Ukraine War Update - 11 June 2015

Thursday, June 11, 2015  8:13 AM PDT

NATO should preserve superiority in Black Sea - EP resolution

   KIEV, June 11 (Ukrinform). --- NATO should preserve its general naval and air superiority in the Black Sea Basin.

   This is stated in the European Parliament resolution on the strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the annexation of Crimea by Russia, adopted in Strasbourg on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

   "The European Parliament underlines that NATO should preserve its general naval and air superiority in the Black Sea Basin and maintain its capacity to monitor the area," the document says.

   The resolution also notes the vital importance of the coordination between NATO and the United States as the Black Sea Basin is a key element of Euro-Atlantic security.

   In addition, the MEPs call on the EU to support a reinforced OSCE presence and new OSCE initiatives in the region aiming at easing the security situation.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  7:56 AM PDT

Kherson regional authorities request protection of strategic dam

   KIEV, June 11 (Ukrinform). --- Rice growers of Kalanchak district in Kherson region and the local state administration have urged the Kherson regional administration and regional water resources department to provide security at the temporary water-measuring dam that was built last year on the Northern Crimean canal.

   Head of Kherson regional water resources department Yehor Kovalenko made a statement at the defense meeting of the region, Ukrinform regional correspondent reports.

   According to the official, the management of the North Crimean canal today has no funds to secure the protection of the structure.

   "We request to include the specified object in the list of local objects that ought to be protected and defended during the special period," said Kovalenko.

   As a background note, the Northern Crimean canal is the largest waterworks in Europe. Its main purpose is to transport water for irrigation and water supply to Kherson region and Crimea. Currently, the Dnieper water is not supplied to the Crimean peninsula.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  7:56 AM PDT

Gunmen block last checkpoint in Luhansk region

   KIEV, June 11 (Ukrinform). --- Russian-backed militants have blocked the last checkpoint in the occupied territory of the so-called Luhansk People's Republic. The checkpoint was near the village of Rodyna, a suburb of the town of Zolote in Popasniansky district.

   Chairman of Luhansk Regional Military and Civilian Administration Hennadiy Moskal wrote this on his official website.

   "Yesterday (9.06.2015) signs reading 'Bridge mined' and 'Movement prohibited' appeared on occupied territory in front of one of the bridges leading to Rodyna. Armed militants forbid the crossing of the bridge in the direction of territory that is controlled by Ukraine to pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles," the statement reads.

   The administration called on those wanting to get to the occupied territories to use the Artemivsk-Horlivka access corridor, via the Mykolaivka control point.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  7:25 AM PDT

Militants deploy mortars and heavy artillery in Sakhanka, Bezimenne and Dzerzhynske

   (UTR-TV) --- Russian-backed militants have deployed a large number of mortars and heavy artillery in the villages of Sakhanka, Bezimenne and Dzerzhynske of Novoazovskiy district in Donetsk region, presidential administration spokesman for ATO issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

   According to Lysenko, the militants are firing 152mm artillery on the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces near the villages of Myrne and Berdianske. Heavy fighting is also continuing in the village of Shyrokyne.

   "In the nearby villages in the occupied territories - Sakhanka, Bezimenne and Dzerzhynske - the militants have deployed a large number of mortars and heavy artillery and are actively using it," he said.

   Lysenko also said that the village of Shyrokyne, which had recently been a popular resort, is now in ruins as a result of these attacks.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  7:01 AM PDT

Poroshenko and Zhebrivskyi inspected fortifications near Mariupol.

   (Censor.NET) --- President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko arrived in Mariupol. He is accompanied by incumbent head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Oleksandr Kikhtenko and presumptive future Governor of the Donetsk region Pavlo Zhebrivskyi.

   Itinerary of Poroshenko's travel is not disclosed. Activities are scheduled to be held at several strongpoints. It is known that the president has already inspected a fortification structure - the strong point #3, Censor.NET reports citing Mariupol news outlet 0629.

   The motorcade of the president of Ukraine is moving without a stop so the city traffic lights are not working.

   "The president inspects the fortifications near Mariupol," president's spokesman Sviatoslav Tseholko wrote on Twitter.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  6:45 AM PDT

Fortifications in Donbas should be built by mid-July - Poroshenko

   (Interfax) --- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that the fortifications on the demarcation line in Donbas should be built by mid-July.

   "All the fortifications should be built by mid-July," the president told reporters after the inspection of platoon strongpoint outside Mariupol on Thursday.

   The third defense facility on the line has been completed on schedule and the construction works are going according to schedule, he added.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  5:05 AM PDT

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed, 13 wounded in conflict zone in last day

   (UNIAN) --- Two Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another 13 injured in the Donbas conflict zone over the last 24 hours, presidential administration spokesman for ATO issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

   "Taking into account the intensification of the military actions, numerous provocations and the use of heavy weapons by the Russian-backed militants, the Ukrainian armed forces have suffered casualties along almost the whole of the demarcation line," Lysenko said.

   As UNIAN reported earlier, on June 10, the militants fired on the 29th checkpoint of the Ukrainian armed forces on the Bakhmutka highway in Luhansk region, as a result of which one Ukrainian soldier was killed and another four were injured.

Thursday, June 11, 2015  2:07 AM PDT

Terrorists shelled Shyrokyne from grenade launchers at night; total of 13 fires were opened yesterday, - press officer of 'M' sector

   (Censor.NET) --- In the morning the Ukrainian army positions in 'M' sector were shelled anew.

   It was announced by the press center of sector "M" at 0629 webiste that at 00:30 a.m. today the ATO positions in Shyrokyne were shelled by the "DPR" fighters from an automatic grenade launcher, Censor.NET reports.
   No casualties among servicemen of Ukrainian army and National Guard of Ukraine were registered.

   The situation in 'M' sector has stabilized, the enemy was shelling the ATO positions only in the night. Yaroslav Chepurnyi, press officer of 'M' sector in the ATO zone said to "112 Ukraine" TV Channel.

   "Now the situation near the village of Shyrokyne is normal. The enemy shelled only once from small arms. Regarding the past day... The situation was very complicated for our troops. 13 times our troops' positions in our sector were heavily shelled. The enemy used all available weapons excluding Grads. We were four times shelled from the heavy 122-mm and 152-mm artillery. They fired five times from the 82-mm and 120-mm weapons, and four times from small arms, including machine guns, grenade launchers and sniper rifles," he said.
   He also pointed out that according to his information one person from Azov regiment of the National guard was injured.

   "Once we registered an enemy intelligence drone over our positions in Shyrokyne. Regarding residential areas, the village of Shyrokyne was shelled 11 times, the village of Berdianske once and residential area of the village of Hranitne once," Chepurnyi informed.

   The press officer emphasized that Ukrainian servicemen were using only arms not forbidden by the Minsk agreements. Now the situation has stabilized.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015  22:20 PDT

SBU chief to address US Congress on Russia’s aggression

   (Zik) --- The chief of Ukraine’s Security Service, Valentyn Nalyvajchenko, was invited to speak at US Congress hearings on Russia’s involvement in the war against Ukraine, Nalyvajchenko’s aide Markian Lubkivsky writes in facebook June 11.

   “Hearings on Russia’s military presence in Ukraine are scheduled in Senate and Congress foreign relations committees,” Lubkivsky says.

   The organizers have asked Valentyn Nalyvajchenko to present evidence of Russian troops involvement in Donbas and discuss the effective ways of helping Ukraine in the security area, Lubkivsky says.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015  22:09 PDT

Rebels opened fire 35 times at night of June 11

   (Zik) --- Donbas rebels and their Russian patrons opened fire 35 times against Ukraine army positions during the night of June 11, the army spokesman said.

Pisky and Butovka mine were shelled using 120-mm mortars.

   Hranitne outskirts were shelled from 122-mm guns.

   Novotoshkivka was shelled using 120-mm mortars and 122-mm artillery guns.

   Shyrokine and Berdyanske (both near Mariupol) were shelled from 152-mm howitzers and 120-mm mortars, the army says. 

   The rebels fired from tanks and howitzers on civilian-populated areas in Vodyane and Trudovske.