosed with the virus, according to the country’s health ministry – optimistically reports Xinhua in April 28, 2020.

Ukraine’s Mega-Plane Works Overtime Through Pandemic

With massive airlifts of personal protective equipment needed during the coronavirus pandemic, Ukraine’s record-breaking freight plane is in high demand. The An-225 is the world’s heaviest plane. The Ukrainian air freighter has become one of the stars of the world’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The plane has been in high demand during the pandemic because lightweight cargos of protective medical equipment can completely fill the plane’s cavernous, 43-meter-long cargo hold. Other aircraft would require multiple flights to deliver the same volume of supplies – makes us feel a little bit proud the Radio Free Europe in April 29, 2020.

Coronavirus in Ukraine

Coronavirus Cases: 9,866. Deaths: 250. Recovered: 1,103.

Last updated: April 29, 2020, 07:14 GMT. These numbers one may easily find in Google.

Ukraine’s Road to Asia. Ukraine will prioritize the Asia-Pacific in its foreign policy

…After my appointment as the Foreign Minister, I announced that Ukraine’s upgraded strategy toward Asia would be among my top foreign policy priorities.

Since regaining its independence in 1991, Ukraine’s cooperation with Asia was developing in the ascending order. Today we enjoy excellent relations with the region. Thus, I am not talking about a start from scratch.
But it is high time to shift to the higher gear in Ukraine’s relations with Asia.

My official engagement with Asia in my new capacity started with courtesy phone calls to many of my counterparts. We took stock of our bilateral relations, discussed how to survive, and help each other in the time of global disruption amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outcome of every conversation I had was a mutual understanding that there’s an immense untapped potential for further development of bilateral trade, joint projects in hi-tech fields, or in infrastructure…

…When the global community recovers from the COVID-19 shock, we all need to reconsider how to cope with shortcomings and vulnerabilities that came to light so vividly because of the virus. The global “networld” in the 21st century is getting more complicated and fragile. Every nation is pondering how to ensure uninterrupted supplies, provide support to small and medium enterprises, and to help their people in finding jobs and developing businesses.

Ukraine, like nations in Asia, is doing the same.

Let’s build this new road together.

Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine.

This very promising article was published in The Diplomat, the premier international current-affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific region in April 30, 2020.

Take care. Think of doing business with and within Ukraine.

Your success is here.

Referrals were collected by Volodymyr Serdiuk for Newssky