Coronavirus
The Cabinet of Ministers has extended the term of adaptive quarantine in Ukraine until the end of the year. Regulations on mass assemblies will be tightened, schools will have autumn holidays from 15 to 30 October, likely to be followed by distance learning. Colleges and universities are advised to switch to distance learning.
By the morning of 13 October, Ukraine has registered 5,133 new Covid-19 cases, the case total now reaching 270,587. The
According to Health Minister Maksym Stepanov, 21,000 out of 34,000 beds for Covid-19 patients have been taken already.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has spoken against a repeat closure of borders to foreigners due to quarantine restrictions.
The ex-president and leader of the European Solidarity party, Petro Poroshenko, has recovered from the coronavirus. He thanked doctors "who do everything possible and impossible", in particular doctor Olha Holubovska.
Poll
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced an all-Ukrainian poll to be held on election day on 25 October. It will consist of five questions. "At a polling station on 25 October, I will ask you five important questions about what we discuss in the streets, in kitchens and on the Internet, what we argue about with friends, parents or taxi drivers, the ones we have never been asked before. Five important questions to find out your opinion," the president said in a video address on Facebook. The first question will be announced on 14 October.
The presidential office later said that the poll on election day will have no direct legal consequences. "The need for this form of direct democracy is due to the fact that the content of policies in the state should be determined by the people, not only those who have enough media influence and money to manipulate public opinion in their personal interests. On 25 October, we will learn what the people really thinks. And we will also ask the questions that no-one has ever wanted to ask citizens in our country directly," the office said.
Security policy
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin has suggested a new security platform for counteraction to Russia at a meeting of senior officials of the Eastern Partnership project (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia). Yenin said that the Eastern Partnership must be of strategic nature and set ambitious goals for carrying out reforms in the partner states.
Ukraine and Turkey will sign a new military framework agreement when Volodymyr Zelensky visits Ankara on 15-17 October. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft of this agreement today.
Donbas
The Joint Forces Operation (JFO) HQ has registered six ceasefire violations by Russia-backed militants. Near Zaytseve, the enemy made three shots from a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher and two in Khutir Vilnyy, as well as two bursts from small arms. Near Pisky it fired a mounted grenade launcher 10 times and near Orikhove 15 times.
The JFO HQ will close the Stanytsya Luhanska checkpoint on the line of contact from 15 to 31 October due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the uncontrolled part of Luhansk Region.
Economy
The number of the unemployed has increased by 59% and reached 427,000 over the year, the State Employment Service has said.
Vladyslava Mahaletska has been appointed head of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, according to MP Oleksiy Honcharenko. She was deputy agrarian policy and food minister for European integration in 2014-2016.
Crime
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out investigative actions at BRSM-Nafta filling stations today. A recent investigation by the Bihus.info project revealed that BRSM-Nafta may have been involved in financing the political project of pro-Russian propagandist Anatoliy Shariy. However, the SBU said that the journalists' findings were not the reason for the searches.
The High Justice Council has suspended the head of the Kharkiv district administrative court, Olha Panchenko, who was caught red-handed during the transfer of a 3,000-dollar bribe.
The KORD police carried out a special operation to detain two Georgian nationals who violently robbed clients outside foreign exchange offices. The robbers tried to get away and damaged four cars, police had to open fire.