Ukraine War Update – 7 February 2015

Saturday, February 7, 2015  7:59 AM PST

Poroshenko has demonstrated IDs of Russian soldiers, who fight in Ukraine to Munich Conference participants.

   (Censor.NET) --- President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko showed military IDs and passports of the Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine to the Munich Security Conference participants during his speech.

   Censor.NET reports referring to Ukrainski Novyny.

   "I brought military IDs and passports of Russian soldier and officers who came into our country. This is the best proof of the Russian aggression and Russian troop's presence in Ukraine," he said.
   Poroshenko added that there are not only Russian soldiers in Ukraine but heavy machinery as well. And Ukrainian law enforcement unit detains Russian soldiers now and again.

Saturday, February 7, 2015  5:48 AM PST

Vuhlehirsk, Debaltseve become ghost cities

   (Zik) --- Vuhlehirsk and Debaltseve, the sites of a fierce fighting between Donbas rebels and Ukraine army, have become dead cities. There is no civilian population left as about 80% of their residents have been evacuated, ZIK correspondent reports Feb. 7.

   Before the war, Debaltseve was a thriving 45-thousand city, an important railroad hub.

   In spring 2014, control of the city was taken by the rebels. In July, Ukraine army regained control but the area became the scene of major fighting.

   Only 6,000 residents are still staying in the city.

   The situation is similar in Vuhlehirsk, with dead bodies of its citizens lying on the streets.

   Ukraine has accused the rebels and their Russian masters of shelling the cities and destroying their infrastructure.

Saturday, February 7, 2015  5:30 AM PST

Situation in Ukraine's eastern regions. Map

   KIEV, February 7 (Ukrinform). --- The situation in eastern Ukraine remains tense. Despite the declared ceasefire, terrorists continue to fire at Ukrainian army positions.

   The map reflecting the situation in Donbas as of 12.00 on February 7 has been released by the information and analytical center of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council.

Saturday, February 7, 2015  4:39 AM PST

Five Ukrainian servicemen killed over past 24 hours

   KIEV, February 7 (Ukrinform). --- Five Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the ATO area over past 24 hours.

   This has been announced by spokesman for the antiterrorist operation Volodymyr Poliovyi at a press briefing on Saturday.

   "Five Ukrainian servicemen were killed, other 26 were injured over past 24 hours," he said.

Saturday, February 7, 2015  2:19 AM PST

Hollande's, Merkel's experts working in Moscow on new Ukraine crisis settlement plan – source

   (Interfax) --- French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who visited Moscow for several hours on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on settling the Ukraine crisis, could have left foreign political experts from their teams in Moscow to draw up a settlement plan based on the European leaders' proposals they had brought to Moscow, a source with knowledge of the situation told Interfax.

   "Certainly, the leaders came not alone, and they definitely left their foreign political specialists in Moscow to work on the text that would be presented for a top-level telephone conversation in the Normandy format to take place on Sunday," the source said.

   "It is clear that very solid work is going on," he added.

   Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov had told journalists in the early hours of Saturday that joint work was being done based on outcomes of the negotiations between Putin, Merkel, and Hollande to draw up a joint document on settling the conflict in Ukraine, which would include Putin's and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's proposals.

   The text is supposed to be presented to all conflicting parties for endorsement, he said.

   "Then the work will be continued, and its preliminary outcomes will be summed up in a top-level telephone conversation in the Normandy format on Sunday," Peskov said.

Saturday, February 7, 2015  12:33 AM PST

Akhmetov shuts down his plants in Yenakieve and Makijivka because of war

   (Zik) --- Because of the on-going war in Donbas and disrupted railroad communication, Rinat Akhmetov-owned Metinvest temporarily closed down its steel plants in Yenakieve and Makiyivka, Metinvest official site reports Feb. 7.

   “We had serious problems with logistics as the railroads were destroyed. 

   Because of shelling, electricity supplies failed, employees risked their lives getting to work.

   The shelling of the Avdijivka coke coal plant disrupted supplies of coke. 

   Most of the 6-thousand strong employee force in Makiyivka and Yenakievo was laid-off retaining 2/3 of their salaries.

   The plants can resume operation depending on the situation and stable rail communication, Metinvest says.  

Friday, February 6, 2015  23:13 PST

Ukrainian soldiers eliminated 48 terrorists over last night. Militants are trying to escape to Russia

   (Censor.NET) --- Terrorists suffer significant losses confronting the ATO forces.

   Censor.NET reports citing the ATO press-center.

   "According to the intelligence data, 48 terrorists were killed and 22 wounded over the last 24 hours. There were also a lot of enemy's military equipment destroyed," the report says.

   It was also stressed that the militants hit the panic button and are trying to escape to the Russian Federation due to the intensified oppression of the ATO forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Friday, February 6, 2015  22:19 PST

Terrorists are shelling civilian settlements with Grads and heavy weapons

   (Censor.NET) --- The terrorists fired at Ukrainian troops' positions and civilian settlements 29 times over the past night.

   The tensest situation is observed in Debaltseve sector, Censor.NET informs citing the ATO press-center.
   According to the report, the terrorists fired Grad rockets at Popasna town and Nova Hryhorivka village four times. Nova Hryhorivka was also mortared, as well as Debaltseve town outskirts and Sanzharivka village. The enemy opened artillery fire at Novoorlivka village.
   "The terrorists shelled Novotoshkivske village and Shchastia town in the Luhansk sector. They mortared Nyzhnioteple and fired artillery at Triokhizbenka and Novotoshkivske villages. The bandits fired with small arms and automatic grenade launchers at Stanytsia Luhanska village twice," the press-center reports.
   In the Donetsk sector, the terrorists shelled Krasnohorivka and Svobodne villages with Grads. They fired artillery at Tonenke, Petrivske, and Nevelske villages.
   In the Donetsk sector, Chernenko village was mortared. The terrorists also fired with small arms at Chermalyk village and shelled Hnutove village with multiple rocket launchers and mortars.