Dependence of the maximum surface subsidence from setup entry distance

Based on the subsidence data collected through a comprehensive subsidence monitoring program conducted over longwall in the Western Donbas coal mines, graphical model has been proposed to predict dynamic maximal subsidence in the Western Donbas coal basin

Sedimentary geology of the Middle Carboniferous of the Donbas region (Dniepr-Donets basin, Ukraine)

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Victims to villains: Internal displacement and nation-building in Ukraine

The war in Donbas has created large-scale displacement within Ukraine, an issue the impoverished state has struggled to manage. Internally displaced people (IDPs) have suffered from prejudice at the hands of host communities and from legal ambiguities caused by the state’s incoherent attempts at limiting the threat of mass displacement. This paper examines how the Ukrainian government-owned newspaper Uriadovyi Kurier represents the IDPs from Donbas and analyses what the publication’s attitudes towards internal displacement mean. Over time, a distinction appears in the newspaper’s reporting between real IDPs in need of help, and people posing as IDPs, guilty of siphoning Ukrainian tax payers’ money to the rebel-held areas. Also, the paper eagerly discusses how the European Union (EU) and foreign states can be engaged in providing support for the IDPs, relieving pressure from regional budgets and simultaneously binding Ukraine to the West. These tropes serve to construct Ukrainian national unity by excluding politically suspicious migrants from Donbas. They also excuse the state from making any structural adjustments or battling corruption as inadequate social protection can be replaced with foreign aid

Strong militias, weak states and armed violence: towards a theory of ‘state-parallel’ paramilitaries

This article challenges the well-established presentation within conflict studies of paramilitary organizations as state-manipulated death squads or self-defence groups, and argues that some present-day militias extend their functions well beyond the role of shadowy pro-regime enforcers. Drawing its empirical insights from Ukrainian pro-government volunteer battalions and supporting its findings with empirical observations from other parts of the world, the article posits that the rise of powerful militia organizations acting in parallel with the state makes it imperative to revisit the theory and typology of paramilitary violence. The key theoretical argument of the article is that ‘state-parallel’ militias differ qualitatively from the ‘state-manipulated’ paramilitaries that are typical of the Cold War period. The article shows that although ‘state-parallel’ paramilitaries are not a new phenomenon, they have thus far remained critically understudied and undertheorized

Beyond Frozen Conflict Scenarios for the Separatist Disputes of Eastern Europe. CEPS Paperback

This book forms part of a wider project on the relations between the European Union and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and in particular the Association Agreements and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) between these three states and the European Union. The wider project was begun in 2015 in the aftermath of the Maidan uprising at the beginning of 2014, which had been provoked when President Yanukovich reneged over the signing of Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU. Following Yanukovich’s flight to Russia, the Association Agreement was duly signed later in 2014. The agreements with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have a substantial common content, while differing in various details. Overall, they provide an association model of unprecedented extent and depth. Democratic political values are at the heart of the agreements, while the economic content goes far beyond classic free trade agreements to include a wholesale approximation of EU internal market regulatory law. The purpose of our wider project was first of all to explain the complex content of the Association Agreements and DCFTAs, which was achieved in a series of comprehensive handbooks published at www.3dcftas.eu. However, the agreements contain only short and simple articles on conflict prevention and management, without meaningful operational content. This was notwithstanding the fact that the EU considers itself, for its own historical reasons, to have a special vocation in conflict prevention and resolution. In addition, Georgia and Moldova were already the sites of unresolved separatist conflicts originating around the collapse of the Soviet Union three decades ago, namely Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, and Transdniestria in Moldova, to which we have added the case of the Nagorny Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On top of this legacy, the Maidan uprising led to the Russian annexation of Crimea and its hybrid war in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of the Donbas. The Donbas thus joined the old ‘frozen conflicts’. In the light of the above, CEPS took the initiative to examine all five unresolved conflicts, to assess where these disputes seem to be heading, and what different scenarios could be imagined for their future, including how the European Union might become more engaged. Indeed, while none of the conflicts are resolved, none are for that matter ‘frozen’. Our first practical priority was to find an author to undertake a comprehensive study of the Donbas, since conditions there make it practically impossible for any analysts from the government-controlled part of Ukraine or from Europe to safely enter these territories for research purposes. We were therefore very fortunate to find Nikolaus von Twickel who had recently been travelling in the Donbas as part of the OSCE Mission there, and is now an independent analyst. For the other four ‘old’ conflicts we were also most fortunate to bring in Thomas de Waal, who has been a leading scholar of the region for some decades, and was willing to bring the stories of these conflicts up to date. The two authors were able to address the complete set of conflicts with a consistent analytical approach, as will be evident from reading the sets of scenarios. We express our warm appreciation towards Sweden and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) for their support to the entire project. This volume looks at future prospects for the string of unresolved conflicts that continue to plague the post-Soviet world. Four of them date back to the period when the USSR began to break up in the late 1980s. A new conflict, with many different elements and some similarities, was added to the list in 2014: the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. The open confrontation between Russia and Ukraine over the Donbas and Crimea not only destroyed relations between Moscow and Kyiv but changed politics across the region, shaking up the dynamics of the four existing protracted territorial conflicts over Abkhazia, Nagorny Karabakh, South Ossetia and Transdniestria. The five post-Soviet conflicts are often called ‘frozen’, but this is a misnomer. Although the peace processes around them often look frozen, the situations themselves are anything but frozen and are constantly changing. Two of them, over the Donbas and Nagorny Karabakh, are either ongoing or close to violence. Each dispute has its own history, character and context, which has grown more distinctive over time and has been further shaped by the confrontation over Ukraine. Each continues to evolve. Here we chart scenarios for how these conflicts may develop further with the aim of focusing policymakers’ thinking on which tendencies are dangerous and which ones can be encouraged. There are many moving parts to these situations and complacency is not an option

Ukraine, Russia and the EU : Breaking the deadlock in the Minsk process

Although the Minsk process brought about a de-escalation of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, not all of its 13 points have been implemented, including a ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weaponry. In the absence of a military option, economic sanctions have become the core instrument of the EU and the US, to respond to Russia’s aggression. At the end of June 2016, when EU Heads of State and Government meet to discuss the extension of sanctions against Russia, they should bear in mind that Russia did not implement the commitments it took upon itself in the framework of the Minsk agreements. Given the persistent deadlock in the Ukraine crisis, the leaders of the EU ought to agree to prolong the sanctions against Russia, push for the renegotiation of the Minsk II agreement and widen the ‘Normandy format’ to include the US and bolster reforms in Ukraine

The ear against the eye : Vertov’s symphony

Vertov defined the basic qualities of his Cine-Eye by means of a simple negation: it sees what remains inaccessible to the human eye. This means that in his films we see media-based and media-produced images that have nothing to do with the imitation of human perception. According to Vertov, such filmic, telescopic, or microscopic perception develops, educates, and expands the viewer’s analytical abilities. Thus, we have on the one hand a media-induced perception and on the other a new assemblage or montage of the fragments of this mediated perception. This new montage is based on a specific interaction and follows poetic rather than prosaic rules. It is freed from such constraints as time, space, causality, or speed. In other words it is based on properly media-specific qualities and, following the terminology of the Russian Futurists who influenced Vertov in his youth, it constitutes zaum or transrationality

Identities with historical regions – are they adapting to modern administrative division? The case of Ukraine

Historical regions remain the most common basis for the formation or promotion of regional identities in Europe. However, regions and regional identities are in the process of constant formation and can change significantly in line with new conditions. In this paper we focused on the changes of the spatial spread of identities with historical regions in Ukraine in comparison to the initial boundaries of those. The results show that identities with historical regions are markedly adapting to modern administrative boundaries. At the same time, the symbolic value of historical regions constitutes an essential element of identity building in contemporary administrative regions

Mitigating the adverse environmental impact resulting from closing down of mining enterprises

Purpose is to mitigate the adverse environmental impact in the context of both territory and water resources while closing down of mining enterprises. Methods. Experiments and laboratory studies were carried out to determine a relationship between salt content and amount of common reed biomass buildup. Twelve reed tillers from a 50 m3 pond in Donetsk Region were selected for the research; water is habitat for eight of the tillers, and remaining four tillers grow at the distance of up to a meter from the water level. Water and air temperature, length of the reed stems as well as their diameters were recorded during thirty-eight weeks (i.e. March – November). The amount of suspended matters was determined when filtration residues of 50 ml sample were dried out by means of a drier with their following weighing; total salt content within the water under study was identified using a weight method while evaporating 50 ml of the filtered water sample volume and its residue drying out. Findings. A relationship between salt content and common reed biomass buildup was confirmed; moreover, temperature range was determined in the context of which the greatest biomass buildup was observed basing upon the analysis of higher water plants use to purify high-mineralized turbid water. A scheme of air-lift drainage has been improved as for the drainage water disposal in the context of mines closed down by means of a wet method; the scheme makes it possible to control temperature of water being pumped out while varying a depth of water withdrawal from a mine shaft and helping provide practically year-round bioplateau action. Originality. For the first time, optimum thermal water conditions (i.e. 12 – 22ºС) within a biopurification plant at the territory of a closed-down mine have been determined theoretically and confirmed experimentally; the conditions provide year-round 32% decrease in total salt content of water as well as 35% decrease in the amount of suspended matters. Practical implications. The obtained results are applicable to rehabilitate fertile soil layer within the disturbed territories of facilities of the closed down mining enterprises with simultaneous waste purification from salts and suspended matters.Мета. Зниження несприятливих екологічних наслідків для території та гідроресурсів при ліквідації гірничодобувних підприємств. Методика. Експериментальні та лабораторні дослідження взаємозв’язку між солевмістом і кількістю приросту біомаси очерету звичайного. Для досліджень обрано 12 відростків очерету зі ставка у Донецькій області об’ємом 50 м3, з яких 8 – ростуть у воді, а 4 – на відстані до 1 метра від урізу води. Реєструвалася температура води і повітря, довжина стебел очерету, а також їх діаметр протягом 38 тижнів (березень – листопад). Кількість зважених речовин визначалася висушуванням в сушильній шафі залишку на фільтрі після фільтрування проби 50 мл і наступним зважуванням, а загальний солевміст у досліджуваній воді визначався ваговим методом – шляхом випарювання 50 мл об’єму профільтрованої проби води з попередньо зваженої ємності та висушування залишку. Результати. Підтверджено взаємозв’язок між солевмістом і кількістю приросту біомаси очерету звичайного, а також встановлено температурний діапазон, при якому спостерігався найбільший приріст біомаси на підставі дослідження ефективності застосування вищих водних рослин для очищення високомінералізованих мутних вод. Удосконалено, стосовно до дренажного водовідведення ліквідованих “мокрим” способом шахт, схема ерліфтного водовідливу, що дозволяє регулювати температуру вод, що відкачуються, змінюючи глибину їх відбору з шахтного стовбура, що дозволяє забезпечити практично цілорічну роботу біоплато. Наукова новизна. Вперше теоретично встановлено та експериментально підтверджено оптимальний температурний режим води в біоочисному спорудженні 12 – 22°С, при якому забезпечується цілорічне зниження загального солевмісту води на 32%, а кількість завислих речовин – на 35%. Практична значимість. Отримані результати можуть застосовуватися для відновлення родючого шару ґрунту на порушених територіях промислових майданчиків ліквідованих гірничодобувних підприємств, з одночасним очищенням стоків від солей і завислих речовин.Цель. Снижение неблагоприятных экологических последствий для территории и гидроресурсов при ликвидации горнодобывающих предприятий. Методика. Проведены экспериментальные и лабораторные исследования взаимосвязи между солесодержанием и количеством прироста биомассы тростника обыкновенного. Для исследований выбраны 12 отростков тростника из пруда в Донецкой области объемом 50 м3, из которых 8 – растут в воде, а 4 – на расстоянии до 1 метра от уреза воды. Регистрировалась температура воды и воздуха, длина стеблей камыша, а также их диаметр на протяжении 38 недель (март – ноябрь). Количество взвешенных веществ определялось высушиванием в сушильном шкафу остатка на фильтре после фильтрования пробы 50 мл и последующим взвешиванием, а общее солесодержание в исследуемой воде определялось весовым методом – путем выпаривания 50 мл объема профильтрованной пробы воды и высушивания остатка. Результаты. Подтверждена взаимосвязь между солесодержанием и количеством прироста биомассы тростника обыкновенного, а также установлен температурный диапазон, при котором наблюдался наибольший прирост биомассы на основании исследования эффективности применения высших водных растений для очистки высокоминерализованных мутных вод. Усовершенствована, применительно к дренажному водоотведению ликвидированных “мокрым” способом шахт, схема эрлифтного водоотлива, позволяющая регулировать температуру откачиваемой воды изменяя глубину ее отбора из шахтного ствола, что позволяет обеспечить практически круглогодичную работу биоплато. Научная новизна. Впервые теоретически установлен и экспериментально подтвержден оптимальный температурный режим воды 12 – 22°С в биоочистній споруді на территории ликвидированной шахты, при котором обеспечивается круглогодичное снижение общего солесодержания воды на 32%, а количество взвешенных веществ – на 35%. Практическая значимость. Полученные результаты могут применяться для восстановления плодородного слоя почвы на нарушенных территориях промышленных площадок ликвидированных горнодобывающих предприятий, с одновременной очисткой стоков от солей и взвешенных веществ.The findings involved neither project nor financing. Authors of the paper express thanks to the authorities of Donetsk National Technical University for the possibility to carry out the research in a chemical laboratory of the University