Ukraine War Update - 4 June 2015

Thursday, June 4, 2015  8:54 AM PDT

SBU arrests terrorist who wanted to blow up rail bridge

   (Zik) --- In the night of June 3, the security service arrested a terrorist who wanted to blow up a rail bridge in the Kharkiv oblast, SBU informs.

   The explosion was to have been timed with the passage over the bridge of a train carrying military cargo to Donbas.

   The terrorist, a 38-year old local, said he received instructions from the Donbas rebels.

   The terrorist was caught red-handed by SBU when he was laying a mine.

   He also recruited locals for terrorist acts in the region.

Thursday, June 4, 2015  8:20 AM PDT

11 servicemen wounded in Maryinka recover after surgeries in military hospital of Kharkiv

   KIEV, June 4 (Ukrinform). --- The eleven servicemen wounded in the Wednesday fighting in the village of Maryinka near the city of Donetsk had surgeries in the military-medical clinical center of Kharkiv.

   The press service of the regional administration quoted its director of health care department Oleksandr Halatsan as saying.

   "Eleven servicemen out of 42 were brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds. All of them had surgeries," said Halatsan.

   According to him, one serviceman is in critical condition after surgery, two patients are in difficult condition, and two are in satisfactory status. The hospital has all necessary medical supplies.

   The other 31 soldiers were admitted to the hospital with various diseases (bronchitis, gastritis, etc).

Thursday, June 4, 2015  8:18 AM PDT

Terrorists shelled Avdiivka, hitting residential buildings and wounding a man.

   (Censor.NET) --- Russia-backed terrorists have shelled the city of Avdiivka, the Donetsk region.

   This was reported by Head of the Donetsk Regional Police Viacheslav Abroskin, Censor.NET reports citing his Facebook page.

   "Direct hit of missiles into residential buildings near Yuvileina Str. The houses have been destroyed, a gas pipe damaged. Information on casualties is being specified," he wrote.
   According to Abroskin, an investigation and operational group of Avdiivka city police department is working on site.
   As the press service of the Donetsk Regional Police noted later, the terrorists directly hit several streets of a residential block. A man born in 1969 has been wounded and delivered to Avdivka city hospital with shrapnel wounds.

Thursday, June 4, 2015  7:57 AM PDT

About 80 militants killed, more than 100 wounded near Maryinka - Lysenko

   KIEV, June 4 (Ukrinform). --- During repelling illegal armed groups' attempt of assault near the town of Maryinka Ukrainian military have destroyed 10 armoured vehicles, up to 80 militants have been killed and more than 100 injured.

   Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the anti-terrorist operation, Colonel Andriy Lysenko said this at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

   "According to operational information, the enemy suffered heavy losses yesterday. As a result of the battle near the town of Maryinka, the militants lost 10 armoured vehicles, 80 people were killed, and more than 100 wounded," Lysenko said.

   At the same time, the bodies of Russian mercenaries are still lying in the neutral zone, Lysenko said.

Thursday, June 4, 2015  7:22 AM PDT

EU to provide official reaction to situation in Marinka

   (Censor.NET) --- The European Union believes Wednesday’s fighting around the eastern Ukrainian city of Marinka is a huge violation in the cease-fire between the militants and Ukrainian army that could lead to a new escalation in violence, EU Foreign Affairs & Security Policy spokeswoman Maja Kocijančič said Thursday.

   "In our opinion, yesterday's fighting around Marinka near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine is a huge violation in the Minsk cease-fire agreement," Kocijančič told journalists, Censor.NET reports Ukrinform.

   She said the escalations in the conflict had led to the redeployment of a large number of heavy artillery back near the line of contact.

   "This fighting threatens the launching of a new spiral in violence and human suffering," she said, adding that that the EU was preparing an official statement on the matter.

   During yesterday's attack the militants lost 80 killed and 100 wounded. 10 units of enemy equipment were destroyed.

Thursday, June 4, 2015  6:52 AM PDT

Terrorists' reconnaissance and sabotage groups conduct intelligence and prepare assaults near Shchastia, Ukrainian soldiers say.

   (Censor.NET) --- Soldiers of the 92nd separate mechanized brigade equipped a fortress near the Luhansk thermal power plant. Territory around it is being fire-swept and patrolled.

   As reported by Censor.NET, terrorists' reconnaissance and sabotage groups conduct intelligence of Ukrainian positions with the purpose of preparing attacks on them. Most of the shells are conducted in the night, while during the day Ukrainian soldiers are annoyed by terrorists' snipers.

Thursday, June 4, 2015  6:24 AM PDT

Ukrainian military sailors and frontier guard prevent provocations of RF combat ship

   (UTR.TV) --- The Ukrainian Navy along with Maritime Border Guard of Ukraine prevented provocations of Russian federation combat ship. 

   On June 3, Ukrainian Hetman Sahaidachnyi frigate (U130) detected RF Black Sea Fleet Ladnyfrigate which tried to conduct reconnaissance near territorial waters of Ukraine. Moreover, the ship was on the way of civil ships challenging the civil navigation.

   Ukrainian Navy alert resources along with Pryluky cutter (U153) and Henichensk harbor minesweeper (U360), Mi-14helicopter, Mykolaiv cutter of Maritime Border Guard put to sea.

   Ladny frigate was forced to refuse its plans and sailed back.

Thursday, June 4, 2015  3:24 AM PDT

5 Ukrainian servicemen killed and 39 wounded in the combat area over the last 24 hours

   (UTR.TV) --- 4 Ukrainian military have been killed near Mariinka. In general, 5 Ukrainian servicemen killed in Donbas conflict zone over the past 24 hours.

   Such data was posted in Facebook by Assistant Minister of Defence of Ukraine Yuriy Biryukov. 39 soldiers have been wounded, most of them are soldiers of the 28th Mechanized Brigade of Odesa and 30th Mechanized Brigade of Novograd-Volynskyi. According to Yuriy Biryukov, 86 militants have been wounded, including 18 – heavily. The Interior Ministry stated that 3 civilians have been killed in Marinka, and at least 4 – wounded. On the eve, fierce fighting continued in the area of Marinka and Krasnohorivka towns of Donetsk region. Militants used grenades and heavy mortars. The Armed Forces of Ukraine were forced to use heavy artillery which had previously been pulled out from the demarcation line in accordance with the Minsk Agreements, warning all international partners before. However, according to Biryukov, the situation has stabilized near Marinka at night.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015  19:43 PDT

Russia Accuses Kiev Of Provoking East Ukraine Fighting

   (RFE/RL) --- Russia has accused Kiev of aggravating tensions in eastern Ukraine following the biggest upsurge of fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatists in months.

   "The Ukrainian side has taken steps to aggravate tensions many times in the past in the run-up to some major international events," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on June 4. "We are seriously concerned now over the most recent manifestation of such activity."

   Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major economies are meeting in Germany on June 7–8 and a European Union summit is scheduled for later this month.

   Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Minsk peace agreement faced a "constant threat" from the Ukrainian side.

   He said the Kiev authorities were "trying to avoid fulfilling their obligations" to establish direct dialogue with the rebels.

   The Minsk deal has served as the basis for a shaky cease-fire since February. (Blogger note: Its amazing Lavrov could keep a straight face coming out with that monumental BS)

Wednesday, June 3, 2015  12:12 PDT

Four Russian special forces servicemen killed during attack on Marjinka – SBU official says

   (Zik) --- After a fierce flare-up in fighting near Marjinka in which the rebels used heavy artillery, tanks and 1,000 attackers, the fighting let up after Ukraine army used heavy artillery to counter enemy shelling, army spokesman Oleksandr Poroniuk told Ukrayinaka Pravda at 18.20 June 3.

   Ukraine army held its positions and retains control over Marjinka.
   Simultaneously, SBU chief adviser Markian Lubkivsky said the rebels’ losses were 10 killed and over 80 wounded.

   SBU counterintelligence reported that the Russian GRU special forces unit involved in the attack has lost four soldiers, he confirmed.

   As the enemy attack advanced in the morning, Ukraine army warned the rebels and Ukraine/Russian truce observing center that it will be forced to use heavy artillery against the advancing tanks and enemy artillery. Only after Ukraine artillery opened fire, the rebels ceased their advance and pulled back.

   Experts say the rebels and their Russian patrons mounted the attack against the backdrop of Minsk peace negotiations, Russia’s trademark practice to obtain leverage over Ukraine negotiators.