How does Akhmetov’s plant cooperate with the DPR? Why did Plotnitsky yell at the "Minister"? Imitation of primaries ... This and other issues in Sergey Garmash’s Occupation author’s radio programme.
"People are dying for metal"
Last week on the occupied territories was not marked by some global events. However, things, that are nothing for some people, are a matter of life and death for others. There was a lot of shooting in Donetsk. There were outgoing and incoming shots. At least 5 persons were injuried among civilians only in Kuibyshev district of the city.
Some of them died at their folly. On July 5th two children were killed and one child and an adult were seriously injured as a result of dismantling grenades, which they wanted to hand over for scrap in occupied Yenakiyevo.
By the way, I must say that scrap metal is once again, as in the early 90's, one of the core businesses on the occupied territories. Supply of raw materials to companies operating under the control of the DPR is impeded, therefore, other companies cut railway trails for scrap. In general, local metal finders have much work. And if until recently it was a shady business, now the separatists want to replenish their public budgets due to it. Head of the DPR administration in Gorlovka Stanislav Kim told about that.
Audio: "There is a company, set up for the city, let’s say so, utility one -Rosdontreyd - which will collect scrap metal for the city. And the profits of that enterprise will contribute to the city budget ... It's no secret that all the scrap metal goes to Yenakiyevo Metallurgical Plant. Therefore, our company’s price for scrap metal is almost equal to the one in Yenakiyevo. The only thing is that there are some other costs - transportation, just a little bit for storage and salary."
If we decode the above mentioned information, the so-called "mayor" of Gorlovka revealed the fact of cooperation of Ukrainian oligarch Akhmetov’s plant with the DPR. After all, if the scrap metal enterprise, set up by the DPR "government", delivers the scrap to Yenakiyevo Metallurgical Plant, and the plant, of course, pays for it, accordingly, the money goes to the public budgets of the separatists, which maintains the DPR and its armed forces ...
Plotnitsky’s hysterics and decrease in milk production ...
At the same time, the economic situation on the occupied territories, despite the triumphant speeches by leaders of the DPR-LPR, is quite complicated. So, it turns out that until recently Donetsk used to live actually with no budget, but now the budget is formed on a quarterly basis. Deputy Director of the Department of Treasury of the DPR Svetlana Garas told about that.
Audio: "Last year the budget was formed on a monthly basis. It certainly created some difficulties. There were so many documents and now we have switched to a quarterly budget planning. That is every three months."
The leaders of the self-proclaimed "republics" talk about prices and food supply stabilization. For example, Anna Samoylenko – manager of the Pervyi respublikanskiy sales network – renamed seized ATB – tried to convince Donetsk viewers that the situation with the products stabilized.
Audio: "Well, indeed, the situation with the products has stabilized. There is no excessive demand for some product groups. All products can be purchased at any time, they are always available, no problems with the supply, moreover, we are now working with our producers. We have concluded agreements with more than 40 manufacturers of the DPR. Therefore, there are no problems with the supply, prices are stable."
Not by bread alone. In addition to food, people need to dress up, have shoes, wash ... There are problems with these goods in Donetsk. Leader of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko acknowledged them.
Audio: "As for the manufactured goods, the situation is a little more complicated, because in terms of the economic blockade it is hard to deliver this group of goods and difficult to sell. It is not quickly grown products that are bought and sold in a week. These goods may lie for months and, therefore, state regulation of prices is unacceptable here. As we can stay without these products at all at a certain point. They stop to deliver them ...
The situation with home appliances is more difficult. Here we completely depend on the blockade and I think that in short time nothing will change here dramatically. But I think by the end of the year there will be a number of contracts with entrepreneurs of the Russian Federation with which we have had the preliminary negotiations, they promise to provide us with household appliances at the price not higher than in Russia."
At the same time, there are problems with food products on the occupied territory of neighboring Luhansk region. It was revealed by dialogue or rather yelling of LPR leader Igor Plotnitsky at his Minister of Economy Yelena Kostenko.
Audio: "There is a problem with birds, because the prime cost of the birds in our factories on which I reported to you. - It can not be. Do you want me to tell you the prime cost, where all the giblets, topsides are gone - they are removed and not counted? They are sold illegally. Prosecutors, check the prime costs. Because they are 66 in Belarus, 68 in Russia and 95 for us. How is it possible? Is fodder more expensive or light? You have been telling it for two weeks."
Let’s omit Plotnitsky’s manners toward women. Although the style of the LPR leader is certainly interesting. Perhaps it was because there is a decrease in milk yield on territories controlled by the LPR, despite favorable weather conditions.
Audio: "Somehow there is reduction in milk yield, a dramatic reduction, in some areas for some strange reason, taking into account the rainfall and good grass. If we consider Antratsit, Perevalsk, Lutuginsk area, milk yield for the past period per cow amounted to 540 liters when 1600 is average in the republic."
Head of Plotnitsky’s administration Iryna Teytsman even ordered the Prosecutor to deal with this issue. Though, the reason for the decline in milk yield is simple. Head of the LPR administration in Anratsit Mr. Andriyenko told about it.
Audio: "The decline in milk yield is primarily connected with the fact that there is no purchasing power. People produce, even domestic farms, people and there is nowhere to sell it. They just pour it. They buy for 15 rubles and sell at the same price. That is, nothing has changed, except that we want people give milk for free."
It’s interesting that there is Georgian milk on Donetsk market. People write about that in social networks and even share photos. That is, milk is poured in the LPR and milk from Georgia is brought to the DPR? And they say – Novorossia.
Real economy
By the way, a trade war of the LPR with the DPR continues and intensifies. One of our previous programmes covered a scandal Plotnitsky made during a meeting of his "Council of Ministers" because of the encroachment of Donetsk on its markets. At the last similar meeting Chief Veterinary Officer of the LPR reported that an unauthorized channel of food delivery from neighboring DPR was closed.
Audio: "In order to gain control, I appealed to the General Prosecutor's Office to provide experts to prevent unauthorized trafficking of food products from the DPR to the LPR."
But the presence of goods in the stores does not mean welfare of the population. After all, no matter to what extent the market is full with goods, the population will buy when people have money. And money can appear when there is a stable economy. And the situation with money is difficult there. For example, head of the LPR administration in Krasnodon Sergey Kozenko said that, despite the launch of some enterprises, the majority of the industry of the city still stands, and those enterprises that operate have problems with access even to the Russian market.
Audio: "We have launched Druzeva PE, though not at full capacity. There are problems, there were military, accordingly, the issue of electricity has not been solved yet on the compensation. Tkachenko PE was also launched. Yunost factory was also launched, although in winter they reduce their working time. But today they don’t work due to interruptions of electricity. AZCH plant doesn’t work at all. Pipeline plant doesn’t work completely ... There are problems at the working enterprises. There are Krios, Tkachenko PE and Yunost. First of all – it is, of course, sale of products in the Russian Federation. In any case, it is accompanied by customs. Customs imposes additional material and financial resources. In principle, we turn out not to be very competitive to enter the Russian market."
Despite talks about economic blockade, work of coal enterprises of the so-called LPR depends on Ukraine, Chairman of Trade Unions Federation of the "LPR" Oleg Akimov acknowledged it.
Audio: "We have a number of businesses that still cannot get a stable job. In particular, it is our coal industry. Due to the events that occurred in Debaltsevo, when Donetsk railway was paralyzed and coal shipments were stopped, we have a number of companies that were forced to let people go on downtime. Just a few days ago this problem was solved and we expect to have activation of coal shipments for all of our coal associations. It concerns Antratsyt and Donbasantratsyt and Tsentrugl. There are already specific contracts for coal shipment."
"State employees go to "rally" again"
From economy to politics. The so-called DPR and LPR launched the so-called election training or as Zakharchenko says - primaries.
"In order to, on the one hand, solve our own problems on construction of the state system and, on the other, to show that the claims made by the Ukrainian side are insignificant, in fact, we are launching all-nation primaries in the DPR. At the first stage we will conduct a preliminary public voting in the capital of the People's Republic of Donetsk – Donetsk, "- said Colonel Zakharchenko on July 4th.
"... In fact, we will use all of the system and all the procedures that usually are used during the elections. But since we still have even very small hope that Kiev will still fulfill its obligations in accordance with Set of Measures, we will not hold elections but just have a preliminary stage," - said Zakharchenko.
He stressed and I quote "that the all-nation primaries in no way contradict the Minsk Agreements, as are only preliminary and intended to clarify the general mood and preferences of our citizens."
On the same day similar Plotnitsky’s statement appeared.
"Today our society clearly formulates a request for the local elections. We cannot wait indefinitely until Kiev hears demands of our people. I decided to support this initiative because it will allow us both to test future candidates and demonstrate a real view of our citizens."
Both Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky claim that the primaries are a reaction to the people's requests. Public movements set up by them will participate in them.
One of the ideologists of Donetsk separatist Roman Manekin made an interesting remark in this regard. I quote from Facebook.
"Well, well – they established PM (Public movements): Donetsk Republic, Svobodnyi Donbass and Molodaya Respublika. They set up artificially, from the top, as a tool of the upcoming election fighting - it is understandable!
Do these movements have programmes? I mean accurate without common words (in the spirit of "DPR") about "welfare and prosperity"? Is there a calendar plan of what to do every day in one direction or another?
Current political practice shows that now this potential is used very clumsily: a problem with expulsion of Kurchenko from Donbass - use PM to organize unsanctioned rallies against Kurchenko, Pushilin felt some difficulties in the context of the Minsk process – state employees go again to the "rally" unrelated to the specific needs of people."
Have you noticed? - Even Manekin acknowledged that these so-called "public organizations" are created artificially and people are forced to go to rallies in Donetsk.
There is another Roman Manekin’s interesting phrase:
Meanwhile, according to yesterday's "debate", the danger hanging over the republic, is great. New threats brought masses of "returnees" who fled at the time of the most violent attacks at towns and villages of Donbass ...
In addition, barbarously clumsy actions by the MGB in the period of struggle with Makhnovism, when almost the entire male population of the DPR "went" through the "basement" and especially activists, idiotic (otherwise impossible to call them!) decisions of the authorities, undermining the very basis of the rule of law and state, cronyism, as before inherited from Ukraine, thriving in power - all of these and similar "exercises" affected severely consciousness of millions of sincere supporters of the republic."
It's a summary of the political situation on the occupied territory of Donetsk region by - as he introduces himself on Facebook - foreign correspondent in the press center of the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roman Manekin.
"Geopolitics"
As you can see, the situation inside the "republic" is not comforting for Zakharchenko-Plotnitsky clicks. But as they simply do not have the political opposition, the leaders of the "LPR" and "DPR" are more engaged foreign policy and thoughts about the collapse of Ukraine. For example, head of the so-called "People's Council of the DPR" Denis Pushilin said last week that at first it was needed to change whole Ukraine and then the Minsk Agreements could be fulfilled and control over the border could be given.
Audio: "Before we can even start talking about the border, you need to change whole Ukraine."
Not without a veiled threat to the OSCE. Commenting on the resolution of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on the peacekeeping operation in Ukraine, Pushilin questioned the very possibility for the OSCE to continue work in Donbass:
Audio: "It is a resolution. It is not compulsory for execution, it is a recommendation, moreover, there are political overtones and we are now well aware that the OSCE is now acting as an intermediary. If the OSCE adopts such a resolution now, the OSCE will officially de facto become biased. And even de jure. And of course, they will not be able to fulfill their here any longer."
But the British, probably, will be pleased to hear how terrorist Zakharchenko compares citizens of Her Majesty and Donbass separatists.
Audio: "I can say with certainty. Western public opinion is slowly but surely changing in the opposite direction. Incidentally, one of the reasons for which it changes is, inter alia, referendum in the UK. Due to it they got out of the EU. Most importantly, they understand that we have the same rights. The same rights as the British to self-determination, to express our views on the opportunity to speak."
A strange comparison, given that the British just voted to leave the European Union and the DPR, on the contrary, advocated a return to the Union, not the European but the Soviet ...
Zakharchenko’s words about improving the image of separatists in the West should sound alarming for the Ukrainian authorities. As the preservation of the conflict allows to instutionalize quasi-republics and the world begins to get used to them. And it is unacceptable. As well as participation of the LPR-DPR organizations in international organizations, which include representatives of Ukraine. Head of Trade Unions Federation of the LPR Oleg Akimov boasted exactly of that.
Audio: "Today the Trade Unions Federation is an official member of the World Federation of Trade Unions. It is a tremendous diplomatic victory. By the way, our neighbours DPR hasn’t made such a decision."
I just wonder what passports they use to travel around the world to harm Ukraine - a Ukrainian one? The question is rhetorical, but its very existence is reproach to Ukrainian special services.
Moreover, you can imagine what horror stories Donetsk and Luhansk Kremlin agents tell abroad. Probably, the same as they zombie into the heads of the population on the territories under their control.
Audio: "Convicted criminals, including repeat offenders are used in the so-called ATO area to fill the shortage in the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
You have just heard the speaker of the so-called "People's Police of the LPR" Andrey Marochko. It is not the only myth that Andrey told on television. Last week he said that leadership of Ukrainian law enforcers planned to deliver alcohol containing psychotropic substances to the "republic".
"We got to know that on June 20th, 2016 a truck with semitrailer loaded with five-liter canisters with clear liquid arrived in Novoaydar accompanied by four BTR-80 and Ural army vehicle with armed personnel. That container contains alcohol, as well as there was numerous security accompanying the cargo, it caused our suspicions. And intelligence found that the alcohol was with psychotropic substances, which had been previously used during the revolutionary action in November 2013 on Maidan in Kiev," - said Marochko. According to him, Ukrainian security officials want to deliver the alcohol to the territory controlled by the LPR to affect the population.
I do not know how you feel, but I have deja vu. I've already heard it. Do you remember? - Donetsk, 2004.
Audio: "I returned from Kiev. I can tell you what is happening there. There's just orange sabbath and mountains of oranges. It's just a nightmare. And I want to tell you. That these are not simple oranges, these are injected oranges. People take one orange, eat, take another. And hand takes and takes it ... ".
As they say: jokes mixed with tears.
OstroV, Public Radio of Donbass