Ukraine War Update - 12 June 2015

Friday, June 12, 2015  7:36 AM PDT

Russia preparing for another escalation in Donbas - Turchynov

   KIEV, June 12 (Ukrinform). --- The Russian Federation is getting prepared to launch a new phase of the invasion of Ukraine and encourage more aggression in the east of Ukraine.

   Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov said this on air of Ukraine's Channel 5, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

   "We must speak objectively that the subject of the conflict growing into an active military phase hasn't been removed from the agenda yet. What is more, it is very acute especially in the next few days. And according to our information, Russia is getting prepared to invade, unleash aggression, and that is why the task of our military, our defense industry complex is to be ready to counter this," Turchynov said.

Friday, June 12, 2015  7:14 AM PDT

"DPR" militant sentenced to 12 years in prison for kidnapping of five Ukrainian soldiers

   (Censor.NET) --- The Khortytsia district court in Zaporizhia sentenced the militant of the "Donetsk People's Republic" terrorist organization to 12 years in prison for the kidnapping of five anti-terrorist operation soldiers.

   Censor.NET informs citing the press service of the prosecutor's office in Zaporizhia region.

   "The Khortytsia district court in Zaporizhia supported the position of the prosecutor's office of Zaporizhia region and sentenced a 29-year-old resident of Mariupol, who had committed a number of grave crimes in favor of the DPR terrorist organization to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property," the report reads.

   It was established that the man together with several other unknown persons committed an armed attack on the checkpoint of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of Pervomaisk district of the Donetsk region May 2014.

   "In order to make the Ukrainian military join the ranks of the terrorists, the criminals have abducted five soldiers and were holding them in captivity inside the seized building of the Mariupol City Council. The criminals, under the guise of local residents, provided the soldiers with poisoned food to wear down resistance of the prisoners," the statement reads.

   In addition, it was established that the perpetrator together with accomplices has misappropriated four assault rifles, a machine gun, and several other pieces of weapons as well as more than 1,500 items of ordnance which they seized from the Ukrainian military.

   The man was detained on the territory of the Donetsk region last July.

   The materials concerning his criminal activities were transferred to the General Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Zaporizhia region for the pre-trial investigation.

Friday, June 12, 2015  4:10 AM PDT

No one killed, 10 soldiers wounded over past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- 10 Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in the course of the anti-terrorist operation on June 11.

   This was announced by the Presidential Administration representative on the ATO matters, Colonel Andrii Lysenko at a briefing, Censor.NET reports.

   "Over the past day, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat activities, 10 received injuries," he said.

Friday, June 12, 2015  2:53 AM PDT

Rebels blow up important railway used to deliver coal to Vuhlehitska power plant

   (Zik) --- At 2 a.m. today, the terrorists blew up part of the Popasna-Roty railway in the Ukrainian army-controlled part of the Luhansk oblast, oblast governor, Henady Moskal writes in Facebook June 12.

   The explosion was carried out by the enemy terrorist group, Ukraine army spokesman says.

   The blast may affect the generation of electricity in the area.

   The damage is being repaired by rescue workers. However, their work is complicated by the fact that the approaches to the scene of the accident have been mined  by the terrorists, Moskal says.

Friday, June 12, 2015  1:42 AM PDT

Terrorists opened fire 30 times overnight using tanks and artillery, - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- Pro-Russian gangs shelled Ukrainian army's positions and peaceful villages for 30 times at night.

   This is reported by Censor.NET citing the ATO press center.

   "Since yesterday evening the situation in the anti-terrorist operation area is stable but tense. Pro-Russian gangs shelled Ukrainian army's positions and peaceful villages for 30 times at night. It was the hottest at Donetsk direction. The enemy fired at Pisky eight times using 120-mm mortars, 122-mm artillery systems, small arms, and military vehicles. Butivka mine and Opytne village in the same area were fired upon numerous times," the message reads.

   It is also reported that Avdiivka and Vodiane residential areas were shelled by tanks yesterday evening, and Marinka was fired upon with small arms.

   "In the Luhansk region, villages of Shchastia, Nyzhnioteple, Sokilnyky, Novotoshkivske, Krymske, and Donetske were shelled by grenade launchers, 82-mm mortars, and large-caliber machine guns of the enemy. Maiorsk,at Artemivsk direction, was fired at with 120-mm mortars at midnight. In the morning, the enemy's 122-mm artillery shelled Ukrainian army's positions near Luhanske," the press center informed.
   The night was calm near Mariupol.

   Russia-controlled hybrid gangs continue their active aerial reconnaissance. 15 drone flights were recorded.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  23:49 PDT

Ukraine: 871 towns and villages to be renamed as part of de-Communization bid

   (Zik) --- The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory has come up with a list of cities, towns and villages whose names symbolize the Communist totalitarian regime, Apostrof reports June 12.

   The communities of all 871 townships are to rename or return the old names to their places of location by Nov. 21, the law on the de-Communization of Ukraine says.

   Under the law, the monuments to Communist era leaders must be pulled down as well as the names of streets, squares, buildings. 

Thursday, June 11, 2015  18:22 PDT

Night Fighting In Eastern Ukraine

   (RFE/RL) --- Russian-backed separatists attacked positions of the Ukrainian army's 93rd mechanized brigade defending the village of Pisky, near Donetsk, on the night of June 6-7. Attacks are often launched under cover of darkness, despite the cease-fire agreed in Minsk in mid-February. The Ukrainian military said that in this attack the separatists used heavy artillery and mortars which, according to the Minsk agreement, should have been withdrawn at least 50 kilometers from the front line.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  13:41 PDT

Ukrainian servicemen destroyed militants’ ammunition stock in meteorological tower near Donetsk airport

   (Censor.NET) --- The Ukrainian servicemen destroyed the militants’ ammunition reserve that was in the meteorological tower near the Donetsk airport in response to the attacks of the pro-Russian terrorists on Opytne village.

   The soldiers of the 90th Battalion told Censor.NET correspondent who was in the ATO area near the Ukrainian troops' position.

   According to the Ukrainian soldiers, they fired back to suppress the militants' firing points after the terrorists had shelled Opytne village.

   Ukrainian soldiers hit the meteorological tower near the Donetsk airport where the militants' stored their ammunition reserve. The ammunition exploded as a result of a direct hit. According to the Ukrainian military, one of the militants' chieftains nicknamed Koshmar (the nightmare) is currently near the tower together with his henchmen.