Ukraine War Update - 10 July 2015

Friday, July 10, 2015  6:52 AM PDT

10 Ukrainian servicemen have been released from captivity.

   (Censor.NET) --- As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on his Facebook page.
   "Friends, we've got good news - 10 our guys have been released from captivity: from the 17th tank brigade, Aidar battalion, the 40th brigade, the 43rd brigade: Shanidze, Bondaruk, Semeniuk, Shvyrev, Parkhomenko, Nihmatullin, Rizaiev, Haratin, Tkachenko, Startsev. Their families will be able to embrace the Heroes very soon," the head of state said.

Friday, July 10, 2015  6:06 AM PDT

Strategy of Ukrainian-Swiss cooperation in 2015-2018 foresees CHF100 mln aid to Ukraine

   (Interfax) --- The new strategy of Swiss cooperation with Ukraine in 2015-2018 foresees about CHF100 million being granted in financial aid to Ukraine, which at the average exchange rate on July 10, 2015 is equivalent to about $105 million.

   This is according to the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Services, with reference to the press service of Regional Development Minister, Vice Prime Minister Hennadiy Zubko.

   "We appreciate the decision to increase fiscal aid to Ukraine to CHF100 million," Zubko said during the presentation of the strategy on July 9.

   He said that in 2011-2014, Switzerland provided Ukraine with a total of CHF57 million of financial aid.

   "It is very important for us that the new strategy of Switzerland's cooperation with Ukraine provides special attention to Ukrainian citizens and territories affected by the armed conflict," Zubko said.

Friday, July 10, 2015  4:58 AM PDT

Turchynov reacts to Russia's proposal on Crimea: We don't trade in territories

   (Censor.NET) --- National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov fervently denies any future possibility of recognizing Crimea by Ukraine as a part of Russia.

   As reported by Censor.NET, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council said this in an exclusive interview to Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the Russia's proposal to Ukraine to recognize Crimea Russian in exchange for cancellation of $100 billion debt.
   "We do not trade in territories. We'll return Crimea and abjudge $100 billion," Turchynov said.

Friday, July 10, 2015  3:05 AM PDT

Two soldiers killed, 10 wounded over the past day, - АТО speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Over the past day, July 9, two soldiers were killed in the course of military actions in the ATO area.

   As reported by Censor.NET citing Ukrainski Novyny, this was announced by the Presidential Administration speaker on ATO matters Andrii Lysenko at a briefing.
   According to him, 10 other soldiers were wounded.

Thursday, July 9, 2015 23:46 PDT

Terrorists committed 40 attacks previous evening. A battle occurred near Krymske, - ATO HQ

   (Censor.NET) --- The situation in the east of Ukraine has deteriorated.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the ATO press center on its Facebook page.

   "From 6 p.m. till midnight, July 9, along the entire demarcation line, the pro-Russian militants fired about 40 times at the ATO forces' positions. Of these, 17 times involved weaponry prohibited by the Minsk agreements. With the arrival of another so-called "Russian humanitarian convoy" in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the volume of shelling of the ATO forces positions considerably increased," the report reads.

   It is noted that the gangs repeatedly shelled the positions of the ATO forces from 120-mm mortars and tanks near the villages of Vodianoie, Avdiivka, Pisky, Krymske, Opytne, Berezove.

   "122-mm shelling of the Ukrainian military positions occurred twice near the village of Taramchuk in the Donetsk region. From 7:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. the village on Hranitne in the Mariupol direction was shelled from 152-mm artillery. At 10:10 p.m. near Krymske there occurred an engagement between the Ukrainian military and a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the enemy. The group was spotted and prevented from breaking through the line of contact," the headquarters says, adding the terrorists are trying to find weak spots in the defense lines of the Ukrainian forces.

   From 9:25 p.m. to 11 p.m. 10 flights of the enemy drones were recorded in the Luhansk region.

   Another one was recorded in the Mariupol direction.

   Three drones were downed in the Luhansk region by the Ukrainian air defense units.

   "Today, July 10, at midnight militants started firing 120-mm mortars and small arms at the ATO forces positions near Pisky. At 2 a.m. near the village of Luhanske the ATO military spotted and repulsed the attack of a sabotage and reconnaissance group. Despite Russia's support of the illegal armed units in the occupied territory of Ukraine, the situation in the area is under full control of the Ukrainian army," the ATO press center reports.

Thursday, July 9, 2015 23:43 PDT

Scandalous rebel tells what Putin wants in exchange for Donbas

   (Zik) --- Igor Girkin, ex-FSB officer and onetime defense minister of the Luhansk breakaway republic, confirmed again that Putin had unleashed the war in Donbas to destabilize the situation in Ukraine, Girkin says in a video posted by Ukrayinska Pravda July 10.

   “Moscow has no plans to win in Donbas, it will be happy with a draw. In this game Donbas is one of the pawns Kremlin will be ready to swap for Crimea,” Girkin said.

   Simultaneously, Girkin predicted that this is a no-win game for Putin which will end in Putin’s ouster and Russia losing its sovereignty.

   Putin’s game will lead to intimidation and complete capitulation of Russia, the ex-rebel leader said.

Thursday, July 9, 2015 17:56 PDT

Poroshenko Warns Of Rising Terrorist Threat In Ukraine

   (RFE/RL) --- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said the threat of terrorism has "significantly risen" in Ukraine.

   "The level of guerrilla and terrorist threats in the regions outside the (conflict) zone has significantly risen," Poroshenko said during a meeting with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov on July 10.

   Poroshenko did not elabourate, but said the flow of weapons from the conflict zone, where Ukrainian troops are fighting pro-Russian separatists, posed a threat.

   Kiev considers Russian-backed rebels fighting against government troops in eastern Ukraine to be 'terrorists."

   There have been dozens of minor terror incidents across Ukraine, including a bomb attack that killed at least two people and injured at least 10 at a rally in Kharkiv in February.

   Kiev has in the past accused Russia of "exporting terrorism" to Ukraine by providing weapons, training, and personnel to rebels in eastern Ukraine, a claim Russia denies.

   In May, two Russian special forces soldiers captured in eastern Ukraine were charged with involvement in "terrorist activity."

   The conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 6,400 people since April 2014.

Thursday, July 9, 2015 9:40 AM PDT

International military exercise kicks off in Yavoriv, Lviv, July 20

   (Zik) --- A multinational military exercise,Saber Guardian/Rapid Trident, is to be held between July 20 and 31 at the Yavoriv training field in the Lviv oblast, Ukraine defense minister’s deputy for European integration Ihor Dolhov said July 9, RBK-Ukrayina reports. .

Participating will be 800 Ukrainian servicemen and the same number from USA, UK, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Lithuania, the official said