Ukraine War Update - 24 July 2015

Friday, July 24, 2015  8:33 AM PDT

Russia has better chance to repeat Yugoslav scenario than Ukraine, - Turchynov

   (Censor.NET) --- NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov commented on the statement of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that Ukraine ran the risk of disappearing like Yugoslavia in case of granting autonomy to Donbas.

   "There is a saying in the Bible: "He who sows the wind, shall reap the whirlwind." This is what the Russian officials are engaged in predicting Yugoslav scenario for Ukraine. They are jumping out of skin in order to create it, being not reluctant to indulge in shelling of peaceful neighbourhoods of the Ukrainian cities and shooting down civilian planes," Oleksandr Turchynov said stressing Ukraine's ability to resist the aggression of the Russian Federation, protect itself and eventually reclaim the temporarily occupied territories of the Donbas and Crimea, Censor.NET reports citing the press service of the National Security and Defense Council.

   According to him, Russia itself has better chance to dissolve under the Yugoslav scenario "being the colossus with feet of clay". "At the same time many Russia's powerful and serious neighbours are keeping a close eye on it especially on its eastern part, as on a canned food, which should be open in the near future," he added.

   However, the NSDC Secretary noted that the totalitarian regime in Russia was trying to hold back national liberation movements "either bribing or suppressing them and switch the maturing large-scale social discontent to the fictional artificially-created external enemies."

   "But the history of the USSR shows that this situation can not last long. The collapse of the empire built on fear and lies, which had begun in the early 90s of the last century, was only temporarily suspended," he said.

   "The intervention of the Soviet Union that took place in the 80s has triggered the collapse of the empire while the current Russian intervention will become the factor which will complete the process of its dissipation," Oleksandr Turchynov said.

Friday, July 24, 2015  7:06 AM PDT

Russia’s PM scares Ukraine by repeating of Yugoslavia scenario: “The process may become really dramatic”

   (Censor.NET) --- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, following rhetoric of the Kremlin, does not consider Russia responsible for the conflict in the Donbas.

   He stated this in an interview with Slovenian RTV, Censor.NET informs citing the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation.

   "The Ukrainian crisis has man-made features. It was not just conceived in someone's mind or emerged due to some other force majeure, no - it has an artificial nature while the former and current leaders of Ukraine are responsible for it... The Ukrainian crisis could be resolved only in the territory of Ukraine by Ukrainians themselves. Not by the Russian Federation, the European Union or the United States but exceptionally by Ukrainians themselves. They need to sit down and make an agreement. The authorities should show flexibility within the Minsk agreements, make the decisions they have to make, including the ones regarding autonomies in the southeast of Ukraine (Donbas - Ed.). Naturally, the rebels and political forces operating in the southeast (the Russian-backed terrorists and militants - Ed.) should show disposition to strike a compromise and reach agreement with the Ukrainian authorities. And then there will be peace on the Ukrainian land. This is probably the most important thing, because we will witness a very sad process if this is not done. It is actually very sad now but it can become really dramatic," Medvedev said.

   Medvedev held up Yugoslavia as an example of the sad scenario which he used to scare Ukraine with.

   "I have recollected Yugoslavia just because I hoped that we would not have to recall in the same vein after a while that there had been a state once that was called Ukraine," Medvedev said.

   At the same time the Russian prime minister said that Russia was not responsible for the conflict in the Donbas.

   "Everyone who wants to achieve real progress in negotiations can help, including Russia, although we do not consider ourselves responsible for this conflict," Medvedev said.

Friday, July 24, 2015  3:26 AM PDT

One soldier killed, three wounded over past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- One Ukrainian serviceman was killed and three were wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area on July 23.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the Presidential Administration speaker on ATO matters Andrii Lysenko at a briefing.
   "Over the past day, one Ukrainian soldier was killed in combat activities, another three were wounded," he announced.

   Lysenko also noted that the day before yesterday, July 22, a special forces officer was killed near Avdiivka, another one received injuries. "Unfortunately, he also died in a hospital from his wounds," Lysenko said.

Friday, July 24, 2015  2:37 AM PDT

ATO command bans Ukrainian soldiers from return fire when shelled by terrorists, - MP Tymchuk

   (Censor.NET) --- As announced by Informational Resistance group, representatives of the Ukrainian command launched a 'witch hunt' in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area within OSCE accusations of the Ukrainian forces of shelling Donetsk downtown with tanks, allegedly conducted on July 18.

MP Dmytro Tymchuk wrote on his Facebook page, Censor.NET reports.

   According to him, search for those 'guilty' in Ukrainian units is accompanied with unprecedented pressure upon soldiers and officers by certain members of Ukrainian generalship, as well as with threats of criminal cases. "In connection to this, we the InfoResist group need to declare that such activities by representatives of the Ukrainian command are intolerable."
   "We do not comment on OSCE accusations - this organization, which holds itself out as 'independent observers' (and still always plays on the Russian aggressor's side), has discredited itself long since. However, the Ukrainian generalship should have taken a look at tank weapons before such 'blamestorming', given they had no time to do so in military colleges and academies," Tymchuk wrote.
   He noted that, according to 'OSCE data,' the fire has been conducted from tank weapons located on Ukraine-controlled territory, including Pisky village (11 km from Donetsk) and Pervomaiske village (17 km from Donetsk). "There are no tanks in the world, including perspective samples, able to fire at such distances," the deputy commented. Most tanks servicing Ukrainian army have a firing range between 2.5 and 5 km, Tymchuk stressed.
   "In general, we believe this inappropriate for the discipline in the Ukrainian army to take one's lead from the structure which usually presents biased information and is staffed with the aggressor state representatives," the expert said.
   At the same Tymchuk noted 'pathological desire' of ATO command to the so-called 'abiding' by the Minsk agreements, which results in banning Ukrainian soldiers from opening return fire in cases of shelling by the Russian terrorist troops, even if they use heavy weapons.

   "We are certain this ban would have worked if the terrorists, Russian mercenaries and Russian soldiers also had abode by the Minsk agreements," Tymchuk wrote. "But in situation when Russian terrorist troops continuously attempt assaults and conduct fire along the entire demarcation line, such policy of the military command only leads to subsequent loss of the territory of Ukraine and increase in the Russian infection over the body of our country," Tymchuk concluded.

Thursday, July 23, 2015  22:52 PDT

Terrorists shelled Ukrainian forces' positions 78 times yesterday, - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- The situation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area remains stable but tense.

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

   They inform that over the past day, July 23, pro-Russian gangs shelled the positions of the Ukrainian army 78 times. 35 of the cases were conducted in the evening time, from 6 p.m. till midnight.
   "Novhorodske village was shelled by Russian terrorists with a tank from the occupied Horlivka at 9:30 pm. Ukrainian forces' positions near Opytne, Avdiivka, Berezove were shelled from 152-mm and 122-mm caliber artillery between 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. At around 9 p.m., the gangs were firing at our positions near Pisky using 120-mm mortars," the message reads.
   Mercenaries also shelled the ATO forces near Novhorodske, Rozsadka, Avdiivka, Kirove, Stanytsia Luhanska, Sanzharivka, Luhanske, Lozove, Marinka, Opytne and other villages numerous times.

   "As of 6 a.m. today, July 24, the shelling continues. After 2 a.m., terrorists had been firing at the ATO forces' positions near Pisky with a tank for more than an hour. After 4 a.m., Krasnohorivka positions of the Ukrainian army was shelled with a 120-mm mortar for over 30 minutes.
   "Marinka, Pisky, Kriakivka, Luhanske, Popasna, and Lozove were also fired at with small arms by the armed gangs," the HQ added.