Ukraine War Update - 22 July 2015

Wednesday, July 22, 2015  9:02 AM PDT

Car with civilians was burnt down by a mortar attack on Avdiivka, - local police

   (Censor.NET) --- Terrorists’ mortar strike covered Avdiivka village in the Donetsk region.

   Censor.NET reports citing the press service of the Interior Ministry.

   Several houses have been completely destroyed as well. The information about casualties is being specified. The shelling is still underway. The investigative team of Avdiivka police is expecting the end of the shelling to leave for the scene.

   According to updated information, the car with civilians has completely been burnt down as a result of the shelling. There were at least two people in the vehicle. The burnt body of a man was found inside the car and there also were human remains nearby.

   Censor.NET reported earlier that two people were injured as a result of the mortar attack on Avdiivka. According to the police, the wounded persons have been brought to the city hospital.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015  6:34 AM PDT

Terrorists shell Avdiivka residential area from mortars, several people wounded, - Abroskin

   (Censor.NET) --- Militants started mortar shelling of the Avdiivka residential area.

   This was announced by the Head of the Main Department of the Internal Affairs Ministry in the Donetsk region Viacheslav Abroskin on his Facebook page, Censor.NET reports.
   "There are direct impacts at private houses. Several houses near Kirov Street are completely destroyed. A woman, born 1968, and a man, born 1965, received injuries of varying severity," Abroskin said.
   According to him, the shelling is underway.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015  5:44 AM PDT

Kiev warns French MPs planning to visit Crimea of consequences

   (Interfax) --- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is outraged by reports on the plans of a group of French parliamentarians to visit Crimea.

   "The trip of French deputies to the ARC [Autonomous Republic of Crimea] is an irresponsible step and disrespect for Ukrainian laws and the French/EU policy of non-recognition of the ARC's illegal occupation. Consequences are to follow," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry politics and communications department Director Oleksiy Makeyev said via Twitter on Wednesday.

   Russian media reported earlier that a delegation of French parliamentarians coming to Crimea for a two-day visit on July 23 planned, in addition to the official program, to talk to ordinary residents of Yalta and Sevastopol, and visit a cemetery of French soldiers who died during the Crimean War and the 'Sevastopol Defense of 1854-1855' panorama museum.

   The delegation is comprised of ten members of the French National Assembly and the Senate. Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian State Duma committee on ties with CIS countries, will be accompanying the French delegation headed by National Assembly member Thierry Mariani during the visit to Crimea.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015  5:26 AM PDT

Poroshenko orders signing deal on 30-km buffer zone in Donbas, withdrawal of tanks, artillery

   (Interfax) --- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has instructed the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group to sign an agreement on a buffer zone along the line of contact in Donbas.

   "I have instructed the Ukrainian representatives in the Trilateral Contact Group to immediately sign an agreement with the OSCE and the Russian side, which is a party to the Trilateral Contact Group, to guarantee the establishment of a 30-kilometer buffer zone along the line of contact and to withdraw artillery that is still left there, withdraw tanks, and withdraw mortars, making the constant shelling impossible," Poroshenko said when introducing the new head of the Luhansk regional administration in Severodonetsk on Wednesday.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015  4:58 AM PDT

Cabinet to create working group to transfer four customs agencies to management of British company – Yatseniuk

   (Interfax) --- The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Wednesday will create a working group to transfer four Ukrainian customs agencies to the management of a British company, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

   "Today, the cabinet is taking the decision to urgently create a working group on the transfer of some customs agencies to the management of a British company," he said.

   He did not disclose the name of the company, however government representatives had previously said that talks on the transfer of customs agencies to the management are being held with Crown Agents.

   Yatseniuk said that Zakarpattia, Lviv, Volyn and Chernivtsi customs agencies will be transferred to the management of the British company.

   He said that this would help stirring up fight against smuggling and the increase in revenues from the operation of the agencies. This will help in training officials to continue reforming the Ukrainian customs sector.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015  3:43 AM PDT

No one killed, five Ukrainian soldiers wounded over past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- No Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat activities in the anti-terrorist operation area (ATO), five were wounded yesterday.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the Presidential Administration speaker on ATO matters Andrii Lysenko at a traditional briefing on Wednesday.
   "Over the past day, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat activities, five were wounded," he announced.
   According to Lysenko, this has happened at Donetsk direction.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015  23:15 PDT

Terrorists committed 80 attacks along entire demarcation line, - HQ

   (Censor.NET) --- Over the past day, July 21, the ATO forces positions were attacked by Russian militants about 80 times.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this is announced by the ATO press center on its Facebook page.
   According to the HQ, almost half of the attacks occurred in the period from 6 p.m. to midnight: "The village of Opytne was shelled from tank and mortars by Russian terrorists. 120-mm mortars were used to spray the Ukrainian military positions near the villages of Vodiane and Novhorodske."
   "Using small arms, grenade launchers, and 82-mm mortars, Russian invaders provoked ATO forces to fire back almost along the entire demarcation line. This happened near the villages of Marinka, Pisky, Opytne, Vodiane, Staryi Aidar, Novhorodske, Krasnohorivka, Shyrokyne, Avdiivka, Zolote, Maiorsk, Stanytsia Luhanska, Lozove, and near the Donetsk airport," the statement reads.
   According to the report, as of 6 a.m., July 22, militants continue shelling ATO forces positions near Opytne, Pisky and Krasnohorivka.
   "At 3.16 a.m., an IFV attack at our positions near the Donetsk airport was recorded. At 5.10 a.m. a shelling of our positions near Berezove started. Pro-Russian gangs used 122-mm artillery and 120-mm mortars, which are prohibited by the Minsk Agreements," the headquarters reported.
   According to the press center, Ukrainian defenders firmly hold their defensive positions and feel confident at all defense points.