Ukraine news/Archive/2019-06

27 Jun. Late evening urgent report by DPR PMQ representative. DPR and Russian journalists filming ceasefire violations and damage of a house in Alexandrovka settlement came under double-tap Ukrainian mortar shelling, and had to seek cover in the damaged house. Another DPR journalist recorded Ukrainian use of banned incendiary munitions near Gorlovka. A civilian man, 1966 DOB, is wounded by Ukrainian shelling of Veseloe settlement.

Civilian woman received shrapnel stomach wounds when Ukrainian mortar shell exploded near her house. She is hospitalized, with positive prognosis (report/video).

Medvedchuk meets L/DPR leaders in Minsk on the issue of prisoners exchange. After the meeting a unilateral release is announced of 4 Ukrainian POWs charged in L/DPR with serious crimes. There is no indication that Medvedchul mission is coordinated with Zelenskii team.

26 Jun. Ukrainian shelling continues, and is reported daily. Today, long -suffering Zaitsevo near Gorlovka was shelled yet again, setting homes on fire. Mayor of Gorlovka Prihodko has been visiting the area when it was shelled again from AGS. Yesterday, 13 years old girl was wounded. On 24 June, 122 mm artillery shelling, and regular targeting of Donetsk water filtering station (storing chlorine) is reported. Opolchenine sources continue to describe clashes and losses caused by Ukrainian forces capturing grey areas, resulting in close proximity of opposing forces.

25 Jun. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has voted to approve Russia's return.

19 Jun. Dutch prosecutors have announced international arrest warrants and criminal charges against three Russians and a Ukrainian whom they accuse of being part of a chain of Russian military and political command leading to the downing of MH17. Among the four is Igor Strelkov. John Helmer: the subjunctive and conditional tenses, plus Ukrainian Secret Service tapes.

16 Jun. DPR People's Militia Headquarters (PMH) representative: we received information from sources "close to Ukrainian MoD" about planned provocation which involves shelling of positions of 93 UAF brigade in Avdeevka, withdrawn in advance, and civilian infrastructure in nearby area, followed by prepared false reporting blaming DPR. This provocation is aimed to disrupt possible peaceful settlement agreements at the next contact group meeting on June 19. (Rus., Robo-Eng.)

In the evening, Ukraine shelled northern Donetsk (including Spartak and Donetsk airport). 82 and 120 mm mortars, SPG-9, ZU-23 were used, and an anti-tank missile was fired, exploding in the backyard of a house on Grekova St. 111. A summer kitchen in another residential house on Baskirskaya St. was destroyed. Luckily, no casualties are reported (DPR PMH)(Cassad).

According to opolchenie sources (Marina Kharkova and social media comments), DPR forces are under strict orders not to respond and to comply with Minsk agreements on heavy weapons withdrawal. They only respond in exceptional cases after numerous verifications with superiors. In the meantime, Ukrainian forces occupied grey area zones and moved their positions right next to L/DPR. There are quite significant military and civilian casualties as a result.

10 Jun. Putin comments on Zelenskii at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (video, Eng. subs).

9 Jun. For the past day, DPR MoD reports (Rus, robo-Eng. Ukrainian shelling by 152 and 122 mm artillery, 120 and 82 mm mortars, BMP guns, grenade launchers, small firearms. Two civilians are wounded, a man 1968 DOB and a woman, 1959 DOB. At least two residential homes are destroyed, and 12 damaged. A 17 years old male is seriously injured, said to be trying to dismantle an unidentified explosive device (report, photos).

6 Jun. Rada voted down removal of heads of FM, MoD and SBU submitted by Zelenskii

5 Jun. Ukraine shelled residential area of Gagarin mine pit, near Gorlovka. In the past day, one DPR soldier was killed and one wounded by Ukrainian shelling. It is said that Ukraine launched an armed drone to attack Islamic holiday prayer gathering in Tekstilshiki, Donetsk, and that drone was shot down; photographs are presented.

Zelenskii is to meet with oligarchs, "one at a time", with a separate meeting on investing in Donbass. He says that Viktor Pinchuk stopped by, "in connection with" Leonid Kuchma, who has been (re) appointed the official Ukrainian negotiator in Minsk, Little progress was achieved with him in his previous informal role at those negotiations; it is unclear whether it will change now. It is noted that Pinchuk is married to Kuchma's daughter. Pinchuk and Kuchma entourages are said to be seen at the president administration offices on 26 May; Kuchma was appointed on 3 June.

4 Jun. It is reported (with photos, video from the scene, and interview with Rashid Bragin, chairman of Muslim community of Donetsk ) that a mosque in Donetsk was shelled today at 7:30 am, on the day of Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) celebration. 4 shells landed in or close to the mosque. That was an hour before the morning prayer. Large number of people were to attend the prayer, coming to Donetsk from nearby places. At the time of the shelling, mosque was being prepared and about 1/3 of expected number were already present, including 10 or so children in the courtyard. Luckily no one was hurt.

(From the horse's mouth'): Zelenskii, in English, at the press conference in Brussels with NATO secretary general.

3 Jun. Eduard Dolinsky: This is the footage of the attack of National Corpus, a political wing of Neo-Nazi military formation battalion Azov, on the office of Ukrainian Jewish Committee in Kharkiv.

2 Jun. DPR MoD: Despite all claims by Zelenskii on peaceful settlement of the conflict, after his visit of the punitive operation zone the shelling by Ukraine considerably increased. Ukrainian military commanders in the 'joint forces operation zone' are totally uncontrolled and obey the old corrupt power. Zelensky as a new commander-in-chief does not command authority of those war criminals. In the last 5 days, victims of deliberate shelling by Ukraine include 7 civilians, 2 of them children.

1 Jun. Civilian man, 1959 DOB is wounded when Ukraine fired 82 mm mortars on Leninskoe settlement