Ukraine news/Archive/2020-07

31 Jul. LPR: Ukrainian military used quadrucopters to drop 3 grenades on LPR positions, lightly wounding two soldiers. LPR launched a formal complaint.

David Zhvania recorded on 28 Jul. a video in which he claims that Poroshenko went to Turkey not for a sea vacation, but to meet with reps of Turkish-Ukrainian company producing military drones. The company is allegedly controlled by Poroshenko and Gladkovsky-Svinarchuk, while the director is "an American". Those drones, according to Zhvania, took part in past special operations in Syria and Nagornyi Karabach. They are operated by Ukrainian operators who do not have to report to Ukrainian military, and (allegedly) the plan is to use those drones to prevent the latest ceasefire from succeeding. Zhvania recorded several other videos in which he says that he was a part of the criminal group, also involving Poroshenko, who staged an illegal coup, aka Maidan 2014. He gives details including external funding. One of the channels allegedly was via the embassy of Lithuania supplying money and weapons; he says that he has documented evidence. He repeats accusations of allegedly 5 mln euro bribe given by Klimkin via embassy channels to a "high ranking Euro bureaucrat" in Germany (and whose name is not Merkel, but otherwise not named), to support Poroshenko's presidency; asks the authorities to investigate and call him as a witness or a suspect; and laments that despite his admissions he was never called to testify.
 * David Zhvania about Poroshenko's criminal gang, which is striving for power again

30 Jul. First Ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk is appointed the new head of the Ukrainian delegation at Donbass contact group. Leonid Kuchma stepped down from that role, shortly after the latest ceasefire agreement was negotiated.

29 Jul. Opolchenie. LPR. Zavgorodniy Vitaly Evgenievich, 01/26/1986 - 07/28/2020, was killed yesterday in Bakhmutka (despite the new ceasefire?).

DPR: "After 03:00, UAF shelling was recorded in the direction: 09:40 - Avdeevka - Yakovlevka, small arms are used.

Belarus news agency reports that 33 Russian citizens have been detained. More in talk.

27 Jul.  "For the first time, ceasefire control measures entered into force in Donbass"  -DAN. "21st time-unlimited truce begins in Donbass" -Lenta.

26 Jul. JCCC (DAN): Ukrainian forces fired fifteen 120-mm mortar shells on Yakovlevka village, north of Donetsk, prior to the supposed start of the "breakthrough" ceasefire.

22, 23 Jul. Contact group announced a new "breakthrough" agreement on strengthening ceasefire and control measures with no expiration until "comprehensive" agreement is reached (followed by reports that after proceeding to the political part they hit a snag). Zelenskii then announced that the new deal is to be signed by the Normandy 4, which will "increase the status of those agreements." (However, it is unclear whether signing more papers will make a difference when it is himself as the commander-in-chief who in practice cannot control his military or nationalistic thugs who shell rebel republics on a daily basis, for 6 years by now, despite being elected on promises to bring about peace). Observers note that in the past Russian posture was not to be considered part of the conflict, only an observer of an internal conflict; and announced signing by the Normandy 4 appears to be not assured; this may be in fact tactics of Zelenskii to shift the blame from his inability to implement the agreements already approved to Russian allegedly non-cooperation or non-compliance.

21 Jul. Zelenskii agreed to demands of a terrorist who captured a bus in Lutsk to record a brief video appeal where he says:  "Earthlings" (Zemliane) movie, filmed in 2005: everybody (should) watch. The movie is about cruelty to animals. Most hostages were releases; footage of storming of the bus by security services appeared (photos/videos). Apparently another footage shows perpetrator calmly waiting to be arrested outside of the bus.

16 Jul. Two civilians, a man (1987 DOB) and a woman (1961 DOB) are wounded by Ukrainian shelling of Trudovskaya minepit, western Donetsk.

14 Jul. DPR: two civilians, a man (2001 DOB) and a woman (1979 DOB) are wounded by Ukrainian shelling of Alexandrovka.

12 Jul. Opolchenie: "While officials congratulate the inhabitants of the LPR on a" fisherman's day "(a very "important " holiday!), shelling of Stakhanov, Kirovsk, the villages of Donetsk and Frunze continues. The shelling began around 4:40, the Ukrainian forces use heavy artillery. At least a hundred ( exaggerated? ) 152 mm caliber shells were fired at Stakhanov . Such shelling has been going on for the second day - yesterday there was a similar situation. The LPR's JCCC, as usual, pretends to not see or hear anything, is a society of the blind and deaf, not otherwise ... " On the videos is the day and morning of July 12, 2020.

11 Jul. First Russian military engineers convoy arrived to Crimea to build water pipeline connecting Simpheropol reservoir to Taiganskoe reservoir, also in Crimea, some 60 km away. Water supply, for consumption and agriculture, is a problem in Crimea, as Ukraine is blocking water supply from the continent since 2014 events. (Blocking water supplies in on the war crimes list...).

"Exactly 6 years ago, on Jul. 11, 2014, Ukrainian armored vehicles advanced to block the border of the Lugansk region with Russia and were destroyed near Zelenopolie"

10 Jul. DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 3 DPR soldiers were wounded. Since Jan.1, 27 soldiers and 5 civilians were killed, 70 people were wounded (42 soldiers and 28 civilians, including 6 children and 9 civilian women). Noted, 69 wounded stated in the report.

9 Jul. Latest installment of Derkach tapes includes --apart from (allegedly) Biden telling Poroshenko that Ukrainian sabotage operation in Crimea is unhelpful and complicates his task and plays towards France and Germany leaning towards more pro-Russian stand--alleged recording of Poroshenko's very friendly conversation with Putin on 30 April, 2015, several months after cauldron in Debaltsevo. Derkach (also Sharii and co, etc), are highly critical (or dismissive) of Poroshenko; Poroshenko's team denies; Anton Gerashenko FWIW thinks that tapes were made by Poroshenko administration to keep a record of those conversations and promises made, then leaked; Peskov is "not familiar" (and a friend of Strelkov "will officially deny, but think it is real"). Putin's part of audio, well, unclear. Taping is clearly coming from Poroshenko's side of the line, may be it contributes to kind of washed out Putin's voice. But who knows. Western reaction --is there any?

Also at this press conference: a claim of Ukrainian government corruption, 40 bln $, which got something to do with Yanukovich money; 1.6 bln of that recovered; prosecutors team dismissed. Towards the end, video testimony about corruption at Ukrainian railroads, involving noncompetitive dealings between some oligarchs and the government.

4 Jul. Ukrainian Telegram channel: ''Our source in the PA (presidential administration) said that Ukraine refused to discuss the track of the special status of Donbass without an upgrade of the Minsk agreements. Russia tried to deliver an ultimatum to our delegation, to which Andrei Yermak announced Ukraine’s readiness to withdraw from the negotiation process and move on to plan B for the Donbass case. The head of the Presidential Office demanded a new meeting of the Normandy-format Leaders, at which they should adopt a roadmap and upgrade obsolete Minsk agreements''.

3 Jul. Civilian woman, 1940 DOB, is killed by Ukrainian mortar shelling of Zaitsevo, near Gorlovka. Earlier, it was reported that DPR suppressed Ukrainian fire and shot down a Ukrainian drone.

1 July. Opolchenie published names of 12 soldiers killed in Donbass in June (noting that the list may be not complete).