Crisis In Ukraine - May 29 Briefing from UCC

Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
29 May 2014, 4PM Kyiv time

1. Central Election Commission receives all electronic protocols from 25 May election
The Central Election Commission of Ukraine has received all electronic protocols from the District Election Commissions regarding voting in each precinct from the 25 May presidential elections. Petro Poroshenko received 54.7% of the vote (9.8 million votes). Yulia Tymoshenko came second with 12.81 % (2.3 million votes) and Oleh Lyashko finished third with 8.3% (1.5 million votes). Voter turnout nationwide was 59.57%.  Poroshenko carried at least a plurality in all regions of Ukraine except the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, where the illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation prevented voting from taking place. The CEC must now accept official protocols from the District Election Commission and declare official results, after the results are published the new president will be inaugurated, likely in early June.

2. Kremlin-backed "separatism" in Eastern Ukraine
The active phase of the anti-terrorism operation in Donetsk and Luhansk continues. Near Slovyansk, Donetsk oblast, a Ukrainian armed forces helicopter has been shot down by armed “separatists;”  according to reports, 12 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed. The “separatist” group that shot down the helicopter has reportedly been destroyed by Ukraine’s National Guard. According to a representative of the headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO), Ukrainian forces are ready to organize a corridor to evacuate civilians from Slovyansk, which is surrounded by Ukrainian forces, in order to avoid civilian casualties. According to a representative of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration, some of the armed “separatists,” who claim to represent the so-called Donetsk “Peoples’ Republic” have started to panic and have started to cooperate with Ukrainian law enforcement and military units, providing information on locations of armed “separatist” units, and their movements. A representative of the operational group of the ATO, V. Selenznyov, stated that one of the leaders of the armed “separatists,” with the pseudonym “Abwer” tried to contact the headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation to begin negotiations. The ATO leadership responded that negotiations will only be possible once armed “separatists” turn in their weapons and surrender.

3. Ministry of Internal Affairs: Weapons used in seizure of Donetsk airport were Russian-manufactured
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that weapons used by armed “separatists” to seize the Donetsk airport on 26 May, which have been found by Ukrainian special forces at the airport, - according to serial numbers and models –  were manufactured in the Russian Federation.

4. Klitchko leads Kyiv mayoral race
With over two-thirds of precincts reporting results from the mayoral election on 25 May, UDAR leader Vitalyi Klitchko leads the Kyiv mayoral race with 56.5% of the vote; Lesya Orobets (8.5%) and Volodymyr Bondarenko (8.04%) are in second and third place, respectively.

5. Poroshenko to attend D-Day commemorations
According to reports, P. Poroshenko will attend the 70-th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, at the invitation of the President of France. Also attending, among other world leaders, will be US President B. Obama, German Chancellor A. Merkel and Russian President V. Putin.