Ukraine War Update – 18 August 2015

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  5:18 AM PDT

   The Russian artillery unit of the 17th SMRBr (Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade) is fighting in Donbas: transfer of self-propelled artillery machine "MSTA-S" from Chechnya.

   (Censor.NET) --- A new investigation has revealed and identified artillery units of the 17th SMRBr (Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade) (military unit 65384, place of dislocation - Shali, Chechnya) of the 58th Combined Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation, which took part in combat fighting in the Donbas, Mariupol direction, last fall.

   Informnapalm.org team continues to collect within its OSINT-intelligence undeniable facts of direct involvement of the Russian Army in the undeclared war against Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.

   Thanks to information and photos we got through study and analysis of the profile of a possible figurant of the Hague tribunal, soldier of artillery unit of the 17th SMRBr (Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade) Sgt. Konstantin Pashinin (vkontakte ID 218715797, archive https://archive.is/D2w92), we managed to track "combat" path of this artillery serviceman starting from the departure for "military exercises" in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions of Russia in early summer of 2014 (where Russian units have unit and combat training) to leaving for the Rostov region of Russia and then to the Ukrainian Donbas.

   Russian soldiers usually dress up as "Novorossiya" militants (hazing appearance and white identification patches) and disguise their equipment as if it was purchased in local 'military stores' during their "Rostov-Chechnya in the Donbas has been identified. In particular, it was found that as of early fall 2014, self-propelled artillery machines MSTA-S of the 17th motorized brigade were located in the windy field of the Novoazov wind power station. Please see in details:

Ukrainian trips." Along with these 'tricks', exact geographical location of the artillery unit from

Despite the fact the photos in the albums of Sgt. Pashinin are scattered, (https://vk.com/id218715797?z=albums218715797, archive https://archive.is/pzKNX), investigators managed to set the chronology of "Rostov-Ukraine missions" and other important details thanks to them and videos from Youtube:

   - early summer 2014. In June, the artillery unit of the 17th SMRBr is seen in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions of Russia on military exercise at Prudboy and Ashuluk firing fields;

- by July 30, 2014, self-propelled artillery machines "MSTA-S" of this brigade are seen being towed in Rostov-on-Don (see a screenshot from the video);

- the same day the same "MSTA-S" machines are seen on tracks on Taganrog highway, Russia (see a screenshot of the video).

Note: to make sure these machines in fact belong to the 17th SMRBr, one can compare the camouflage on these videos with that on the photos from VKontakte albums of Sgt. Konstantin Pashinin. They are identical. Also, one can see that the numbers of one of the machines are painted over with green and yellow. It is noteworthy that in the photo from his photo album one can see a machine with the number 524, where the figures 52 are on the green background, and the figure 4 is on the yellow one.

- Sept. 4, 2014. A SAU with the identical camouflage is seen in Novoazovsk, Ukraine (see a TV story by AlJazeera titled "Ukraine rebels advance towards Mariupol"). The numbers on the vehicle are painted over with light color. Here we have two options - this is not the 524 vehicle, or it is painted over again to hide the truth.

Note: analyzing this video, one can find some important details. They are the small white flags tied to the machines antennas (time mark 0.12-0.20 min), which are seen on Sgt. Konstantin Pashinin's photos, and white identification circles on transportation trucks cabins (see video on gasoline tanker "Ural", time mark 0.10 min).

- eventually, Sept. 24, 2014, the future "hero" of the Hague tribunal, Sgt. Konstantin Pashinin uploaded photos of his artillery machine "MSTA-S" in the windy field of Novoazov wind power station to his VKontakte page. The photos were presumably taken at the end of August - beginning of September.

Among the contacts of Sgt. Konstantin Pashinin, (archive https://archive.is/gC0zH) one can find other artillery soldiers of the 17th SMRBr who took part in the "Rostov-Ukraine mission". For example, some Pavel Kravchenko (VKontakte ID 252322040, archive https://archive.is/1BHZk). Despite his modest photo album, we managed to find some photos of the kind - BBQ on empty artillery shells and "Medal of Valor" which the Russian Ministry of Defense is generously giving away to the Donbas war veterans.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  4:26 AM PDT

Five Russian citizens allegedly involved in international terrorism detained in Kiev

   KIEV, August 18 (Ukrinform). --- In one of the capital city districts Alpha Special Forces unit from the Security Service of Ukraine have detained five citizens of the Russian Federation that have been part of an international terrorist organization.

   The press-service of the SBU reports.

   "One of the detained is wanted by Interpol. Last year, he had been detained in a European country,, but he had escaped from custody after attacking the guards," the SBU noted.

   Security Service officers have seized handguns, ammunition and a grenade that were found in the suspects' possession. The officers found blueprints for making improvised explosive devices and components for them - the timer, micro elements, circuits, power sources in their rented apartment. These suspects are being checking for their possible role in preparing of terrorist acts in Kiev.

   A criminal investigation has been started regarding the detained Russian citizens; they were declared suspects in committing criminal actions. A court has ruled to hold them in custody.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  3:53 AM PDT

One Ukrainian soldier killed in ATO area in past day

   KIEV, August 18 (Ukrinform). --- One Ukrainian serviceman was killed; another one was wounded in ATO area in past 24 hours.

   Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the anti-terrorist operation, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a briefing in Kiev, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

   "One Ukrainian serviceman was killed, one soldier was injured over the past day," he said.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  3:53 AM PDT

50,000 Russian military concentrated at Ukrainian border; militants try to escalate the conflict, - General Staff

   (Censor.NET) --- Russia has concentrated 50,000 servicemen at the Ukrainian border, with militants trying to maximally escalate the conflict.

   As reported by Censor.NET referring to UNIAN, this was announced by the General Staff spokesperson Vladyslav Selezniov.

   He noted that "militants do not shun any means to exacerbate the situation as much as possible."

   "All this is happening along the events at the state border. As you know, about 50,000 Russian military are deployed on the state border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation," he said.

   According to Selezniov, such Russia's behavior is an attempt to put pressure on the Ukrainian side's hard-line stance during the Minsk talks.

   "All the actions by militants are aimed at conflict escalation, which again proves the representatives of the self-proclaimed "LPR" and "DPR" do not seek peace in this conflict, while taking maximum efforts to aggravate the situation," the spokesman stressed.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  3:35 AM PDT

Occupied part of Donbas must be isolated from mainland Ukraine – Leonid Kravchuk

   (Zik) --- The first president of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk believes the rebel-held territory must be tightly sealed off until the situation is good for its liberation.

   Speaking to Novoje vremya Aug. 18, Kravchuk said the touchline should be perceived as a border. The empty rhetoric about humanism and Ukrainian living there should be dropped. We must cut off this territory until there is a chance to liberate it.

   The rebels should take the full burden of running the territory they ruined, Kravchuk said.

   “All links, political, economic and other, with the rebel-held Donbas must be severed. If the people there believe they want a new life, let them banish the rebels, like the Ukrainian had banished Yanukovych in the Maidan revolution in Kiev,” he said.

   The ex-president stressed the Minsk agreements are not implemented and only bring harm to Ukraine.

   That is why, Ukraine is to deploy any weapons the army needs at the touchline to repulse the hateful aggressors, he said. 

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  3:32 AM PDT

Rebels to humiliate Ukraine POWs at parade in Donetsk

   (Zik) --- To coincide with Ukraine’s Independence Day on Aug. 24, the separatists plan to make Ukraine POWs march in a humiliating way on Donetsk streets, SBU adviser Yury Tandit told Ukrayina 112 TV Aug. 18.

   This humiliation is part of Russia’s policy to destabilize the situation in Donbas, the official said.

   Recall that last August the rebels marched a 50-strong column of Ukraine POWs in their worn and torn uniforms, washing the street after they had passed. 

   Russia then said the parade was no humiliation, while in Europe the march was condemned as a military crime.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  1:29 AM PDT

Situation aggravates in Donbas, Independence Day to be "hot", - Lutsenko

   (Censor.NET) --- For several weeks on, eastern Ukraine has seen escalation of not only shelling, but also of raids by pro-Russian militants.

   As reported by Censor.NET citing UNIAN, this was announced by the Head of Poroshenko Bloc faction Yurii Lutsenko during Hero of the Day TV show.
   "Escalation of not only shelling, but also of raids by pro-Russian militants has been recorded in the Donbas. So, unfortunately, the Independence Day will be "hot"," the politician said.
   According to him, the Kremlin commits attacks to discredit the Ukrainian authorities.
   "Putin seeks to discredit the Ukrainian authorities. He wants an internal disorder in Ukraine, and there is nothing better for him than to prove the current government inapt to restrain the aggressor. This would cause mass discontent and create a fertile ground for any separatist and revenge actions in the center of the Ukrainian capital," he said.
   Aware of this situation and possible course of events, Lutsenko says he will be staying at the front line during the Independence Day.
   At the same time, he says the Ukrainian government has an opportunity, though not too quickly, to frustrate the Russian scenario.
   "The government must repeatedly do three things in order to defeat the enemies of the Ukrainian state. Firstly, to knock down the aggressor. There is a whole range of measures in this regard. Secondly, we must provide an ordinary Ukrainian with tangible and beneficial results of reforms. Thirdly, we need results in fighting corruption, which is thriving even now. Therefore, handcuffs on the hands of high-rank criminals would also help restore the Ukrainian authorities credibility," Lutsenko resumes.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015  12:46 AM PDT

Five-month-old girl severely injured in Marinka shelling, - Interior Ministry

   (Censor.NET) --- At around 1 a.m. terrorists shelled Marinka residential area, seriously wounding a five-month-old girl.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this is announced by the the Ministry of Internal Affairs Main Directorate in the Donetsk region press service.
   According to the authority, one of the shells exploded in the residential area on Ordzhonikidze Street, where a family with a five-month-old baby lived.
   "The girl got a shrapnel wound in the abdomen. She was rushed to Dnipropetrovsk and operated. The child's parents were not injured," the statement reads.
   Casualties and damage data is being specified.
   The Marinka police department investigation group has arrived at the scene.