Ukraine news/Current

28 Nov. Yanukovich now testifies in Ukrainian court by video conference (112.ua, video in Ukrainian). He reads prepared remarks, blaming Right Sector, Svoboda, and Maidan Defense for overall violence. The judge tries to change format so that he answers questions and sends prepared remarks for them to read later. He continued his reading for a while; now some questions, first about Euro Integration.
 * Rusvesna text report, in Russian
 * 14:56 Yanukovych: Shooting on the Maidan was a planned special operation aimed at overthrowing the government in the country (I think he said false pseudo-operation, which was rationally (?) planned and executed; that up to terminology is possibly the same)
 * 14:51 Yanukovych: Ultra-right organisations sponsored by oligarchs were  involved in the murder of  "Maidan" activists and  law enforcement officials, with the purpose to overthrow the government.
 * 14:49: Yanukovich: I have collected three volumes of evidence about the events on the Maidan, is preparing the fourth

In view of the recent scheduled testimony by Yanukovich, former Ukrainian MP Oleg Tsarev makes several significant comments about Maidan 2014 events, saying that (1) the judge--current authorities--is to blame; the witness (Yanukovich) could have stopped the violence but have not done so; while those accused (Berkut) are not guilty, and have been following the laws (2) proofs are well documented by now, despite attempts of authorities to hide the truth (he does not explain how and by whom), and (3) that one of sniper groups had a Western connection (again, without explaining the factual basis of his claims). All that really should be said as part of investigation, not as statements to media; --but the investigation is essentially stuck.

27 Nov. Mikhail Saakashvilli organised protest meeting on Maidan, Grushevskaya Street in Kiev, and made an agitated rambling speech about high level of corruption, where a small group captured all financial streams and power. He demanded urgent anti-corruption reforms (as he has done in Georgia) and early parliamentary elections (video). Crowd was not large; but Saakashvilli told them more and more will be coming for future meetings, "we are many who fear loosing their country, against few who fear loosing their financial streams." Crowd cheered, shouted банду геть! (down with the gang), sang Ukrainian anthem (twice). His earlier interview here (Engl).
 * Journalist trying to make video recording of a group of people maintaining/updating pro-Saakashvili participants list was attacked (video). Such list could be maintained for payments to participants, but circumstances unclear.

26 Nov. Ukrainian forces launched an attack today near Sakhanka, Vodianoe villages in the south (map), up to three UAF and volunteer 'natsbat' platoons, with the support of armored vehicles, and under the cover of fire from mortars of 82 mm caliber and 122 artillery. DPR forces repelled the attack, at least 5 attackers were killed and 8 wounded, and Ukrainian BTR was hit -Rusvesna. Ukraine: nobody killed and 5 wounded in the past day.


 * Noted: Ukrainian official ATO press releases are linked at the bottom of the page; we take a look at sources and discuss our approach on Discussion page.

25 Nov. DPR was fired on 6049 times by Ukraine in the past week. According to DPR ombudsman, in the past week 5 people were killed (4 soldiers and 1 civilian), 8 were wounded (6 soldiers and 2 civilian).

Ukraine announced plans to conduct missile launches in an area of Black Sea to the West of Crimea. According to Russia this violates Russian sea border; Russian MOD issued a formal protest.

Yanukovich was scheduled to testify via videoconferencing from Rostov as a witness in Kiev court considering a case against 5 "Berkut" officers accused of crimes on Maidan in 2014. Hearing was delayed by request of Kiev court (it is said that not all the accused were delivered to court to hear the testimony; -as that was blocked by Right Sector). Live feed here.

DPR reports 960 ceasefire violations by Ukraine. OSCE report gives 500 violations 'in Donetsk region', without specifics who fired on whom or who fired first.

24 Nov. DPR: number of ceasefire violations in the past day was 1161, a 2-fold increase. A civilian in Krutaya Balka, near Yasinovataya (map), was wounded.

According to DPR ombudsman (here and here), Kiev again tries to achieve only selective release of their prisoners, despite Minsk agreement to exchange 'all for all'. (Ukraine keeps many L/DPR prisoners; while large number of Ukrainians were released unilaterally, and more on few-at-a-time basis. Ukraine now has to release large numbers, official count is about 900 POWs, with another nearly 500 missing).

An officer of the Russian Black sea fleet was arrested by FSB in Sevastopol, accused of spying for Ukraine.

23 Nov. DPR: 5 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, 7 wounded when they attempted to break through DPR defenses in the buffer zone near a village of Vodyanoe in the south (map). 3 DPR soldiers were wounded. (Ukraine report clashes but not casualties).

22 Nov. DPR was fired on 519 times by Ukraine in the past day; 500 in the day before.

21 Nov. Russia says that two servicemen, Maksim Odintsov and Aleksander Baranov, were kidnapped by Ukraine in Crimea. It is said that they were lured to border crossing point "Dzhankoy" by a promise to give them certificates on higher education. Russian MPs demanded their release. Video of kidnapping emerged showing that they were kidnapped at the crossing point, on the Russian side. It is said that they were serving in UAF in Ukrainian-controlled Crimea, and later changed sides to serve in RAF (under contract). On the video, Baranov said that after 2014 he signed a contract and pledged allegiance to Russia.

Masterclass from Ukrainian pilot (comment heard on video: there is no such maneuver as joint landing, only joint take-off).

20 Nov. Graham Phillips interviews on video (in Russ.) a woman in Styla, DPR. House built by her parents (now deceased) was damaged by Ukrainian Grad shelling. She is saying that things are not improving, they have to live in cellars, and OSCE visits do not help. She blames Ukraine for the situation. Graham then interviews OSCE guys on whether they are actually blind (in Engl.)

18 Nov. DPR: there were 6467 ceasefire violations by Ukraine in the past week. According to DPR ombudsman, in the past week 5 people were killed (4 soldiers and 1 young civilian, born 2000), and 5 people were wounded (also 4 soldiers and 1 civilian, a man) (DAN).

IMF concludes a visit to Ukraine without a new loan promise, issues a statement indicating that Ukraine needs more time to implement reforms, including fighting corruption.

17 Nov. DPR: 894 ceasefire violations (Engl.) by Ukraine in the past day, including heavy weapons. 2 mortar shells landed in the area of hospital number 21 in Donetsk (map), facade and windows damage was reported. Villages in the south were shelled by Ukraine for over two hours.

Mikhail Saakashvili claims to have information that Poroshenko seeks to deprive him of Ukrainian citizenship. As the former Georgian president has no other citizenship anymore, he says this would be illegal under international law.

15 Nov. DPR officials and opolchenie report that recently (from right before the US elections and after Trump win) shelling by Ukraine increased multiple times compared to few weeks ago. DPR was shelled 876 times in the past day, all over the separation line, including heavy weapons, artillery and mortars.

Some protesters on Maidan in Kiev, photos and videos. Ukrainian sources estimate the number of protesters at 2-3 thousand people; and about 5 thousand law enforcement.
 * Maidan protesters on Nov. 15 included people who lost their savings as a result of fraudulent banking schemes. Poroshenko and Rada quickly adopted a law changing banking regulations and extending deposit guarantees to moneys given to banks as loans or deposits to non-banking third parties with bank serving as an intermediate (apparently scheme used such a loophole to avoid paying back certain deposits of their clients after bank bankruptcy).

14 Nov. Timosheno on video calls for public protests starting tomorrow against corruption, drastic fall in hryvna exchange rate, high utility costs. Timoshenko on video: this is not a hand of the Kremlin.

Ukraine makes preparations for the 3rd Maidan? Rusvesna, the head of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko, representatives of the Security Service and intelligence, and MP Sergey Pashinsky. Interfax: Avakov demanded  that police and national guard make sure that any protests are peaceful, and security is maintained. According to Ukrainian media reports (korrespondent.net), Georgian-born police chief of Ukrainian national police Hatiya Dekanoydze resigned. Earlier it was reported (Rusvesna) that some nationalistic groups called to gather on Maidan on 21 Nov. Apart from Daknoydze announcement, Maidan news and graphics tend to be hosted by pro-Russian sources.

12 Nov. Rusvesna (translation): according to DPR ministry of security, "six neo-Nazis from the 'Misanthropic Division' were arrested". Leaders of that group earlier claimed responsibility in Motorola assassination case (with some skepticism expressed towards their claim at the time). It is said that those arrested "admitted to their terrorist and extremist crimes" and gave evidence on the circumstances; it is said that they maintained connections with SBU. Misanthropic division denied that those arrested are their members (after earlier denying responsibility for the assassination). This follows Zakharchenko announcing names of some alleged organizers of Motorola assassination (10 Nov.); and an arrest of "three Ukrainian saboteurs" in Sevastopol (also 10 Nov.) Details provided on all those developments appear quite sketchy.
 * Two detained in Crimea Ukrainian 'diversants' (saboteurs) video testimonies emerged, where they both say that they work for Ukrainian intelligence (GUR, MOD Ukraine) in the rank of colonel. (In Ukrainian media it is noted that reading glasses seen on the first video change position after a jump cut on the video.)

11 Nov. Weekly update. According to DPR, there were 5118 ceasefire violations by Ukraine; including 3244 using heavy weapons. According to DPR ombudsman, 2 soldiers were killed, and 3 civilians wounded; updated number of people detained by Ukraine is 901.

8 Nov. DPR was shelled 1072 times in the past day. In the evening, Ukraine started shelling residential areas of Petrovskii district of Donetsk and Zaitsevo near Gorlovka.

7 Nov. 3 houses were damaged by Ukrainian shelling on Gorlovka, one house was set on fire

Saakashvili resigns as governor of Odessa, accusing Poroshenko of "personally supporting two clans" against attempts to fight corruption. On his resignation video, Saakashvili flanked by Yuia Marushevskaya and young people winning competition to work in Odessa customs, tells that port repairs scheduled for the beginning of the year were not finished, money stolen, and those young people still not at work. Poroshenko promised support in April, but have not moved a finger to support the project. Odessa customs was part of pilot anti-corruption project supported and funded by USAID and European Union. (Odessa is difficult to govern, for outsiders especially ...).
 * Another Georgian beauty, Khatia Dekanoidze Ukrainian national police chief, had a TV press conference on results of her work shorty after, with no groundbreaking announcements.

5 Nov. Civilian is wounded in Petrovskii district of Donetsk`.

4 Nov. DPR was shelled 3810 times in the past week by Ukraine, 53 houses were damaged.

According to DPR ombudsman, in the past week 5 people were killed (4 soldiers and 1 civilian), and 9 wounded (6 civilians and 3 soldiers). 900 people are held by Ukraine (despite Minsk agreements to exchange all for all); another 488 people are missing. Detentions of Kiev regime opponent Egor Logvinov from Kharkov, and of Russian volunteer Andrey Sokolov (released by court, but than taken to unknown destination) are discussed in the report.

1 Nov. DPR was shelled 755 times in the past day, a woman was wounded, 3 houses damaged. According to LPR MoD representative Andrey Marochko, Ukraine attempts to occupy buffer zone and conducts provocative shelling of 'people's militia'.

28 Oct. DPR MoD: DPR was shelled 2578 times in the past week. 7 people (3 civilians, 4 soldiers) were killed, 27 (18 civilians and 9 soldiers) were wounded. See also ombudsman report (lower numbers there).

Civilian was killed in Petrovskii district of Donetsk by Ukrainian shelling.

27 Oct. At least 7 houses, including multi-flat, were damaged by Ukrainian shelling of Makeevka. 3 civilians were killed and 10 wounded, including 2 children. OSCE, JCCC, contact group were notified. Two DPR soldiers were killed by shelling elsewhere.

26 Oct. Elections in DPR and LPR were postponed. This has to do with lack of progress in implementing Minsk agreements.

As a result of continued Ukrainian shelling, a civilian, a woman, was wounded in Alexandrovka, Petroskii region of Donetsk.

25 Oct. Artillery and mortar shelling by UAF continues. One DPR soldier was killed, another wounded. A civilian was wounded in Trudovskoe, western Donetsk

24 Oct. Despite the recent Normandy format meeting, there is no progress on prisoners exchange, and Ukraine is backtracking on 'all-for-all' agreements reached already. Contact group meeting is delayed till 9 Nov.

Big problem is that crimes such as intentional shelling of residential areas and systematic violations of Minsk agreements are done with impunity for those who order the crimes. They are not concerned that their soldiers or 'separ' civilians are killed. There is no solution (apart from breaking Minsk and starting war). As a a midway and most likely futile step, DPR prosecutor office started a criminal case against UAF officers accused of shelling Donetsk.

Givi categorically denied Ukrainian rumors that he plans to leave DPR (all details of his presumed 'leave' are fake too).

23 Oct. DPR was shelled 446 times in the past day. Two civilians, a mother and son (1985 d.b.), were wounded in western Donetsk.

22 Oct. SBU forced Belorussian plane to return to Ukrainian airport, with threats to call for fighter jets if order not followed (transcript here and here), to detain an Armenian anti-Maydan activist. He was charged with 'organizing mass disturbances'; according to his attorney he was trying to calm things down instead.

Several dozens pensioners protest on Maidan, Kiev, against unafordable utilities costs. One complaint it now costs 5 times more than ever before, another that in her case heating costs more than her pension. Earlier a pensioner jumped the bridge in Kiev, survived; it is speculated that living costs may be a factor.

21 Oct. In the past week, DPR was shelled 3161 times by Ukraine; 12 DPR soldiers were killed, 5 civilians and 9 soldiers wounded. 898 people are in Ukrainian detention, 488 missing - DPR ombudsman; MoD, map.

19 Oct. Putin: Statement for the press following visit to Berlin- Eng. Russ. Merkel-more details, Tass.

Poroshenko claimed that Russia agreed to an 'armed police mission by OSCE' in Donbas. (Not agreed with LDPR, not in Putin comments. Peskov confirmed, but needs further work.)

Motorola was buried in Donetsk with military honors. Many people came to pay respects,. His bodyguard, Goga (Zhenia) was buried yesterday.

4 DPR soldiers killed and 3 wounded in the past day-Basurin

18 Oct. DPR was shelled 253 times in the past day. Two DPR soldiers were killed by Ukrainian shelling in the south. Opolchenie woman fighter Tatyana "Viva" was killed by Ukrainian sniper; survived by 12 years old daughter.

Poroshenko: Germany France, Ukraine agreed to a meeting in Normandy format "to induce Russia to fulfill the security part of the Minsk agreements." Russia agreed too. Peskov: Kiev does not intend to fulfill Minsk, and tries to shift the blame on Russia.

17 Oct. Ukraine shelled Leninskoe and Sakhanovka from 8 a.m., and started an attack, with forces up to a company. Firefight and casualties reported.

Igor Kolomoisky was presented a medal for his personal contribution to the Dnipropetrovsk region and Ukraine.

16 Oct. Motorola was killed  in explosion in an elevator of a multi-flat house where he lived with his family. One opolchenie bodyguard was killed too. His wife and children were not hurt. More on separate page

After several days of clashes in the area, OSCE finally arrived to Kominternevo (video), to record violations. Basurin: we did not occupy Vodianoe (nearby, in buffer zone), and it even does not make sense military as it is in fire line from higher ground. He complained that OSCE did not make photographs of craters, determining direction by an eye, and that they lowered down the caliber of shells in his opinion; but he is grateful they arrived at all.

15 Oct. Ukraine shelled DPR 608 times in the past day. 3 DPR soldiers were killed and 3 wounded.

14 Oct. After artillery strikes from 152 mm artillery, Ukraine attacked DPR positions near Leninskoe village in the south-incoming reports. Opolchenie member 'Sklon': situation is close to critical, Ukraine stopped observing ceasefire, there are clashes in many places. (Repeats that DPR damaged an Ukrainian helicopter).

DPR Basurin shows unexploded Ukrainian 'NATO-made thermobaric munition adapted for Soviet RPG-7 grenade launcher' -'John Connor' report and photographs. Bulgaria (a NATO member) make those GTB-7S for example. Lethal NATO weapons are not supposed to be there.

Today is Ukrainian day of 'defender of the fatherland', moved by Poroshenko from the Soviet date in February. This day is also traditional day of formation of UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army), which fought against Soviets and Poles and collaborated with Nazi Germany in WW2.

DPR ombudsman: 5 soldiers and one civilian, a woman, were killed in the past week; 5 civilians and 5 soldiers were wounded.

13 Oct. Briefly on Zakharchenko press conference: security situation deteriorated, and not just near Novoazovsk and Kominternovo. Also Debaltsevo, Peski, Yasinovataya, very difficult situation near Dokuchaevsk. We see attempts of UAF to conduct reconnaissance-in-force. Further separation of forces in 9 more places is just not on right now, it did not even occur in Luganskoe yet. Their insolence has no limits, UAF takes our desire for peace as weakness. Their losses yesterday and a recent failed attempt to attack us from a helicopter near Krasnogorovka (it was shot down but landed on Ukrainian territory) prove the opposite- Press conference text (in Rus.); English extract; video fragment. (Ukraine denied helicopter downing).

Russia ends oil pipeline service agreement with Ukraine

12 Oct. Ukrainian military opened fire at Kominternovo village in the south of the DPR and attempted seizure of the nearby territory -DAN news, DoNi news (Eng). UAF attack was not successful. According to Basurin, who called this attack 'a madness', 2 DPR soldiers were killed, 5 wounded, and (according to him) over 15 UAF soldiers were killed and 25 wounded.

Highlights from Ukrainian oligarch Firtash interview:
 * The war is no longer popular in Ukraine. If USA will continue present policies, in about 5 years from now Ukrainians will fiercely hate America and Americans...In their mind, they will link all their troubles, rising prices, unemployment, failed reforms, and everything else with USA. There will be no nation which hates the US more. This is just a matter of time.
 * We, together with Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, leading European experts, have developed a modernization program for Ukraine, up to the year 2025. 300 billion $ of investments is required for the economy to start working again.

11 Oct. Ukraine shelled DPR 462 times. One civilian, a woman, was killed,another wounded, in continued shelling of southern villages Sahanka/Segreevka and Leninskoe.

10 Oct. DPR situation report DoNi news, Engl). DPR was shelled 314 times in the past day, back to pre-ceasefire level. Opolchenie and locals report overnight shelling in numerous locations along the separation line.

LPR 'takes control & lands' Ukraine's USA military RQ-11B light drone.

9 Oct. Two DPR soldiers were killed and one captured by an Ukrainian RSG in the south, near villages Sahanka and Leninskoe. That was preceded by Ukrainian shelling; it is reported that OSCE failed to attend or intervene. Video from the scene in Sahanka shows mortar shelling; 2 women were wounded as a result (Basurin).

Ukraine cancelled planned separation of forces at Stanitsa Luganskaya, LPR. No new date was provided.

8 Oct. Ukraine opened fire on the village of Stahanka in the south. One civilian, a woman, was wounded.

7 Oct. DPR was shelled 1352 times by Ukraine in the past week-DAN news. DPR Human Rights Ombudsman detailed weekly situation report. 6 DPR soldiers were killed, 6 soldiers and 1 civilian were wounded. Total number of killed in DPR since the start of the conflict is 4120, according to their information. As of 6 Oct., there were 10,666 objects of infrastructure destroyed, including 5721 residential houses. Separation of forces in Petrovskoe reported, on the third attempt (see also 1 Oct.) OSCE and JCCC were present.

SBU detained the former opolchenie member from Brazil Rafael Lusvarghi in Borispol airport, Kiev. According to 'a well known journalist Alexander Vasiliev', quoted by Rusvesna, he was on a Western airline flight to Moscow, and the plane landed to make an arrest. Apart from another pro-opolcheie source, there appears to be no independent reports with this particular detail, however the arrest itself is shown on SBU video.

6 Oct. In the past day, DPR was shelled 130 times by Ukraine, according to Basurin (video). Names of Ukrainian +commanders responsible were provided, again. One DPR soldier was killed.

5 Oct. School number 77 in Makeevka was damaged by an explosion, according to residents reports. According to Basurin, it was caused by an explosion of fuel tanker truck, which hit a mine. One DPR soldier was killed, and another wounded in the explosion. According to Basurin, the mine was located on the road itself, and installed by Ukrainian reconnaissance and sabotage group. As a result of powerful explosion, windows in several schools in the city were blown off. Electric power station was damaged and the pit mine "Sheglovskaya-Glubokaya" lost power. Workers of the pit mine were rescued.

4 Oct. Documentary Welcome to Donbass! -interview with Zakharchenko, video (English captions), directed by Di Matteo & Benignetti. Some direct talk here. (Does this sort of talk once upon a time; a bit of show off; no real change, still waits for Minsk to work out; but also frustration that it is not working and prospects dim).

Russian MoD gave a warning that a provocation is planned by SBU against Russian officers in peacekeeping role at JCCC; this also appeared on RU MoD Facebook page.

Victoria Nuland is visiting Moscow to discuss Ukraine with Vladislav Surkov, in the background of breakdown of US-Russian cooperation in Syria and heightened tensions overall.

DPR was shelled 126 times in the past day-Basurin (report), (video). Still no progress on separation at Petrovskoe.

Ukrainian public opinion poll, by political parties. Poroshenko block is behind Timoshenko/Batkovshina and not too far ahead from the Opposition Block, former Party of Regions (ex. Yanukovich).

3 Oct. DPR was shelled 90 times by Ukraine; at least 9 houses in Yasinovataya were damaged. A 122 mm shell launched by Ukraine had a direct hit on an apartment in Yasinovataya; the shell fragments were shown by Basurin at the press conference (video). The residents survived as they were on a different side of the building at the time.

2 Oct. Primaries elections took place in DPR, in 514 local districts, and 1098 total candidates. International observers, including Johan Bäckman (wiki), were present. No agreement with Ukraine presently on the actual elections. 370.5 thousand people participated. Current mayor of Donetsk was (preliminary) re-elected with some 83% of the vote.

Two DPR soldiers were killed, 1 wounded, due to Ukrainian shelling.

1 Oct. Separation of sides is attempted in Petrovskoe, so far hitting a snag. JCCC: order for Ukrainian troops to withdraw was not issued. Video (1 Oct., OSCE present); Ukraine does not confirm readiness to withdraw on the video. Out of 3 agreed separation zones, it only happened in one, in Zolotoe (LPR).
 * Another separation of sides attempt at Petrovskoe was made on 3 Oct., but Ukraine did not follow through, and DPR forces than returned back. After that, shelling in that area by Ukraine was reported. Video (OSCE present) shows that DPR withdrawal occurred, than reversed, as Ukraine did not do it on their side.

The famous Italian journalist Giulietto Chiesa visited Donetsk and was interviewed about "Donbass, Democracy and the order of things".
 * Interesting, calm interview, agree or not...

Two Ukrainian members of the crew survived when their US -made UAE Navy vessel HSV Swift was hit by Yemen’s Houthi fighters, reportedly with a Chinese-made anti-ship missile.

Videos
DPR Sakhanka: life goes on under shelling, 11 Oct. 2016

'Suburbia of life', about the effect of the war on life in small villages and towns. Shelling, destruction, economic hardship. Slow running, in Russian. Sept. 29, 2016.

More videos on talk page

OSCE

 * SMM Ukraine

Official Ukrainian sources

 * ATO press releases and maps
 * Official website of Ukrainian president
 * National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
 * Verhovna Rada

Ukrainian media

 * TSN
 * 112.ua
 * inter.ua
 * kyivpost.com
 * dumskaya.net (Odessa, pro goverment)