Ukraine War Update - 22 April 2015

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  8:07 AM PDT

17 drones, helicopter invade Ukraine's airspace

   KIEV, April 22 (Ukrinform). --- Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Armed Forces has invaded Ukraine's airspace on the administrative border with occupied Crimea on Tuesday.

   Spokesman for the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine Andriy Lysenko said this at a briefing in Kiev on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

   "Ukrainian border guards observed the flight of Mi-8 helicopter, allegedly of the Russian Armed Forces, that invaded Ukraine's airspace on the administrative border with the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea," Lysenko said.

   He also noted that the terrorists enhanced their aerial reconnaissance activities.

   Thus, according to Ukraine's State Border Service, 17 flights of enemy's UAVs were observed in the area of the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  8:01 AM PDT

Miners came to protest at the Cabinet of Ministers. The building is guarded by 10 rows of policemen

   (Censor.NET) --- About a thousand miners from the western and eastern regions of Ukraine, who had previously rallied near the Presidential Administration and the Verkhovna Rada are now picketing the Cabinet.

   It is reported by Censor.NET citing Interfax-Ukraine.

   Miners hold banners reading "Demchyshyn to the sidelines" and others, drumming their helmets and shouting "Shame!"

   There are about 10 rows of policemen in full riot gear in front of the Cabinet entrance.

   There are additional buses with policemen in the nearby Mariinskyi park. There have been no squabbles.

   Hrushevskoho Street, where the Cabinet is located is blocked by traffic police with protesters standing on the roadway.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  7:20 AM PDT

Israeli and US military instructors train Ukrainian special forces

   (Ukraine Today) --- Month-long military program focuses on counter-terrorism training and rescue operations

   Military instructors from the US, Israel, and Georgia have been training Ukrainian troops who will form part of a Special Forces battalion.

   The month-long program focused on counter terrorism training, combat, and rescue operations. Most of the Ukrainian troops come from towns and cities located in insurgent-occupied territory.

   Before the conflict in east Ukraine, many of them were law enforcement officers. One of the military trainers talked about the recent developments in the Ukrainian military.

David, Trainer from Georgia:"We had the same old uniforms as (you guys), the same support, the same tactics. But now I see Ukraine has new uniforms, new weapons, which are Ukraine-made. And I see US paratroopers have come to Lviv. These are the new reforms."

   Meanwhile, Ukrainian and US soldiers have begun one of their biggest ever joint military training exercises in the region of Lviv.

   At least 300 US paratroopers, many of whom have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, are taking part in the program, which is called ‘Fearless Guardian-2015.'

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  5:48 AM PDT

Media: Donbas Battalion replaces Azov Battalion in Shyrokyne

   (UNIAN) --- The Donbas Battalion of the National Guard on Wednesday replaced the Azov Battalion in the village of Shyrokyne near Mariupol, local news agency 0629 has reported, with reference to the press service of the Donbas Battalion.

   "The morning began with an attack on our positions with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Snipers were active. The militants were forced back to their positions. The ceasefire is continuing," the report reads.

   As reported earlier, the village of Shyrokyne has remained a hotspot in the "M" sector of the front line, which is near Mariupol. Only in the last day, the militants have attacked the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces in the village seven times, according to the Ukrainian military.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  4:46 AM PDT

No casualties over past day: no one killed or wounded - NSDC

   (Censor.NET) --- The ATO headquarters announced no one was killed or wounded in the course of the anti-terrorist operation on April 21.

   This was announced by the ATO speaker, colonel Andrii Lysenko, at a briefing Wednesday, Censor.NET reports.
   "Over the past day, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded," Lysenko said.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  4:37 AM PDT

Serviceman of Special Forces from Tambov, Russia showed how Russians are disguised as miners before going to Donbas.

   (Censor.NET) --- Russian Special Forces disguise themselves as “local Donbas terrorists” on the border with Ukraine.

   The activity was photographed by Marat Safargalin from the 16th Special Forces Brigade of Tambov. He posted the images to social networks, Censor.NET reports citing Podrobnosti.

   A "little green man" in full gear has easily turned into a local miner in sneakers.

   The pictures were taken in the town of Matveyev Kurgan, the Rostov region, situated only 15 km from the Ukrainian border.

   From Crimea to Donbas

   Native of Udmurtia, the Russian Federation, a member of the Russian Special Forces Marat Safargalin boasted his medal "For the return of the Crimea " in social networks.
   He was rewarded on Aug. 9, 2014 in his function of a private soldier of military unit 54607, i.e. the 16th Special Forces Brigade of Tambov.

Marat's photo album contains several pictures from the annexed Crimea. Considering that he gave his oath of allegiance to Russia in June 2013, Marat must have been a conscript for less than a year at the time when the

peninsula had been seized.

Marat Safargalin has been serving in the Russian army for about two years now, which means that after his conscription he continued his military service as a contractor.

Disguise game

   Marat Safargalin found his way in Matveyev Kurgan, the Rostov region, around April 10. The town is only 15 km from the Ukrainian border.

   He doesn't wear Russian uniform here anymore.

   On one of the pictures, Marat poses with a rifle wearing sneakers and multicam camouflage, which is popular both with Ukrainian soldiers and terrorists.

   The latest photo in his album, added on April 18, shows him wearing a green jacket without any identification marks.

   Judging by these photos, military discipline isn't so strict in these elite troops anymore.

   His 20th birthday on April 18 the commando celebrated comfortably right in their field camp.

Matveyev Kurgan base

   He prefers to call his mission to the Ukrainian border " a business trip".

   Before that, in March, Marat was in Millerovo (Russia) not far from Luhansk, where a field camp with a great number of military equipment is set up near the military aerodrome.

   As known, sabotage-reconnaissance groups of Russian Special Forces are regularly redeployed to Donetsk from the Rostov region (Russia), as reported by the InfoResist group.

   The vicinity of Matveyev Kurgan city is used not only as a Special Forces station, but also for stationing units of the 34th m o tor rifle brigade and the 11th separate air assault brigade of the Russian Federation army.

   There are photos in social networks showing convoys of military KamAZ trucks near Matveyev Kurgan.

   They were likely filled with ammunition boxes, and the trucks themselves were from near Volgograd, Russia.

   These are photos that Russian soldiers send their mothers, capturing movement of military vehicles closer to the warring part of the Donbas.

To the right stands Egor Ivanov, a soldier from St. Petersburg who serves in the 99 th brigade of logistic support from Maykop, Russia. Many soldiers from this brigade have been noticed in Donetsk.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  3:33 AM PDT

Donbas residents increasingly aware they are cannon fodder for Russia

   (Zik) --- The local population is fleeing from the rebel-held territories, and Donbas is infiltrated by large numbers of aggressive population of the Russian origin, says philosopher and publicist Serhy Datsiuk, Novyj Region reports Apr. 22.

   “A change in thinking is going on in Donbas, with more and more people asking themselves what will follow. How to live when they are not needed by Russia and Ukraine does not welcome them, keeping them at the distance and sealing off the borders with the rebel-held territories.

   Massive influx of weapons from Russia and minimum food assistance has led the locals to believe that they are just used as cannon fodder by Moscow.  

   The status of Donbas acquires a negative dimension as intellectuals flee to mainland Ukraine and the region is impregnated with aggressive elements from Russia,” the scholar says. 

Wednesday, April 22, 2015  2:24 AM PDT

Situation in Ukraine's eastern regions.

   KIEV, April 22 (Ukrinform). --- The situation in eastern Ukraine remains tense. Despite the declared ceasefire, Russian-backed terrorists continue to fire at Ukrainian army positions and settlements in Donbas.

   The map reflecting the situation in Donbas as of 12.00 on April 22 has been released by the information and analytical center of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015  23:31 PDT

Terrorists violate ceasefire 20 times overnight

   KIEV, April 22 (Ukrinform). --- On April 21, from 18:00 to midnight, Russian-terrorist troops violated the ceasefire along the contact line 20 times, including using 120mm mortars eight times.

   This is reported by the press center for the anti-terrorist operation.

   "Besides, at 23:05, the bandits opened mortar fire on the village of Leninske, Donetsk region. In addition, in Donetsk region the illegal armed groups fired 120mm mortars at the positions of ATO forces near the village of Pisky three times, and twice - near the village of Leninske, as well as in the area of Avdiyivka, Shyrokyne and Novhorodske. Near the villages of Opytne criminals fired on our fortifications with anti-aircraft and self-propelled artillery. In Luhansk region the enemy shelled Ukrainian positions near the village of Shchastia with automatic grenade launcher, and fortification near the city of Zolote - with small arms," the report reads.

   According to the press center, during this period the Ukrainian military spotted enemy drones five times, mainly in Donetsk region.