Ukraine War Update - 15 July 2015

Wednesday, July 15, 2015  9:30 AM PDT

Russia sends another "humanitarian convoy" to eastern Ukraine

   (UNIAN) --- Despite protests by Ukrainian authorities, international organizations and foreign governments, a 32nd so-called “humanitarian” convoy has crossed into Ukraine amid further escalation in Donbas, Ukraine Today reports.  

   The Kremlin persists that the column of over 100 trucks caries aid for local Donbas residents, including food and medicine, but Ukrainian border guards have only been permitted to carry out visual inspection from behind a fence. As before, Russia directed the column via a checkpoint where the Ukrainian authorities are not in full control, according to Ukraine Today.

   Ukrainian government has repeatedly stressed that such convoys were being used  mainly for supplying militants in seized territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions with weapons, ammunition and fuel. Arivals of “humanitarian aid” often coincided with intensified militant attacks on government forces, according to the Ukrainian military.

   In addition, the trucks deliver the bodies of Russian troops and mercenaries killed in action back to the Russian territory.

   Earlier, evidence emerged that the equipment of Ukrainian factories located in the region was also loaded onto the trucks that were heading back to Russia. 

Wednesday, July 15, 2015  8:40 AM PDT

Unremitting attacks rock Stanytsia-Luhanska in east Ukraine

   (UNIAN) --- Fierce fighting between Russian-separatist forces and Ukrainian government troops continues in Donbas despite Minsk ceasefire agreement  signed in February.

   The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission has been reporting on damage inflicted by militants, also stressing that there is a critical concentration of military hardware along part of the demarcation line, Ukraine Today reports.

   Signs of preparing of another major offensive against the Ukrainian forces are being spotted.

   See unian.info’s video section for more of the latest news from Ukraine in video from Ukraine Today, Ukraine’s 24-hour English-language news channel.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015  7:30 AM PDT

SBU detains saboteur mining railway station in Kharkiv

   (UNIAN) --- The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a saboteur of the Donetsk People’s Republic militant organization, while he was laying an improvised explosive device at the railway station in Kharkiv, the press center of the SBU told an UNIAN correspondent on Wednesday.

   As reported, a 30-year-old local resident was instructed by terrorists to blow up a railway

pointwork in one of depots of the Kharkiv station. A saboteur was detained by the SBU operatives while he was laying a bomb with the energy equivalent of 2.5 kg of TNT under the railway.

   The SBU’s investigators in Kharkiv region opened criminal proceedings under Article 113 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (sabotage). Investigative actions to identify and detain the saboteur’s accomplices are continuing.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015  6:29 AM PDT

Israeli and Georgian instructors help set up Ukrainian special border troops.

   (Censor.NET) --- Kherson border guards adopt Israeli and Georgian military practices - after training we'll have a kind of special border troops.

   Kherson border guards adopt Israeli and Georgian military practices, Censor.NET reports citing TSN TV channel picture shot.
   At the moment the servicemen of mobile frontier post are taking training at the range. This is a kind of special border troops, responding to any disturbances at the border and helping other border guards. Afterwards the trained group will share experience with other colleagues.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015  5:07 AM PDT

July 14, 8 Ukrainian servicemen killed and 16 wounded in heaviest shelling seen in Donbas

   (Zik) --- July 14 saw one of the heaviest shelling of Ukraine army positions by enemy artillery and tanks, National Defense and Security Council spokesman reports July 15.

   “The Russians and their Donetsk puppets used the weapons banned by the Minsk agreements: 152-mm howitzers and tanks,” he said.

   “Simultaneously, the enemy stepped up penetration in mainland Ukraine of terrorist groups and spies to undermine the country’s political stability, spread panic and egg on Ukrainians to provocations against government buildings.

   All this indicates another attempt by Russia and its puppets to torpedo the Minsk agreements. Ukraine army general staff has worked out effective steps to counter Moscow’s aggression,” the NDSC spokesman said.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015  12:37 AM PDT

Situation in ATO area getting tenser: terrorists opened fire 100 times, clash occurred near Opytne, - HQ

   (Censor.NET) --- The situation in the anti-terrorist operation area is getting tenser.

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

   "Yesterday, July 14, the Kremlin mercenaries violated the cease-fire for 100 times. They used 152-mm and 122-mm artillery to fire at the Ukrainian army positions 19 times, 120-mm mortars - 33 times, MLRSes - two times, tanks - 13 times," the message reads.
   According to the headquarters, the most intensive shelling occurred between 6 p.m. and 12 a.m. yesterday. The illegal armed gangs covered positions of the ATO forces with fire in the following areas: Avdiivka, Opytne, Vodiane, Pisky, Kirove, Novhorodske, Luhanske, all at Donetsk direction.
   At Luhansk direction, Russian terrorist troops shelled Ukrainian military's positions near Stanytsia Luhanska, Novotoshkivske, Krymske, Triokhizbenka. At Mariupol direction, only small arms were used near Talakivka and Mykolaivka.
   "Today, July 15, as of 6 a.m., shelling of our military was conducted near Avdiivka, Opytne, Starohnativka with the use of 122-mm howitzers and 120-mm mortars. At midnight, Ukrainian military revealed and repelled a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the mercenaries near Opytne," the HQ informed.
   It is reported that the ATO forces hold defense lines and repulse Russian-terrorist offensives, being ready for any scenarios at the front line.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015  20:20 PDT

Ukrainian Forces Patrol Mukacheve In Wake Of Clash

   (RFE/RL) --- Security forces were continuing to man checkpoints around Mukacheve in western Ukraine on July 14, three days after members of the nationalist Right Sector group were involved in a shootout that left three dead. Two members of the group have been detained, but police were still hunting for other armed militiamen.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015  11:56 AM PDT

Terrorists shelled Novhorodske, Opytne, Pisky, Luhanske, Vodiane, Avdiivka, - the ATO press-center

   (Censor.NET) --- The situation in the ATO area remains steadily tense.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the ATO press center.
   The report reads: "From 0:15 a.m. the militants fired twice at our positions near Pisky from tanks. At 4 a.m. a sniper was active in Shyrokyne.
   "On July 14, as of 6.30 p.m., the enemy carried out about 50 attacks on the ATO positions, with 19 of them violating the Minsk agreements.
   "In particular, the pro-Russian gangs used 152-mm guns, 120-mm mortars and tanks to shell the Ukrainian army positions. During the day, the terrorists repeatedly shelled the ATO positions near the villages of Novhorodske, Opytne, Pisky, Luhanske, Vodiane, Avdiivka.
   "The Russian-terrorist forces also delivered harassing fire near the villages of Shchastia, Stanytsia Luhanska, Krymske and Maiorsk.
   "From 10.50 a.m., during an hour, and from 12.30 a.m. a sniper fired at the Ukrainian soldiers near Marinka. Three drone flights have been recorded over the day. Ukrainian military firmly hold their defensive positions being ready for any course of events."