Ukraine War Update - 16 June 2015

Tuesday, June 16, 2015  6:11 AM PDT

Wounded Ukrainian troops welcomed by Slovakia (Video)

   (UNIAN) --- European Union countries are treating wounded Ukrainian servicemen, with Slovakia one of several EU member states that provides treatment to Ukrainian troops injured in fighting with Russia-backed militants in the Donbas. 

   Some 75 soldiers, and also wounded civilians, will be treated free of charge in Slovakian health facilities, Ukraine Today reports.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015  5:49 AM PDT

Herashchenko: Russia has plan for occupation of left-bank Ukraine

   (UNIAN) --- The General Staff of the Russian Federation has drawn up a plan to occupy left-bank Ukraine up to the eastern banks of the River Dnipro, advisor to the Interior Ministry Anton Herashchenko wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

   "In April 2015, the General Staff of the Russian Federation approved another working plan for the occupation of left-bank Ukraine. The meeting on the approval of this plan was held on April 8-9 in St. Petersburg, in the headquarters of the Western Military District," he said.

   According to Herashchenko, only 15 days are necessary to occupy the whole left-bank Ukraine in accordance with the plan of the General Staff of the Russian Federation. The main goal is to rapidly gain control over the territories and communications, without the seizure of large cities or regional centers.

   "In accordance with the plan, battalion tactical groups of the Russian regular army, united in a group of troops called ‘Sever’ (North) would invade the territory of Ukraine in two stages – first in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, and then in Poltava, Kiev and Chernihiv regions," Herashchenko said.

   By force of habit, the invasion is planned to be disguised under the attacks of the fighters of the DPR and LPR militant organizations, who have gained strength and want to restore the constitutional order in Ukraine, without the return of Viktor Yanukovych.

   "The plan to capture left-bank Ukraine to the River Dnipro is detailed in a document [entitled] ‘A report on the participation of the Sever grouping in special operations,’ that is classified as top secret in the explanatory note to the plan," Herashchenko said.

   "Together with these basic strategic documents, we’ve got a set of technical documents with the details of strikes, landings, lists of takeovers of strategic facilities and communications," he said.

   "At the same time, one of the group's strategic objects, which according to the plans of the General Staff of the Russian Federation is necessary to be seized, but not destroyed, is the compressor stations of the main gas pipelines, by which gas supplies from Russia to Europe are still going on," Herashchenko said.

   According to Herashchenko, the General Staff of the Russian Federation is planning actions to discredit the Ukrainian military.

   "In simply terms: they are planning to shoot a few dozen residents of the militant-occupied Ukrainian territory of the Donbas, to film this and to blame the Ukrainian side for this," he said.

   According to Herashchenko, a similar plan was developed by the command of the Southern Military District of Russia. The purpose of the Southern Group of Forces is to hit Zaporizhia and Melitopol through Berdiansk and Mariupol and to get access to the Isthmus of Perekop in order to open land routes to Crimea.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015  5:26 AM PDT

Putin announces boost to nuclear arsenal with 40 missiles

   (UAToday) --- US believed to be close to finalising deal with Nato members to enhance east Europe defences

   Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a decision to add more than 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal over 2015.

   The announcement comes just days after a US proposal to increase the defences of Nato states in Eastern Europe.

   5,000 US troops, battle tanks and heavy weapons may be deployed to the Baltics and eastern Europe over the course of 2015.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015  3:03 AM PDT

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed, five wounded over past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Over the past day, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the anti-terrorist operation area, another five were wounded.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the Presidential Administration representative on ATO matters Andrii Lysenko at a traditional briefing on Tuesday.
   "Over the past day, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in hostilities, five received wounds," Lysenko announced.
   He also added that active operations and aiming shelling by illegal armed gangs cause significant infrastructure damage and villages ruination.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015  1:12 AM PDT

Terrorists shelled Ukrainian army's positions nearly 30 times before midnight, - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- In the night of June 16, pro-Russian illegal armed gangs continued shelling the positions of Ukrainian army units.

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

   "In the evening, Russian terrorist troops became extremely active. They committed about 30 cases of shelling of the ATO positions by midnight," the message reads.

   Near Donetsk, mercenaries continued to shell Ukrainian military from 120-mm mortars and 122-mm howitzers, including near villages of Pisky, Opytne, Starohnativka.
   Near Artemivsk, mortars were used to fire upon Troitske and Novhorodske.
   Near Luhansk, Krymske village has been shelled by Minsk-banned weapons.
   Stanytsia Luhanska and Shchastia, the Luhansk region, were fired at from small arms.
   In Shyrokyne, Kremlin mercenaries conducted seven cases of shelling with 120-mm mortars and 122-mm howitzers in the evening.

   After midnight, terrorists were using mortars and artillery systems of over 100-m caliber near Shyrokyne, Zolote in the Luhansk region, and Orikhove near Artemivsk.

   Pisky, Opytne and Stanytsia Luhanska were fired upon from small arms.
   Enemy sniper was operating actively in Marinka.

   Enemy drones were conducting aerial reconnaissance along the demarcation line in the night.