1.  Human Rights Abuses in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Ukrainian journalist of Crimean origin Mykola Semena got detained on April 29, 2017 in Crimea for alleged public incitement of actions undermining territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. Mykola Semena received a suspended sentence of  2 and a half years and was prohibited to conduct any public activity for 3 years.

Mykola Semena: “I have never exercised any ‘political hostility’ against Russia’, nor have I expressed any anti-Russian views. None of my publications, be it in local or international media, could be qualified as anti-Russian. What my publications do have is constructive criticism of the government policies, certain sectors of economy and individual public officials both in Russia and Ukraine. That said, offering criticism is not only a right but a duty for every respected media outlet, and shouldn’t be used as a basis for ‘political hostility’ accusations.”

2. Actual situation in the eastern part of Ukraine.

The situation remained tense in eastern Ukraine.

Russia-backed militants resume using rocket artillery.

In mentioned period militants were shelling Ukrainian troops’ positions in Maryinka, Shyrokyne, Avdiivka, Zaitseve, Zaitseve Svitlodarsk, Zolote, Novoluhanske, Krymske, Malynove, Lozove and Troitske, Taramchuk, Maryinka, Novotroitske and Starohnativka of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

As a result, 5 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, 4 of them on December 9^th,  and 10 wounded.

For all shelling Ukrainian troops responded with fire from weapons allowed under Minsk agreements.