Ukraine War Update - 4 February 2015

Washington is considering the possibility of military aid to Ukraine - US Ambassador to NATO

   (Censor.NET) --- There are active discussions about granting Ukraine weapons at the highest level in the United States.

   The U.S. leadership does not exclude the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine. The debate is ongoing with no specific timeframe.

   This was announced at a press conference at NATO headquarters by U.S. Ambassador to the Alliance Douglas Lute, Censor.NET reports citing Evropravda.

   With regard to the supply of weapons to Ukraine, there is an ongoing debate now in Washington at the political level on this issue, he replied to a question about the possibility of supplying Kiev with lethal weapons.

   Our goal remains the de-escalation and a political solution to the conflict, but we consider various ways in which we can come to this goal ... Including the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine, the diplomat said.

   At the same time, he refused to estimate when the final decision will be made.

   I do not expect that a change in the U.S. policy to be announced tomorrow. But by itself the fact that the debate continues, is an indication that Washington is now weighing the risks and cost of such a decision. It is being decided what will be the most effective way. And I cannot predict which way will be chosen, he explained.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015  8:23 AM PST

Russia increased supplies of heavy weapons to Donbas militants - NATO

   (Censor.NET) --- NATO states that they have proof of a large number of heavy weapons supplies from the Russian Federation to the DPR and LPR militants.

   A senior Alliance officer noted that these include tanks, artillery, missile systems, rocket launchers, air defense systems, calling it obvious and direct support of the separatists by Russia, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax.

   According to the Alliance, hundreds of representatives of the Russian Armed Forces are training and supervising the separatists in Eastern Ukraine with considerable number of troops and weapons concentrated along the Ukrainian-Russian border in the territory of the Russian Federation.

   I want to believe that Russia understands that the presence of its troops in eastern Ukraine is destabilizing the situation in the region. This conflict must be solved through diplomatic channels, the officer noted.

   The NATO representative showed satellite images, taken at different times in the summer of 2014 confirming the increase in the number of Russian military equipment at the border. He also provided photo and video evidence of the shelling of Ukrainian positions from the territory of the Russian Federation in the same period.

   He stated that NATO also has evidence of the Russian artillery battalions presence in the Donbas as early as Aug. 21, 2014.

   In addition, he noted that NATO does not provide assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the countries of the Alliance make their own decisions as to the provision of military assistance to Ukraine.

   Also, the headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance expect a noticeable deterioration of the situation in the ATO area, and note that the Russian armed forces take part in the armed conflict.

   Earlier, Commander of NATO forces in Europe Philip Breedlove harshly criticized Russia's actions and ruled out the possibility of constructive relations with this country because of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015  7:38 AM PST

Ukrainian army defeated terrorists’ combined tank detachment near Debaltseve after three days of fighting.

   (Censor.NET) --- ATO forces destroyed 11 terrorists’ tanks near Debaltseve.

   According to the Information Resistance group, the detachment consisted of 16 tanks. Seven tanks were brewed up in the first day of the offensive, four tanks were destroyed by the Ukrainian artillery strikes during the next two days, and three more tanks have gone out of operation for various other reasons, Censor.NET reports citing Liga.

   There are currently only two tanks in operation, while the militants are trying to evacuate three tanks, which were earlier hit, to repair them.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015  7:15 AM PST

SBU neutralizes Russian terrorist group which attacked Mariupol on Jan 24 – SBU chief

   (Interfax) --- The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has successfully completed an operation to neutralize a terrorist gang which shelled Mariupol on January 24, SBU Chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko has reported.

   "Today we can report that an operation on neutralizing a terrorist [was successful], he was directly managed by Russian artillery and committed shell attacks, and all his ten accomplices have been neutralized," he said at a briefing in Kiev on Wednesday.

   He said that the terrorists were killed as they were in territory which isn't under the control of Ukrainian forces, as a result it was impossible to arrest them.

   Nalyvaichenko reiterated that this was the third stage of the special operation to neutralize the terrorist group, comprised of the Russian servicemen, who shelled Mariupol on January 24.

   The SBU chief said that he has information that Russian troops, in order to conceal their crimes, have evacuated the bodies of militants to Russia. "In order that such things won't happen with Russian troops any more, please, don't take part in terrorist attacks against the peaceful population of our state," he stressed.

   As police chief in the Donetsk region Viacheslav Abroskin had earlier reported, 30 people killed and 117 were injured as a result of the shell attack on Mariupol on January 24.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015  6:28 AM PST

SBU arrests senior officer, his accomplice from unrecognized 'Donetsk Republic' accused of treason

   (Interfax) --- The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained Ukrainian officer, who worked at the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and his accomplice from so-called "Donetsk People's Republic", who coordinated and organized provocations and informed the militants on the whereabouts of Ukrainian military units.

   "We arrested an Ukrainian citizen, lieutenant colonel of one of the chief subdivisions of the General Staff, Chernobay, born in 1974, and his accomplice – terrorist, a representative of 'Donetsk People's Republic', who together with him organized subversive activities in the Ukrainian army," SBU Chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said at a briefing in Kiev on Wednesday.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015  6:12 AM PST

Ukraine plans to boost tank production

   (Interfax) --- Ukraine's state concern Ukroboronprom is planning to significantly increase the production of Ukrainian tanks from the current five annually to 120 after 2016, the concern's general director Roman Romanov said.

   "We plan to develop [the production of] Oplot main battle tanks with production up to 40 units in 2015. The concern will produce 100-120 such units from 2016," the concern said in a statement on Wednesday.

   Ukroboronprom also plans to start serial production of Dozor armoured cars, which previously were not in service in the Ukrainian army.

   "The concern plans to produce up to 50 such vehicles this year. We plan to reach a level of no fewer than 100 [vehicles] per a year in the future," the statement reads.

   Ukroboronprom will soon start working on designing unmanned aerial vehicles and counter-artillery systems. "The first three-axis radiolocation station will be ready in 2016," the statement reads.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015  4:36 AM PST

At Least Three Killed As Shells Hit Clinic In Donetsk

   (RFE/RL) --- At least three people were killed and several injured when shells hit a clinic in the separatist-held city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, on February 4. Russian-backed separatists blamed Ukrainian government forces for the attack, although this could not be independently verified. The deaths came a day after the UN said the death toll in Ukraine now "exceeded" 5,358 people.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015  12:00 AM PST

Ukrainian Civilians Flee Battle-Scarred Town

   (RFE/RL) --- Ukrainian military forces are helping civilians evacuate the town of Debaltseve, which has been hit by heavy shelling amid ongoing clashes. Servicemen also brought in supplies of bread for residents who were unable or unwilling to leave. Officers said they were attempting to establish a safe corridor to facilitate travel in and out of the embattled town.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015  23:46 PST

Terrorists attempted storming Ukrainian positions near Debaltseve at night - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- The terrorists shelled the Ukrainian army positions for 25 times during the night.

   Censor.NET reports citing the ATO press center situation report.

   "The illegal armed groups shelled the Ukrainian troops' positions for 25 times in the anti-terrorist operation area in the night of Feb. 4.

   "The largest number of attacks was observed at the Luhansk direction. The terrorists conducted shelling of peaceful cities and villages along with the Ukrainian positions using artillery, BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and mortars. Thus the strikes impacted the villages and cities of Shchastia, Staryi Aidar, Stanytsia Luhanska, Verkhnia Vilkhova, and Nyzhnie.

   "The enemy keeps trying to break through the Ukrainian positions at the Debaltseve direction. The terrorists attacked the Armed Forces of Ukraine nine times using all types of weapons during the night. An engagement was taking place near Debaltseve from 10:50 p.m. till nearly 3:00 a.m., during which the terrorists' infantry detachments tried to seize our positions.

   "The situation at Mariupol direction was relatively quiet being featured by a single case of shelling. Two attacks were recorded at the Donetsk direction.