Ukraine news/Current



21 Feb. OSCE's Alexander Hug in Donetsk calls on both sides to stop the fighting, for the sake of civilians on both sides longing and crying for peace.

20 Feb. Poroshenko signed so called 're-integration of Donbass' law; instructed the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to submit proposals on changing the format of the ATO by April 1, with a talk about 'the right to self-defense'. (It is not entirely clear what that means in practice, but is taken as a sign of escalation).

18 Feb. Saakashvili- organized anti-Poroshenko march, and an anti-Russian nazi pogrom in Kiev.

17 Feb. LPR: Unidentified persons attempted to sabotage the territory of the State Television and Radio Company (GTRK) and to damage the civilian emergency alert system, 'which may indicate the preparation of Ukrainian Armed Forces for the resumption of hostilities' (report and video), (another video, OSCE on the scene).

Neo-Nazis from C14 group staged a pogrom in the building of the Russian cultural center Rossotrudnichestvo in Kiev. At that time, there were children inside rehearsing a play "The Inspector General" (Rusvesna)(strana.ua).

16 Feb. Alexander Hug in a press conference from Lugansk tells of continued ceasefire violations, banned weapons near separation line, Ukrainian soldiers advancing and seen in Novoalexandroovka, etc; calls on the sides to implement their entirely unambiguous obligations under Minsk agreements. (With passion--but with little change on the ground, for years).

DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 1 DPR soldier was killed, 4 people (3 soldiers and a civilian man) were wounded.

12 Feb. Saakashvilli is detained in a Kiev restaurant (report and videos), said to be put on board of a plane to Poland.

10 Feb. DPR correspondent 'Mag' reports frequent, several times per week, flights of 'Global Hawk'  RQ-4B, said to be 'along the front line and around Crimea';  suspects that a serious Ukrainian attack is in the works.

9 Feb. DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 2 DPR soldiers were wounded, no deaths reported. From 1 Jan. to 8 Feb., 8 people were killed (7 soldiers and 1 civilian), 31 were wounded (23 soldiers, 5 civilian men, 3 civilian women).

Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin opposes the inclusion of the US in the "Normandy format" (related discussion of how Volker line is not helpful).

8 Feb. Basurin: (Rus.)(Eng.)''A group of officers from the US Armed Forces, accompanied by representatives of the UAF General Staff, arrived to the so-called ATO zone to hold an inspection. Currently, brigades of the UAF, which are part of the Donetsk operational-tactical group, are being inspected. The main purpose of this inspection is to check the readiness of the UAF formations to conduct offensive operations. Besides, Western experts are interested in the problem of the Ukrainian military command's plundering funds allocated by US special services'' (as claimed). At LPR press briefing, Feb 7, it was stated that US Army delegation headed by Defense Attaché Wofford visits Ukraine troops’ outposts in Donbas and that it may lead to deterioration of security situation.

5 Feb. Briefing by Basurin, where he says that UAF plans an offensive along the whole separation line, to overrun republics defenses and to advance all the way to the border with Russia; demonstrates maps of presumed attacks, reports that heavy equipment is moved away from storage areas, shows evidence of resent advanced payments and Ukrainian social media posts supporting his claim ("Ukrainian, rejoice, the war will end soon", by Maxim Pashkevich, with a document said to describe UAF general staff plan to overrun rebel republics). Appeals to the world, tells that plans to counter the offensive are made.

1 Feb. Assassination attempt on DPR defense minister Vladimir Kononov from a tripod-mounted RPG-26 is reported, Ukraine blamed. No-one was hurt.

UAF shelled Dokuchaevsk oil refinery, there are damages to the refinery equipment and a residential house (quoting DPR representative in JCCC Yakubovich).

31 Jan. In a long overdue move, LPR and DPR signed a declaration of intent to eliminate customs taxation between the republics (it is not explained when taxation will be actually eliminated)

30 Jan. Ukraine conducts successful flight test of Neptun cruise missile. According to DPR AF press service chief Bezsonov, this is (modified?) Soviet anti-ship missile.

27 Jan. Surkov: U.S. suggestions on deploying a UN mission in Ukraine’s southeast looks ...quite doable, at least at first glance... there is a rather detailed plan of a step-by-step deployment of a mission along with implementation of the Minsk agreements’ political items. Volker (28 Jan): The concept of the Russian Federation on UN peacekeepers in the Donbass (placing them on the separation line only) will only deepen the conflict (text, Rus.)(video, Ukr.) Some discussion & the run-up in talk). Volker, 29 Jan. (TASS):  "Ukraine should fulfill Minsk obligations", including realization of the law on special status of Donbass already adoped by Rada;  The United States believes that in order to hold elections in Donbass, the UN mission should be deployed throughout the region. Blames Russia for  "for not doing anything for peace in Donbass"  (disingenuously, as overwhelming non-fulfillment is by Ukraine, not Russia).

26 Jan. DPR MoD: in the past day, 3 DPR soldiers were killed by Ukrainian fire from Novotroitskoe from grenade launchers and large caliber machine guns.

Surkov-Volker meeting (Interfax): sides agreed to disagree on the law of integration of Donbass.

25 Jan. Zakharchenko announced the beginning of planned training camps (сборы -recall/camps) for reservists of DPR armed forces.

LDPR sources report from Gorlovka that UAF prepare corridors in minefields nearby using specialized equipment. Ukrainian Gorlovka sources quote those reports as rumors, but report artillery fire; in particular UAF says that they destroyed DPR military vehicle near Gorlovka.

Ukrainian media man Dmitry Gordon interview on 112.ua (video). Gordon essentially blames current elites for Maidan, but manages to present them as Russian agents of influence (details)

24 Jan. DPR soldiers who started in Slavyansk, Vladimir Mitrofanov  "Shilka" and Oleg Tetera  "Circassian" were killed in action (confirmed).

22 Jan. DPR MOD: ''at 17.25 local Ukraine fired 120 mm mortar and BMP-2 guns from Ukrainian-held Novotroitskoe on Dokuchaevsk, DPR. As a result, 5 civilians were wounded. The fire was purposefully conducted on civilian infrastructure facilities''.

21 Jan. Ukrainian unit fired from small firearms on a civilian bus in the gray zone in the vicinity of the Yelenovka checkpoint. One civilian was killed, another received multiple injuries (photo report).

20 Jan. Michael Bociurkiw, of all people, is on BBC telling that world food program is cancelling its food assistance program in Donbass

One DPR soldier was killed, another wounded and captured in Ukrainian RSG attack near Shirokino in the south.

19 Jan. DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 1 DPR soldier was killed, 4 DPR soldiers were wounded, information on 16 DPR supporters detained by Ukraine was received. In total, 305 people are still held by Ukraine (84 confirmed cases and 221 cases being verified by Ukraine).

Shoot-out between an armed man and police in Odessa (video). It is said (Dumskaya) that 57-old pro-Russian Valentin Doroshenko was killed, a number of police wounded. (Rusvesna)(112.ua).

18 Jan. Rada adopted a law on 'Reintegration of Donbass', after voting down most of almost 700 amendments (including the one denouncing treaty of friendship with Russia --confirming the principle of territorial integrity, among other things). In the end, the document calls Russia 'an occupier', and L/DPR 'temporary occupied territories', their leadership 'the occupation administrations of the Russian Federation', and is seen as incompatible with the Minsk agreements. Only the opposition block voted against, and one Samopomosh deputy abstained, the rest supported the law (3 more against and 1 abstention from non-affiliated deputies; a few from each party did not cast a vote). Art. 9 of the law authorizes use of armed forces to counter "aggression", with MOI, police, other services and executive authorities subordinated to the Chief of the Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces (giving control to Poroshenko as the commander-in-chief). See also discussion.

DPR head Zakharchenko: ''This law will allow to untie the hands of the Ukrainian military. And everything they could not do before, can now do on "legitimate" grounds. This completely violates the Minsk agreements''

According to Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman Martin Saydik, an officer of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission was "killed" (погиб) in Ukrainian-held Kramatorsk today. According to reports he was killed in a traffic accident in a taxi car in Kramatorsk.

16 Jan. Oliver Stone's documentary "Ukraine On Fire" is made publicly available on YouTube.

Second-running Russia's presidential candidate Grudinin: Russia, in view of Kiev's overt sabotage of Minsk agreements, should take the next logical step: to recognize the will of the people expressed in the referendums in 2014 and recognize the independence of these republics... If the population of Donbass (mainly Russian) will show a will to return to Russia, then we must consider this possibility in the most serious way (Rus.),(robo-translation).

US Amb. Marie Yovanovitch interview: Ukraine will receive free US lethal weapons, details to be worked out.

12 Jan. DPR ombudsman: in the period 1-12 January, 4 DPR soldiers were killed, 13 people (11 soldiers and 2 civilian men) were wounded.

Basurin describes drone use by Ukraine, and allegedly a new provocation planned (or training) involving Ukrainian Buks.

5 Jan. Ukrainian MP Evgenii Muraev is quoted saying, among other things, that in Ukraine, USA is fighting with Russia, and that we have to stop the war, remove sanctions on Russia, and wait for Russian investors (Rusvesna).

4 Jan. Basurin: (vid. Rus.,Eng.) Ukrainian forces fired on checkpoint in Mar'inka, with civilians (and OSCE observers) present, DPR did not fire back.


 * 2018

29 Dec. Kurt Volker interview on Echo Mosckvy. (Approval of US weapons to Ukraine is discussed both in the past and future tenses, approved/will be approved). Volker is doing his thing as an unpaid volunteer replacement of Victoria Nuland, intended to be temporary, from Trump assuming office to elections in Russia in March 2018. (But he remains the executive director at McCain Inst, and the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Volker). Dicey. Next date with Surkov, not yet confirmed. In yet another unforced error of his, we learn from Volker that: "the Russian leadership is very stable, to put it mildly".

28 Dec. McCain Institute vs Cato Institute? Started on talk, with a McCain Inst. entry.

Ukraine violated holidays ceasefire, firing 11 mortar shells on Trudovskie settlement (Petrovsky district of Donetsk).

Ukrainian military MI-24 chopper is spotted near separation line, in violation of Minsk agremments; DPR warns that it will be shot down if it crosses.

27 Dec. LPR-Ukraine prisoners exchange is completed, 73 prisoners crossed to LPR, 2 decided to stay in Ukraine (earlier, a case with 2 journalists charged with separatism was described where they declined amnesty+exchange option). DPR -Ukraine exchange is expected to follow. Over 300 prisoners in total expected to return to L/DPR. Photos and videos-Cassad.

24 Dec. Several competing marches in Kiev. One of Maidan interactions (summary), (video) titled 'How Azov gave a slap to Poroshenko advisor'.

23 Dec. Despite the supposed start of holiday ceasefire, Ukraine fired on Gorlovka, Gol'movsky, Yasinovataya with small firearms, automatic grenade launchers, and mortars -Rusvesna.

US State Department and media pronouncements on the former approving lethal weapons for Ukraine make little clear, in addition to making little sense.

Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov Commentary on the Supply of US Arms to Ukraine (Rus.)(robo-translation; official translation to appear).
 * ...crossing the line...

"Donald Trump Prepares to Escalate Confrontation with Russia over Ukraine", by Doug Bandow of Cato Institute, published by the National Interest

22 Dec. DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 4 DPR soldiers were killed, and a civilian man killed in Yasinovatya shelling. 11 people (4 soldiers, 3 civilian men, 4 civilian women) were wounded.

DPR: in the morning, from 9:00 to 10:00, UAF shelled with MLRS "Grad" the outskirts of Donetsk ("Volvo Center" and 'First Square'/Admin-village) with more than 30 rockets. No injuries were so far reported. According to the operational command, the fire was from the direction of the village Netailovo, Yasinovatsky district. Power transmission lines were damaged, craters were discovered near residential homes. Some missiles hit the Ukrainian-controlled Peski nearby.

20 Dec. 21:30 to 22:15, UAF shelled with heavy artillery center of Yasinovataya. At least one civilian was killed (a man, Saponov Yu.G, 1967 DOB), another man wounded (Mairir A.C, 1953 DOB). There are more wounded and trapped civilians. ANNA news video of shelling aftermath (shelling lasted 40 minutes; no DPR positions nearby) (Russell "Texas" Bentley aftermath video from the scene)

UAF shelled with 'Grad's residential area of Gol'movsky settlement near Gorlovka and DPR positions in the area -report and video. A hospital was hit (video)

WaPo: Trump administration approves lethal arms sales to Ukraine. Administration officials confirmed that the State Department this month approved a commercial license authorizing the export of Model M107A1 Sniper Systems, ammunition, and associated parts and accessories to Ukraine, a sale valued at $41.5 million. TASS: The State Department issued a license for commercial exports to Ukraine of a limited number of small arms and light weapons of American manufacturers. RIA quotes Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan statement to the press that Pentagon is ready to support the State Department decision once it is formalized (direct link not found)

18 Dec. Russia's representatives in JCCC will leave on 19 Dec, complaining of constant harassment by Kiev side. Following this, Kiev's representatives in JCCC (4 officers located in DPR, one group in the south, another in Donetsk) will leave too. DPR representative in JCCC Ruslan Yakubov stated that there is no dangers/threats for Kiev's reps in DPR and their concerns are artifical and groundless -RIA

17 Dec. Another Saakashvili-led pro-impeachment march in Kiev -videos 12.

15 Dec. Alexandr Khodakovsky: UAF deployed seven 'Grad's MLRS on the territory of Advdeevka coke plant (storing toxic liquids), trying to create a massive provocation.

Saakashvili op-ed in NY Times: I am the best anti-Putin and anti-oligarchs-who-manipulate-elections stateless president

14 Dec. Putin's response on Donbass to a Ukrainian journo Tsymbalyuk (full transcript, Eng.), in essence redirects the issue of peacekeepers to L/DPR, so far excluded from direct negotiations.

OSCE: the Ukrainian Armed Forces representative to the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) in the JCCC headquarters in government-controlled Soledar (79km north of Donetsk) shared with the SMM a letter from the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation informing Ukraine that the Russian Federation would withdraw its Armed Forces officers from the JCCC. Rusvesna: the reason is that the Russian officers were constantly harassed by the Ukrainian side.

13 Dec. DPR representatives at JCCC stated that OSCE patrol refused to record Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk water filtering station area with phosphorous munitions, on the grounds that their shift is over in 10 minutes (RIA). DPR recorded 13 phosphorous mortar shells explosions fired from Avdeevka (ANNA news). Water filtering station is a key infrastructure which provides water supply to the area, and stores chlorine for purification; damaging chlorine tanks will lead to a disaster. Meanwhile, State Department accused Russian-led forces in shelling water filtering station (ie themselves) and a coke plant nearby (map); both are known to store toxic chemicals.

Canada allowed automatic weapons sales to Ukraine (p. 40/363, SOR/DORS/2017-248 p. 3307); (Izvestia).

MP Rabinovich statement and Italian documentary on Maidan snipers from Georgia were introduced at a court hearing in Kiev on Yanukovich case (RIA).

12 Dec. UN Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 16 August to 15 November 2017. (Noted: reported civilian casualties from shelling and small firearms are mostly in the L/DPR area). (Tatiana Montan comment--irony/black humor. It does not matter for the Ukrainian leadership, it only matters what their Western curators are telling them, and not in public).

11 Dec. Saakashvili set free by the court. (Tsarev offers an opinion on behind-the scene US pressure).

Saakashvili in court, Timoshenko present, text+video feed by News One

10 Dec. In a recording from approx. 5 Dec. (see below), Yulia Timoshenko on Newsone, to punch the line against private ownership and sale of land to the 'West', and for developing farming instead, to make Ukraine a strong agrarian country. Says that president impeachment according to present constitution and laws in practice is 'an utopia'. Proceeds to discuss the State Department and Bloomberg news (4 Dec, below).

Kiev: march 'for the impeachment' (law) was streamed by NewsOne, zik.ua. Visually thousands on the streets. MP V. Parasyuk claims that around 20 thousand people gathered around the scene on Maidan; organizers claim about 50 thousands. Videos: drone; from Maidan to Saak's detention.

9 Dec. DPR reprentative office opened in Helsinki (TASS)(Johan Bäckman).

ATO press center: 4 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 2 wounded in the past day. (DPR reports note increased shelling and unchanged situation with the settlements captured by Ukraine in the grey zone).

8 Dec. DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 6 DPR soldiers were killed, 3 soldiers and 2 civilian men were wounded.

Saakashvili was arrested by SBU. Report was confirmed by Gerashenko (24tv.ua). A feed from his detention place here, another by NewsOne here. Saakashvili announced a hunger strike; a protest march is planned on Sunday.

7 Dec. On the sidelines of an OSCE event in Vienna, FM's Klimkin and Lavrov hold their first personal meeting ever.

IMF's Lagarde 'deeply concerned' about anti-corruption setbacks in Ukraine

Rada approved the budget for 2018. Increased military spending, deficit of 2.4% GDP, minimal wages stay low, 3% growth projected. (Bloomberg estimate, 2%).

6 Dec. DPR soldier was killed

Tent city on Maidan was attacked by a mob armed with metal pipes, there were injuries; videos 1, 2. Saakashvilli did not come to prosecutor office, invited to his tent instead, remains at large so far.

5 Dec. Petrovskiy district of Donetsk shelled, municipal truck driver wounded, evacuated by DPR military as shelling continued

Law Enforcement breaks into the Kiev appartment of Saakashvili, who manages to escape to the roof of the building where he threatens to jump off of it and tells the gathering crowd that he is about to get kidnapped. In the end he is detained by security forces. But then the van he is held in is attacked by crowds in the street and Saakashvili escapes to a church where he holds a speech calling for regime overthrow. Latest reports have him leading a march of several hundred people to the parliament. General Prosecutor Lutsenko gave him 24 hours to turn himself in (seeking to place him under house arrest); Saakashvilli at a meeting near Rada called for Lutsnko and SBU chief Gritsak to step down. Earlier, Lutsenko & SBU accused Saakashvilli of being sponsored by Russia (from a certain Russian Sergey Kurchenko, via Saakashvilli supporter Dangadze); while Saakashvilli claimed (NewsOne live channel) that accusations are facilitated by 'Putin and Ivanashvili'.
 * Videos: rooftop speech; van escape;morning after speech

Alleged prancers call to Poroshenko, playing PM of Georgia, for more entertainment (unverified, with a rude ending).

Lutsenko threatened to close some (unpatriotic) Ukrainian mass media channels (concern at NewsOne).

4 Dec. DPR. Rusvesna update. In the past day, 1 DPR soldier was killed by UAF shelling. Situation with recently captured by Ukraine Gladosovo and Travnevo remains essentially unchanged. One additional Ukrainian soldier said to die from his wounds.Ukraine is said to distribute UN aid, presented as own; trying to get a ceasefire, said to be to repair electric power supply.

US State Department sided with Ukrainian anti-corruption committee in its standoff with the rest of the government. A story-line by Bershidky at Bloomberg: 'The West Backed the Wrong Man in Ukraine'. (Bloombergwise, 2% GDP growth is projected, following, according to 1, 2, a 16% decline since the start of the conflict. World Bank GDP data, according to Google, is 183.3 bln USD in 2013, 93.3 bln USD in 2016, an almost 50% drop. Big drop in hryvna is a factor here too.)

3 Dec. Kiev. Access to NewsOne TV building was blocked, barricaded by a group of masked activists, said to be because the channel owner Muraev called Maidan, 2014 events 'a state coup' (MP Rabinovich, who recently accused Saakashvilli of bringing snipers to Maidan is the channel founder). It is noted that calls to block the channel because of its positions were made earlier, e.g. by Ilya Kiva.

Saakashvilli is leading a column of about protesters, under slogans of 'people's impeachment' of the current administration, since their demand to adopt a law on impeachment by Dec. 3 was not met. Long video shows quite large crowd, with the front of the column under Right Sector banners, decreasing further down with more Ukrainian national flags and less of the Right Sector

Saakashvilli announced that he is going to NewsOne channel, despite not liking the owners, stating that NewsOne was the only channel covering his march.

2 Dec. DPR MOD now reports based on own sources (Eng.)(Rus.) heavy UAF losses under recently captured by UAF Gladosovo and Travnevoye, and that because of that an Aidar detachment withdrew for replenishment of losses, while small number of fighters still remain. They also say that ATO initially confirmed losses, then withdrew the announcement (while ATO denied that announcement was legit, more on talk). UAF still controls access to those villages; in the meantime DPR offers humanitarian aid in a nearby village-Rusvesna.

1 Dec. DPR ombudsman: in the past week, 1 DPR soldier was killed, 4 soldiers were wounded.

Videos

 * Family of 7 home hit by shelling in Donetsk, published 11 May 2017
 * 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

Photos
Aftermaths of Ukrainian shelling of the village Zheltoe (Yellow), LPR, 29 Nov. 2016 lug-info.

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)

DPR and LPR

 * DPR: DAN news (Eng).; DPR MOD, Russ.; DPR ombudsman, Russ.
 * LPR: lug-info (Eng).
 * Donbass international news agency, DoNi news (Eng.)

Agreements

 * 22.7.15 Under-100 mm weapons withdrawal was agreed Poroshenko statement: ' I hope it will be the real beginning of the ceasefire'.
 * 12.2.15 Two documents were agreed: on measures on implementing Minsk protocol (English language PDF here).