Ukraine news/Archive/2018-04

30 Apr. U.S. Confirms Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine

Poroshenko announced end of ATO and start of 'joint operation of armed forces', which is aimed at 'defending territorial integrity' and will only end 'when the last piece of Ukrainian land is liberated, including Crimea', which is somehow supposed to happen by 'political-diplomatic means'.

29 Apr. LPR people's militia spokesman Marochko: ''Ukraine increases troop deployment, preparing for a solution by force. Nine BMP, two MLRS "Grad" and four wagons with personnel arrived to the village of Rubezhnoe by rail. The arrival of additional forces was also noted in the settlement of Belovodsk. There, according to our data, a company was sent from the battalion "Poltava" of the National Guard of Ukraine''. Opolchenie sources express concern on attacks or provocations with approaching traditional V-day celebrations and parades.

28 Apr. In the evening, a civilian man was wounded in Ukrainian shelling of Petrovskoe, Donetsk in his family home, with women and children staying in the same house -report and video.

Ukraine shelled DPR and LPR. DPR MoD: residential area of Dokuchaevsk was hit, 2 civilian men killed, a civilian woman wounded. There were 17 violations in the past day by Ukraine, 77 mortar shells were fired. DPR military correspondents: "at 9:36, front line near Dokuchaevsk is under fire, mortars and tanks". Opolchenie -linked source describe it as shelling of DRP, and a bit lighter shelling of LPR, mostly aimed at the corps, but residential areas hit as well. This is happening despite the latest Easter ceasefire, in force from 30 March.

An old woman, 1942 DOB, wounded in Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk while planting on her plot of land -(report and video).

24 Apr. Russian FM published detailed report on arms control issues, suspends the Russia-US treaty on utilization of plutonium.

It is said that a Russian defense attorney Mark Feigin who defended Pussy Riot and Nadezhda Savchenko was de-barred (stripped of his attorney status) base don a complaint by Anatoly Sharii and his attorney.

A hospital in Zaitsevo is destroyed by Ukrainian shelling-a video, several artillery craters, still smoldering ruins

21 Apr. LPR. ministry of security source is quoted saying that Ukraine prepares a false flag sabotage operation against chemical industry facility 'Zarya' (dawn) in the city of Rubezhnoe, Lugansk region, to coincide with Poroshenko visit to the Donbass. The aim of the sabotage is to undermine one of the warehouses of the enterprise where explosive substances are stored, and to blame the authorities and LPR armed forces and use this to justify introduction of a 'peacekeeping mission' to the Donbass.

20 Apr. DPR MOD accused 'Azov' in staged provocation: ''at around 6 a.m. today, Azov militants fired at the area of the village of Lebedinskaya, located in the territory under their control. In addition, a group of journalists of the TV channels "1 + 1", "Inter", "TSN" was seen last night in the vicinity of this settlement''.

17 Apr. DPR. Five employees of Donetsk filtering station were wounded by Ukrainian firearms fire which hit a convoy of cars bringing a shift of workers to the facility. Following the attack, it was decided to suspend filtering station operations for 5 days initially. Alternative water supply from the Upper Kalmius reservoir is being established.

LPR. Ukraine shelled military equipment being prepared for the traditional Victory Day parade in Lugansk, with OSCE notified in advance. Historic WW2 era anti-tank howitzers, T-34 tank and LPR vehicles were damaged (video). Historic weapons are being repaired and are expected to participate in the parade after restoration, including the T-34 tank

12 Apr. UAF prepare a pontoon crossing across the Seversky Donets on the approaches to the LPR -Semen Pegov, Rusvesna.

11 Apr. DPR MOD: Seven civilians were wounded in overnight shelling of Donetsk by Ukraine, about 60 flats or houses were damaged, a gas pipeline was damaged in 12 locations. Basurin calls this 'an act of genocide', links it with planned international visits to Ukraine and Donbass and other international events, submits that it is done to provoke return fire and use it to blame LDPR at those meetings. He indicates readiness to respond (no description of any actual response).

7 Apr. DPR MoD: Ukrainian sniper killed a civilian woman, moving on Ukrainian territory towards DPR; also on 6 Apr. a DPR soldier was killed by UAF sniper

6 Apr. DPR MoD weekly report, 2 DPR soldiers killed by sniper fire, 101 ceasefire violations by Ukraine, examples of Ukraine covering losses and thefts, such as 2 UAF RSG killed and 3 wounded on landmine field on March 30 near settlement of Luganskoe; RSG members themselves were blamed to avoid paying compensation

4 Apr. DPR MoD: More claims on provocations prepared against international representatives, including Danish de-mining Group.

3 Apr. DPR MOD: Ukraine prepares staged provocations, in particular against journalists, to be covered by media stationed in ATO area. Reminds on kidnapping, torture and murder of DPR soldier Tkachenko, calls for an investigation. Describes SBU program 'they wait for you at home', renaming it 'betray your home', and portraying this as propaganda played by actors with real people responding getting in trouble (allegedly missing, maimed, or received prison terms claimed to be unrelated to the program).

Ivan Bubenchik, participant of the Euro-Maidan in Kiev (2014) who previously publicly admitted killing 'Berkut' police, with shots from behind, is detained in Kiev and brought to the court in Kiev, to be informed on suspicion of committing those crimes. Bubenchik previously ignored demands to appear in court. He is the first to be charged in killing 'Berkut', investigated since 2014.

2 Apr. DPR soldier repairing window of one of the damaged houses was killed by UAF sniper fire in Kominternovo

Kommersant: Normandy format meeting may be planned in Aachen, Germany, in May. Ukrainian sources are quoted to link this with approaching presidential elections in Ukraine, lack of progress, and 'poisoned climate' created by the Scripals incident. Peacekeepers are said to be on agenda. Obviously with Moscow not on board not much can be accomplished.

Russian Duma panel suggested migration amnesty for Ukrainian citizens and those without citizenship arriving from the territory of L/DPR republics. Migration situation is not ideal and is highlighted by cases of opolchenie members under threat of deportation to Ukraine, where they are likely to recive lengthy prison terms and serious mistreatment. The latest such case, Nikolai Tregub, under deportation orders, is described by a well-known journalist Steshin in the (mainstream) Komsomolskaya Pravda, 3 Apr.