Thursday, May 21, 2015
7:47 AM PDT
Less shelling,
attacks' geography expanding - OSCE
Deputy Chief
Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Alexander Hug has
said this at the briefing in Kiev on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent
reports.
"The areas
around the destroyed and now “DPR”-controlled Donetsk airport have remained in focus during
the week. The mission has observed intense moments of escalation, which have
been followed by less intense fighting. At the same time the level of tension
in the area has been significantly less compared to the previous week," he
said.
Hug noted that
monitors observed artillery, tank, mortar attacks, shelling from heavy machine
guns, anti-aircraft arms and small arms near the Donetsk airport.
At the same time
Hug said that the geography of military clashes was expanding: "I should
mention that the geography of hot spots expands. In particular, this refers to
localities in Horlivka district [Donetsk
region], and government-controlled village
of Luhanske , north of Debaltseve [Donetsk region]."
Thursday, May 21, 2015
7:15 AM PDT
Ukraine's Emergency
Service, NATO preparing for "Ukraine 2015" exercise
(Interfax) --- A conference to plan the
joint international exercise of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the
Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) to respond to
emergencies, "Ukraine 2015," is being held in Lviv.
"The event
took place in the format of a plenary meeting. During the sitting, the
participants discussed the main scenario, services' schedule, provided
instructions on conducting training and discussed time indices for teams to
come and participate," reads a statement issued by the press service of
the Emergency Service on Thursday.
According to
Director of the Emergency Response Department at the Service, Hryhoriy Marchenko,
"during the discussion we planned the joint exercise, where Ukrainian
rescuers would work together with their foreign colleagues on eliminating an
emergency in real conditions."
He said that nearly
600 rescuers and 200 pieces of equipment from 30 countries are planned to be
used the exercise.
In turn, Head of
EADRCC Guenter Bretschneider thanked the Ukrainian representatives for his
organization being invited to the exercise. He said that this will be the third
time EADRCC has cooperated with Ukrainian colleagues and his organization is
happy to return.
He said that some
countries have already announced the participation of their teams in the
training, and other participants are expected to confirm their participation
soon. These teams will work together with Ukrainian rescuers despite the
different languages and training standards.
The Ukrainian
Emergency Service said the international exercise will be held as part of the
annual national program of Ukraine-NATO cooperation for 2015 to deepen the
cooperation of NATO and Ukrainian Emergency Service in civil protection of the
population and procedures on preventing and responding to natural and
anthropogenic emergencies.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
6:20 AM PDT
OSCE drones spot
Russian-made Strela-10 air missile systems in Donbas
(UNIAN) --- OSCE drones have observed
Russian-made 9K35 Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air
missile systems in Russian-backed militant-occupied territory in the
Donbas, OSCE Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday.
"Our drones
have recently been able to identify the presence of the 9K35
Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air missile systems in
territory controlled by the Donetsk People’s Republic militant organization,
near the village
of Oktyabr
According to Hug,
the mission continues to record evidence that both sides have failed to
completely withdraw heavy weapons out of range of the front line in the Donbas .
Thursday, May 21, 2015
6:06 AM PDT
SBU: Ukrainian
military shoots down Russian drone in Donbas
(UNIAN) --- Ukraine
has displayed the wreckage of what it says is a Russian spy drone shot down
near the city of Donetsk on Wednesday, further
adding to a mountain of evidence that the Russian military is directly involved
in the fighting in eastern Ukraine .
Markiyan Lubkivsky,
an adviser to the head of Ukraine ’s
SBU security service, said at a briefing in Kiev
on Thursday that the sophisticated, five-meter-long “Forpost” drone was manufactured
in 2013 at the Ural Civil Aviation Plant in Russia .
"This is
additional proof that Russia
is carrying out aggression against our country," Lubkivsky said.
Pictures of the
downed drone posted by the Ukrainian military's Dnipro-1 battalion early on
Thursday showed the Russian manufacturer’s markings, and markings from
Israeli-made electronic equipment used in Forpost drones, which are made in Russia under license from Israel .
In a press release
posted on Facebook, Dnipro-1 said the $6 million drone was one of only eleven
in service with the Russian armed forces.
As news of the
shoot-down spread, pictures of what appeared to be the same drone being
assembled in the Ural Civil Aviation Plant were posted on Twitter. The drone
wreckage pictures posted by Dnipro-1 and the factory pictures both showed the
same identifying number – 923.
Also on Thursday,
the SBU released photographs of the members of a Russian special operations
unit that it said has been active in Ukraine for months.
The soldiers in the
pictures were earlier named by two suspected Russian special operations
soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces on the weekend.
According to the
SBU, the Russian military team was on a mission to prepare for the capture of
the Ukrainian town of Shastya ,
where a strategically important heat and power plant is located. The plant
serves government-controlled areas of the north of Luhansk region.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
5:45 AM PDT
There exist evidence
that Russian commandos in Donbas are on rotation, Security Service of Ukraine
(Censor.NET) --- Russian commandos of
the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) have been on rotation in Donbas since 2014 for reconnaissance and sabotage
activities.
This was stated by
Head of Security Service Counterintelligence Department Vitalii Naida at a
breifing on Thursday, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.
"After the
illegal annexion of Crimea and as soon as the active phase of the conflict,
provoked by Russia, was over, the 3rd Separate Brigade of the Main Intelligence
Directorate was deployed in the territory of the Luhansk region and
approximately since April last year has been there on rotation," he said.
He pointed out that since April 2014 at least four rotations of the brigade took place, each time with 200-220 servicemen. The proof of this are technically documented materials which will be attached to the criminal proceedings.
He pointed out that since April 2014 at least four rotations of the brigade took place, each time with 200-220 servicemen. The proof of this are technically documented materials which will be attached to the criminal proceedings.
According to the
Security Service represantative, the last rotation took place on Feb. 18, 2015,
the first deployment place was in Molodohvardiisk, and the headquarters were
accomodated in Luhansk.
After the incident
with the two captured GRU servicemen the rest of the unit was urgently returned
to the territory
of Russia
V.Naida also said
that Ukrainian intelligence has clear evidence of the activities of Captain
Erofeev group in 20 different towns of Donbas .
The group prepared and conducted sabotage acts, prepared ambush, mined areas,
set bombs to destroy civilians, was involved in killing Ukrainian servicemen.
The last military order of the group was to capture the town of Shchastya . "All that
will serve as evidence in the trial of the detainees that is being
prepared," said V.Naida.
"14 members of (Erofeev group) of 16 have been identified. We know their names, callnames, military ranks and will hand these data over to the international courts," V.Naida said.
"14 members of (Erofeev group) of 16 have been identified. We know their names, callnames, military ranks and will hand these data over to the international courts," V.Naida said.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
4:16 AM PDT
Russian Main
Intelligence Directorate coordinates militants’ attacks from Grad and Uragan
MLRSes in the Donbas - SBU
(Censor.NET) --- SBU stated that the
Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation
(GRU) masterminds and coordinates rocket artillery attacks committed by the
militants against the Ukrainian servicemen and civilians in the Donbas .
"We see clear
evidence that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the
Russian Federation special forces operatives create favorable conditions for
the use of Grad and Uragan multiple rocket launchers, which come from the
territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of Ukraine to conduct
shelling of both the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civilian population, and they
also provide security of the equipment" the Security Service of Ukraine
Counterintelligence Department Head Vitalii Naida said at a briefing in Kiev on
Thursday, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.
In testimony of
this, he showed two documents issued between Sept. 12 and 26 and between Sept.
14 and 17, 2014. "Analysis of the information evidentiates that a number
of Ukrainian cities and villages had come under rocket artillery shelling
during this period. The Ukrainian military were not deployed in all the cities and
villages. GRU special forces detachments provide conduction of attacks on the
civilian population of Ukraine
and we lay blame for this on the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General
Staff of the Russian
Federation ," Naida said.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
3:42 AM PDT
One soldier killed,
eight wounded over past day - NSDC
(Censor.NET) --- Over the past day, one
Ukrainian soldier was killed in Donbas
fighting.
Another eight
soldiers were wounded. This was announced by the ATO speaker Oleksandr Motuzianyk
at a briefing, Censor.NET reports citing lb.
"Over the past day, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and eight received wounds," he said.
The most casualties were occurred at the Svitlodarsk area of defense.
"Over the past day, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and eight received wounds," he said.
The most casualties were occurred at the Svitlodarsk area of defense.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
3:24 AM PDT
Russia's return to G8
is not possible until it recognizes international law, - Merkel
(Censor.NET) --- Return to Group of
Eight format is not possible as long Russia 's activities fail to comply
with international law.
As reported by
Censor.NET citing RIA Novosti, German Chancellor Merkel said Thursday in a
speech in parliament before the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga .
Russia will not participate in the
Elmau meeting of the G7, Merkel said, for the Group of Seven is seen as a
community of values.
The Chancellor said that a return to the G8 format is not imaginable as long asRussia doesn't act according to
those basic values.
The Chancellor said that a return to the G8 format is not imaginable as long as
Currently, the
Group of Seven includes Germany ,
U.S. , Canada , Japan ,
France , Great Britain , and Italy .
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
17:23 PDT
Ukrainian Lawmakers
Vote To Terminate Military Cooperation With Russia
(RFE/RL) --- The Ukrainian parliament
has voted to annul military cooperation with Russia .
The five
intergovernmental agreements scrapped by the Verkhovna Rada on May 21 include
one allowing Moscow to send forces across Ukraine to Moldova 's breakaway Transdniester
region.
The lawmakers also
voted to terminate deals covering military intelligence cooperation and the
mutual protection of classified information, basic Russian military transports
across Ukrainian territory, and mutual arms purchases.
The move comes as
eastern Ukraine continues to
be embroiled in sporadic fighting between government forces and pro-Russian
separatists despite a cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk in February.
More than 6,100
people have been killed in the conflict since April 2014.
Based on reporting
by AFP, AP, Interfax, and TASS
No comments:
Post a Comment