Ukraine news/Archive/2018-08

31 Aug. Dmitry Trapeznikov (profile page, 1, 2) was appointed acting head of DPR.

Zakharchenko is killed by an explosion in a restaurant 'Separ' in Donetsk. Alexander 'Tashkent' Timofeev, assistant chair of the council of ministers, is wounded in the same explosion - Rusvesna, Cassad, TASS. Russian FM press director Maria Zakharova (Wikipedia) blames Ukraine for the killing. It is reported that several 'Ukrainian saboteurs and connected persons' were arrested in Donetsk. State of emergency is introduced in DPR- report. Putin sent condolences (full text, Rus., Eng).

There has been two explosions at two different defense plants in Russia today (1, 2). Technological causes were cited. Several people were killed, injured, missing.

30 Aug. Zakharchenko announced 3 days of mourning in DPR for the death of Iosif Kobzon, who was born in Donetsk region and was a People's Artist and Hero of DPR.

28 Aug. Poroshenko: 'We are ready for the termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and Russia'. Russian commentary (sample) links timing of this with Ukrainian efforts to obtain additional Western credits (and elections). The treaty includes an article supporting territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders; so far that was the rationale for not denouncing the treaty.

Ukrainian guided antitank missile had a direct hit on civilian 'Belaz' used in open pit mining. The driver was killed.

Muzhenko describes Ukrainian 'Smerch' strike on a large column of vehicles (he claims it to be 150-200 vehicles), on the night of 14 July 2014 (ie 13/14 July night). 'On the second day, reconnaissance aircraft were raised to assess the scale of the event. Smoke did not give an opportunity to reveal the real picture, and only by the end of the third day it became clear that "there the fields were burned out and there were a few skeletons of the burnt equipment"' --(FWIW. Not previously discussed. Noted, MH17 crash, 17 July).

24 Aug. 'Walk me past the Maidan', Soviet-era song over 2014 Kiev footage (Korotich/Moritz, Nikitiny).

DPR. Ukraine decided to mark its independence day by shelling Donetsk, Gorlovka, as if to confirm its 'Nazi/Bandera' image promoted by official talking heads in the East. Then, some sort of a 'work accident' befell them in Gorlovka. In Kiev the "Independence Day" parade was joined by the US Tennessee National Guard and greeted by the attandent John Bolton. British marched there too.

23 LPR. Failed Ukrainian attack near Zhelobok /Krymskoe (map) resulted in Ukrainian casualties. According to UAF spokesperson Dmitry Gutsuliak (report, video) 4 UAF soldiers were killed and 7 wounded.

Denis Pushilin, DPR, expresses an opinion that there will be elections of the head of republic and the parliament, and also another referendum on the republic independent status, if Ukraine will not extend the law on the special status of Donbass.

20 Aug. Daniil Bezsonov, DPR: ''the UAF military leadership and the headquarters of the occupation forces are daily spreading deliberately false information about the huge number of shelling by our Republic, as well as a similar number of "mirror" responses by UAF. So, when we record 3-4 shootings from Ukraine, the occupiers say that we shell them 50-60 times, and they respond in 40 cases. All these "fables" are voiced for the sole purpose - to show the Ukrainian electorate and the world community that in fact the conflict is in a hot phase and has not stopped for a day''. (Noted: number of shelling greatly vary by the day; Bezsonov describes overall exaggeration tendency. DPR JCCC report has 40 violations by UAF firing 605 munitions in the week of 13-19 Aug).

DPR Industry and trade ministry announced 'beginning of the restart' of the 'Strirol' chemical plant in the frontline Gorlovka. Sites of the neutralization and purification plant for industrial wastewater were launched. (Earlier Bezler raised concerns on the state of affairs, in particular location of some expensive chemical hardware).

Attendees of a hardcore punk/rock group "oDemontaGo" concert in Mariupol were attacked (1), (2) by masked men believed to be from the radical groups. The group has been outspoken against the radicals.

18 Aug. Ukrainian forces fired 5 mortar shells on Gorlovka.

DPR representative at JCCC: in the past day Ukraine violated ceasefire 5 times, fired 97 munitions on DPR.

Ukrainian 'Buk' crashed into a building in Kiev during preparations for a parade (video).

17 Aug. According to DPR representative at JCCC, Ukraine fired BMp-2 guns on Staromikhailovka from Krasnogorovka when a Red Cross mission was delivering humanitarian aid, despite written guarantees by both sides. The mission was sheltered and then evacuated.

16 Aug. DPR soldier was killed by Ukrainian sniper fire near settlment of Leninskoe. According to DPR MoD a sniper pair was then eliminated.

DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 5 people (4 soldiers and a civilian woman) were wounded by Ukrainian fire.

14 Aug. Ukrainian forces shelled Gorlovka, a house sustained a direct hit, and at 20:35 a school was hit. General security deterioration on the contact line is reported. A firefight along Bakhmutka roadway, near Donetsly settlement is reported. 10 Aug. DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 4 DPR soldiers and one Ukrainian soldier were killed (it is reported that an Ukrainian soldier was killed by UAF when he tried to defect to DPR). 11 people were wounded (9 soldiers, a civilian man, and a civilian woman).

9 Aug. UN OHCHR published a report, Human rights violations and abuses and international humanitarian law violations committed in the context of the Ilovaisk events in August 2014. (Discussion, Rusvesna, from pro-Russia side).

8 Aug. Ex-head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, General of the Army of Ukraine Nikolai Malomuzh: 'If Putin goes for a new offensive against Ukraine, NATO's response will be tough'

7 Aug. It is reported that a driver and two DPR female military medics were killed when Ukrainian forces fired guided anti-tank missile on their marked ambulance car. They were responding to a medical emergency call placed by a woman living in Naberezhnoe, Novoazovsk region. Aftermath is shown on DPR video, including missile guiding wire and engine.

Ukraine fired 16 mortar shells from on Sakhanka village, DPR south, from Lebedinskoe.

6 Aug. Ukrainian forces fired small firearms on settlement of Naberezhnoe, a man (1975 DOB) was wounded; also shelled Staromikhailovka near Donetsk (map)from BMP and grenade launchers, one house burned down, three other houses were damaged.

3 Aug. DPR ombudsman: in the past week 3 DPR soldiers were killed, 4 soldiers were wounded. Since the start of the year, 101 people were killed (95 men, 6 women; the number includes 2 children under 18)

1 Aug. Nadezhda Savchenko, still in preliminary detention in Ukraine, wrote a letter to Trump asking to help with release of Ukrainians held in Russia, calling Poroshneko 'the most corrupt president in Ukrainian history'. She earlier wrote to Putin asking to pardon Ukrainians held in Russia. In April, Savchenko sister Vera appealed to Trump to help Nadezhda, linking her arrest with her political positions and plans to run for Ukrainian presidency.