Ukraine War Update - 23 June 2015

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  7:12 AM PDT

Rebooting Graveyard Tanks: Ukraine rebuilds Soviet-era tanks

 (24Today) --- Many of Ukraine's tank factories were abandoned after the fall of Soviet Union

   Dozens of tanks from Ukraine's infamous tank graveyard stationed in a secret depot in the city of Kharkiv are being brought back to life with new hardware.

   Many of Ukraine's once thriving tank factories were abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and hundreds of tanks were left to rot.

   Now, as Ukraine struggles to stave off Russian-backed insurgents in its eastern region, these T-64 tanks which were the main Soviet-era battle tanks are getting rebooted with new parts including brand new engines.

   Victor Kozonak, Director of Kharkiv's armoury plant: "This is a gas-turbine engine with a capacity of 1200 horsepower. This allows the tank to develop a cross-country speed of nearly 70 km per hour. In principle this tank can catch up to any car or tank."

Some of these tanks come from various abandoned factories and military bases around the country.

   Igor Yakumenko, Head engineer at Kharkiv armoury plant: "All systems are restored. The tanks are armed with 128 mm gun, a functioning stabilizer, a loading mechanism, and a tested a new engine is installed. The suspension system is also tested."

The old tanks are taken apart; their old parts are replaced for new ones and the tanks are put back together, ready to be deployed to the conflict in east Ukraine.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  6:33 AM PDT

One Ukrainian soldier killed and 12 wounded over past day, – ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- One Ukrainian soldier was killed and 12 were wounded in the ATO on June 22.

   This was stated at a briefing of the representative of the Presidential Administration on anti-terrorist operation Andrii Lysenko, Censor.NET reports.

   "Over the past day of fighting one Ukrainian soldier was killed and 12 were wounded," he said.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  6:32 AM PDT

Report: Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk possible militant targets

   (UNIAN) --- The fighters of the LPR and DPR militant organizations may try to occupy the Ukrainian-controlled towns of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to a report by Stratfor, a U.S. geopolitical intelligence firm that provides strategic analysis and forecasting to individuals and organizations around the world, Ukrainian online news source Apostrophe has reported.

   "The greatest escalation of the situation is taking place around Donetsk, as well as in the area between Donetsk and Luhansk. If the separatists are planning to go on the offensive, they may try not only to expand the boundaries of the DPR in the area of Donetsk, but also to take control of the towns of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk," the document says.

   Stratfor also said there was the possibility of an aggravation of the situation near Mariupol.

   According to the U.S. analysts, the main reason for the latest escalation of the conflict in the Donbas was Russia's desire to use this situation as a lever of influence on the West.

   At the same time, the Ukrainians should not fear neither a full-scale offensive, the aim of which would be to create a land corridor to Crimea, nor the occupation of the whole eastern part of the country, Stratfor said.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  12:32 AM PDT

Kremlin has ‘Bessarabia’ project. They plan to do something there - Saakashvili

   (24Today) --- This was stated by Chairman of the Odessa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili on ICTV, Censor.NET reports.

   "I am ashamed to say this, but until recently, Vladimir Putin thought more about the Ukrainian Bessarabia than our own government. They (Russia) have 'Bessarabia' project... They are preparing to do something there..., " Saakashvili said.

   "The majority of population in Bessarabia only watches Russian TV channels ... The main thing I'm worried about is not a direct Russian attack at this stage ... There's an awful poverty there, the worst roads are not only in Ukraine but in Europe. It is not just a road, but a strategic road from Ukraine to Romania, that is to the European Union," the governor of Odesa region said.

   According to him, today, some residents of Bessarabia indeed only see Ukraine in a negative light.

   "They (the locals - ed.) are now isolated. And the only things they see Ukraine in are greedy officials ... terrible roads which no one has repaired for a long time no one ... the prosecutor's office of the Odessa region, which blocks the crossing of the Danube, which for them is the source of income, the judge of Izmail district, who forbade the peasants to gather the harvest ...," the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration said.

   On April 30 the SBU said that the security forces prevented the establishment of illegal formation under the working title 'Bessarabia'.

   After that the agency repeatedly reported arrests of members of the underground separatists, overseen by Russia to destabilize the situation.

Monday, June 22, 2015  12:08 PDT

Militants committed more than forty attacks on Ukrainian positions today. They used tanks and artillery against Pisky, Opytne and Vodiane, - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- The pro-Russian illegal armed groups continued committing attacks on Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the east of Ukraine all day long on June 22.

   Censor.NET reports citing the ATO press center.

   The report reads: "The militants assaulted our positions along almost the entire demarcation line more than 40 times.

   "After the criminals had shelled Nyzhnie village from Grads at night, they kept committing fire strikes on other towns and villages of the Luhansk region. The militants shelled Zolote and Novotoshkivske several times using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars prohibited by the Minsk agreements. In addition, Krymske village was fired at from grenade launchers.

   "The mercenaries of the Kremlin covered Pisky, Opytne and Vodiane villages near Donetsk by the dense fire from artillery, prohibited weapons and tank guns. The position of our defenders near Marinka was assaulted by an enemy sniper as well as grenade launchers and mortars.

   "It was hot near Artemivsk today. The village of Luhanske came under the fire of powerful 152-mm caliber artillery systems and 120-mm mortars there while Lozove village was twice attacked from the same types of weapons. The artillery shells of 122-mm caliber launched from the temporarily occupied territories were damaging and destroying civilian houses on the outskirts of Novozvanivka village.

   "The residents of Opytne village have been subjected to the terrorist attacks of the Russian armed gangs as well. Their homes were treacherously impacted by the militants' tank," the statement reads.

Monday, June 22, 2015  8:57 AM PDT

US provided speedboats for Ukraine’s special forces. They are already training to use them at Odessa naval base.

   (Censor.NET) --- Five American Willard Sea Force 730 and Sea Force 11M speedboats (seven and 11 meters long respectively), which the United States handed over to Ukraine are being successfully mastered in Odesa.

This is stated by editor of the Ukrainian Military Portal Taras Chmut on his Facebook page, Censor.NET reports.

According to him, the price of an 11-meter boat is about $850,000. The seven meter boat costs around $350,000 (price varies depending on configuration and contract conditions).

Four boats will go to the Naval special forces in Odessa and Ochakiv, and a seven-meter will give the search and rescue service of the Navy.

"The options on these boats are great - each is equipped worth Furuno navigation radar. There are gun mounts for 7.62-mm machine guns, which is extremely important for the Special Forces. They also come with a number of expendables, spare parts and tools, as well as warranty service from the manufacturer! In addition, the Americans will be training those who will maintain and operate them for two weeks, which will greatly reduce the chances of breaking such important equipment. What are these boats for? For special forces units - for quiet and fast delivery of groups to a certain area, to patrol bases, deployment locations, ports, for raids, for anti-sabotage defense, as inspection to check vessels. For search and rescue units - for quick search on the water. The Ukrainian Navy needs dozens of such boats. Let us hope that the aid of our allies will not be limited to these," Chmut wrote.