Ukraine War Update - 24 February 2015

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  6:49 AM PST

Police find house in Mariupol where terrorists stored explosives

   KIEV, February 24 (Ukrinform). --- Group of saboteurs who planned a terrorist attack in Mariupol stored explosives in a rented private house.

   The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine told an Ukrinform reporter.

   "As a result of operative and detective activities, police discovered the location where saboteurs stored explosives. Roughly ten kilograms of explosive materials were found in a house in Mariupol," the press service reported.

   As specified by Donetsk regional police chief Vyacheslav Abroskin, a substance ammonite was discovered during the search of the rented house that the criminals used for manufacturing of an explosive device. The weight of explosives is about 10 kilograms. Charges were also found in the house.

   "Saboteurs wore clothes that resemble the uniform worn by the Ukrainian military. This disguise was meant to destabilize the situation in the city," press office quoted Abroskin as saying.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  6:23 AM PST

Russia concentrates troops at the border with Kharkiv region and steps up efforts at Mariupol direction

   (Censor.NET) --- Information on concentration of the Russian troops at the north-eastern border of Ukraine in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions of Russia is receiving more and more confirmation.

   This is reported by investigative blogger Irakli Komakhidze, Censor.NET reports.

   "Social networks and the media provide numerous recent photos and videos reflecting the movement and concentration of Russian troops in the mentioned regions, including a battalion task force redeployed from the Samara to the Belgorod region. Apparently, the Russian command is building up new grouping of invading forces in the Belgorod and Voronezh regions, similar to that in the Rostov region bordering with Ukraine, from where the Russians conducted artillery fire and under whose cover they sent the first echelon of "volunteers" with "store-bought" weapons, followed by regular troops into Ukraine," Komakhidze notes.

   "The latest terrorist attack in Kharkiv indicates Russia's intention to prepare grounds for invasion, to destabilize the region, and sow panic," the blogger writes.

   "The news from the Azov direction are not comforting either. The transfer of Russian military equipment and weapons, including heavy MLRS is underway in the direction of Novoazovsk from the Rostov region. At the same time there is an intensification of the subversive groups and artillery shelling in Mariupol and the surrounding area. In occupied Crimea, on the northern administrative border, where, according to our information, a rotation of 382nd marine battalion has been conducted, there is a redeployment of fresh forces," Komakhidze concluded.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  5:44 AM PST

Ukraine agrees on arms-supplying deal with UAE - Herashchenko

   (Zik) --- During his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Pres Poroshenko agreed on military cooperation with UAE to supply weapons and military equipment to Ukraine, interior minister’s adviser Anton Herashchenko writes in Facebook Feb. 24.

   “The items and amounts of supplies cannot be disclosed,” he said.

   Unlike Americans and Europeans, Arabs do not fear Putin’s threats about the nuclear war if weapons are provided for Ukraine, he said.

   They may also have a grudge against Putin for cutting in half the price of oil and creating general instability which affects the development of the UAE, Herashchenko believes.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  5:39 AM PST

Ukrainian border guards report four drones flying into Ukraine from Russia

   KIEV, February 24 (Ukrinform). --- Terrorists continue to use aerial reconnaissance drones. For the past day, 13 episodes of drones were reported, including four drones flying over from Russia.

   Ukraine's border control service stated the news on its website.

   "In total for the Donbas conflict zone, 13 drones were observed over the towns of Kramatorsk, Mariupol, Sartana, Velyka Novosilka, Donetsk and Starobilsk, four of them invaded the airspace of Ukraine from Russia," the statement noted.

   No overnight shelling and attacks on the border control service of Ukraine by the terrorists was reported. However, the situation in regions of the anti-terrorist operation remains tense.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  5:33 AM PST

Rebels threaten OSCE monitors

   (Zik) --- Donbas rebels not only threaten OSCE monitors but also hamper their activities, Ukraine army spokesman said Feb. 24, Interfax-Ukrayina reports.

   “Pro-Russian rebels brazenly threaten OBSE monitors. Feb. 22, when the monitors were at the rebels’ outpost in the Kiev rayon, Donetsk, one of the separatist leaders threatened to kill them,” the spokesman said.

   According to the OSCE report, the rebels jammed the OSCE drone operating near the Donetsk airport.

   “The use of electronic jamming against the monitors shows that pro-Russian forces do not abide by the Minsk agreements and international law,” he stressed.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  4:24 AM PST

Russia continues to supply weapons to terrorists redeploying military equipment to the demarcation line - NSDC

   (Censor.NET) --- Russia continues to supply military equipment to the Donbas terrorists. The enemy is conducting covert regrouping of the equipment and manpower.

   This was announced at the daily briefing of the ATO representative Colonel Andrii Lysenko, Censor.NET reports.

   "A covert redeployment of military equipment and manpower of the enemy closer to the demarcation line is underway, primarily at the Mariupol direction. The illegal armed groups are building up forces and means at the Donetsk direction near Pisky village, and at the Luhansk direction in the towns of Stakhanov and Brianka.

   "The Russian Federation continues to supply weapons and military equipment to the illegal armed groups, and provides practical assistance in their maintenance," he said.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  3:51 AM PST

One soldier killed, seven wounded in Donbas in past 24 hours

   KIEV, February 24 (Ukrinform). --- One Ukrainian serviceman has been killed and seven have been wounded in the area of the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas in the past 24 hours.

   Spokesman for the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine Andriy Lysenko said this at a briefing in Kiev on Tuesday.

   "During the shelling and clashes Ukraine has lost one soldier, another seven were injured in past 24 hours," he said.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  2:01 AM PST

In case of no de-escalation of violence in Donbas, Russia will be faced with complete international isolation – Merkel’s adviser

   (Censor.NET) --- Commissioner of the German government for cooperation with the Russian Federation Gernot Erler warned the Russian Federation against establishing a "buffer state" in the Eastern Ukraine, and threatened the Kremlin with isolation.

   This is reported by Censor.NET citing Deutsche Welle.

   "After the offensive of the pro-Russian separatists on Debaltseve last week, the issue of "Novorossia" is once again on the agenda. If there is further seizure of territory like Debaltseve, a viable buffer state may appear, as it has been called for by the so-called Eurasians in Russia for a long time," he said.

   Merkel's adviser stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin should finally announce the goals he pursues in Ukraine. However, Erler believes that Russia is facing a complete international isolation if it does not make an effort to de-escalate the violence in the Donbas.

   "The capture of each new city across the control line which was agreed in Minsk is a large-scale provocation of the signatories Minsk Agreement, including the Russian president. Capture of Debaltseve is a demonstrative violation of these agreements," he said.

   He noted that rather than influence the militants it controls in the Ukrainian territory, the Kremlin, on the contrary, proves the "necessity" of their actions. "Instead, President Putin has publicly defended these actions during his visit to Budapest," the German government commissioner said.

   According to Erler, now the question is whether Debaltseve was a last offensive attempt of the terrorists, or is it only a tactical pause to gain time and prepare for attacks on other sections of the front.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  1:55 AM PST

Ukraine puts pro-Russian TV channels off air

   (Zik) --- Ukraine Security Service says that openly pro-Russian channels that engaged in anti-Ukrainian propaganda have been put off the air.

   “Practically all anti-Ukrainian channels have been closed down,” SBU’s investigations department head Vasyl Vovk said, UNIAN reports Feb. 23.

   By contrast, broadcasting by Ukrainian channels expanded in oblasts Luhansk and Donetsk as well as in the bordering oblasts Kharkiv and Zaporizhya, the official said.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015  12:15 AM PST

Ukrainian guerillas destroy 3 APCs, 1 tank and 30 Russian troops in Debaltseve

   (Zik) --- The Shadows, a Ukrainian guerilla group, operating in the Debaltseve area has destroyed 3 armoured personnel carriers, one tank and about 30 Russian troops, nbnews.com.ua reports Feb. 23.

   Between Feb. 10 and Feb. 15, during the fighting with the Russian troops near Debaltseve members of The Shadows guerilla group destroyed 3 APCs, 1 tank and about 30 Russians servicemen, Oleksandr Hladky wrote in Facebook.
   According to Ukraine army, the rebels lost 1,300 servicemen dead during the final stages of the onslaught on Debaltseve.