Luxury detention cells in Lukianivka, grain that was eaten by mice, and graduates of a Russian paramilitary camp in Ukraine: Europress Review

This week, Ukraine did not often appear on the pages of European media. Ukraine was mostly mentioned in the context of the possible additional US sanctions over the construction of the Nord Stream 2 or on Biden and the upcoming US elections.

Nevertheless, as for Biden, Ukraine was not only mentioned but was also in the spotlight of the news. Thus, the Swiss Neue Zuercher Zeitung reported that the inspection of old cases in Ukraine did not indicate the guilt of Hunter Biden (son of Joe Biden – US presidential candidate 2020). However, the case is “entering a new round of investigation”: in late May, a Ukrainian lawmaker with ties to Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, released telephone conversations between Joe Biden and the former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the resignation of the (former) Prosecutor General Shokin. As a result, current Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova has opened a new investigation into Poroshenko’s treason. And although it is not about Burisma, this case will bring Biden new troubles.

“I hope Gerhard Schroeder can keep hold himself in hands and have a discussion within European standards,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the conflict between the former Chancellor and the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk, German Bild told the minister during his visit to Berlin. which took place at the beginning of the week. Bild also reminded that the war in Donbas continues, and although Ukraine has undertaken to implement Steinmeier’s formula, the law has not been adopted yet.

Graduates of a “paramilitary camp” in St. Petersburg, including Swedes, Finns, and Germans, learn to “handle weapons and explosives,” and later join Russian militants in eastern Ukraine. This was reported by Focus in the article “German neo-Nazis are learning terror in a camp in St. Petersburg.”

Agoravox, a French news platform that often spreads Russian propaganda, has benefitted from a post by Mykhailo Apostol, an adviser to the Interior Minister, that “mice have eaten grain stocks” to ridicule Ukraine and call it a “giant circus school“: “According to a certain corruption scheme, the warehouses of the state reserve are filled with low-quality products, paid for at inflated prices from the budget of Ukraine, which is then “eaten” by mice.

In Ukrainian pre-trial detention centers (in Kyiv in Lukyanivka, as well as in Lviv) there will be cameras with increased comfort, in which the bed will cost about 400 euros per month. There are 13 such beds out of a total of 2300 in Lukianivska detention centre. The atmosphere in these cells resembles a hotel with a toilet, shower, air conditioning, plasma TV, refrigerator, microwave, and if you do not want to cook, you can even order pizza. This way, in Ukraine, they want to fight corruption in pre-trial detention centers, where some detainees bribe workers to obtain certain benefits such as Internet access, and sometimes even knives and explosives are found in their cells. Now, you can officially order such a camera from the judiciary through online transfers. These funds can be later invested in renovations and other needs to improve conditions in the pre-trial detention centers. This was reported by the German TAZ.

We make this media review every week in partnership with the Ukrainian source Mind.ua. We make it for you to help you form an idea of the image of Ukraine in the European media space.