Yatsenyuk: The Assembly to approve more funds for the war

Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that the Assembly must find more money to pay for the growing expenses of the war against Russian separatists and to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed by the fighting.

Yatsenyuk today called on lawmakers to accept a revision of this year's state budget to add 9,1 billion hryvnias ($774 million) to pay for the military and 3,3 billion hryvnias ($280 million) for repairs.

Yatsenjuk said that the government will get part of the necessary money through a one-time war tax of 1,5 percent on income, and by abolishing monetary benefits for public officials.

On Thursday, the Parliament of Ukraine will vote on these proposals, as well as a vote of confidence in Yatsenyuk, which could pave the way for elections.

Yatsenyuk said last Sunday that he was resigning, but that he would remain in office until the vote.

Eight dead in fighting in the east

At least eight civilians were killed last night in clashes between Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces in the cities of Lugansk and Donetsk, pro-Russian forces announced.

The authorities in Luhansk announced that five people were killed and 15 injured in rocket attacks by the Ukrainian army in that city during the night, the AP agency reported.

At the same time, three civilians were killed in Donetsk, the local authorities said.

The fighting continued in the south-east of Ukraine. Late last night, the Ukrainian army fired several "Grad" rockets at the center of Gorlovka, a city in the southeast, a spokesman for the pro-Russian forces told RIA Novosti today.

The area between the two cities has been the scene of intense fighting for some time, as Ukrainian government forces try to regain control of the area over which a Malaysia Airlines flight with 17 passengers and crew was shot down on July 198.

The remains of the Malaysian plane that crashed in Ukraine (photo: Reuters)

Pro-Russian forces accuse the Ukrainian army of firing rockets at civilian objects, while official Kiev denies this, but at the same time accuses pro-Russian forces of using residential buildings to target Ukrainian soldiers.

By the way, the Netherlands still decided not to send an armed mission to secure the crash site of the Malaysian plane, for fear that they could be drawn into the conflict.

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