Ukraine War Update - 21 March 2015

Saturday, March 21, 2015  7:04 AM PDT

Russia continues to supply terrorists with military equipment, weapons, and ammunition

   (Censor.NET) --- The terrorists are actively dislocating their troops and military equipment along the front line, imitating the withdrawal of heavy weapons. The militants also continue to recruit new soldiers and improve existing infrstructure.

   Andrii Lysenko, speaker of the National Security and Defense Council announced today at a briefing, Censor.NET reports.

   "Russia continues to supply the terrorists with military equipment, fuel, weapons, and ammunition by rail," Lysenko said.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  6:23 AM PDT

SBU officer shot dead in Volnovakha. Shooters have been identified

   (Censor.NET) --- SBU officer was shot dead from an automatic weapon in the town Volnovakha (Donetsk region).

   Head of the Donetsk regional interior ministry Viacheslav Abroskin wrote on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.

   "The victim has died of his wounds in an ambulance. Donetsk regional interior ministry and the SBU have managed to identify the shooters. The criminals were put on the wanted list," he wrote.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  5:35 AM PDT

Terrorists blow up railway tracks near Volnovakha, Popasna

   KIEV, March 20 (Ukrinform). --- Militants have blown up railway tracks near Volnovakha district (Donetsk region) and Popasna town (Luhansk region).

   Spokesman for the ATO in eastern Ukraine Andriy Lysenko has said this at a briefing in Kiev on Saturday.

   "One of the reasons for terrorist acts is an attempt of the militants to break any communication between the occupied and the free territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," he said.

   Lysenko added that Ukrainian law-enforcers had prevented a number of terrorist attacks in Kharkiv region, aimed at undermining the situation in the region.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  5:15 AM PDT

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed and seven injured over last 24 hours

   (Censor.NET) --- Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the ATO zone on March 20.

   Andrii Lysenko, speaker of the National Security and Defense Council announced today at a briefing, Censor.NET reports, citing Ukrainski novyny
   "We have lost two soldiers in a battle over the last 24 hours. Seven were wounded," Lysenko said.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  4:58 AM PDT

SBU detained terrorists’ subversive group that planned to blow up Pryvillia resthouse and school

   (Censor.NET) --- Security Service of Ukraine arrested terrorists’ subversive group in Pryvillia town in the Luhansk region.

   Censor.NET reports, citing the SBU press service.
   According to the report, the offenders - three local residents - planned to blow up the town resthouse and a school to the order of 'Luhansk People's Republic'.

   Ten mortar shells were found hiding by the arrested. The ammo was destroyed immediately on the spot.
   With respect to detainees criminal proceedings has been opened (paragraph 258-3 of the Criminal Code - creation of a terrorist group or a terrorist organization).

Saturday, March 21, 2015  3:34 AM PDT

Dnipropetrovsk morgues received 759 Ukrainian soldiers' bodies. 212 still remain unidentified

  (Censor.NET) --- Since the beginning of the ATO the morgues of the Regional Forensic Bureau of the Dnipropetrovsk region have received 759 bodies, including the remains of dead servicemen from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, law enforcement officers, and volunteer fighters.

   373 bodies of soldiers killed in the ATO area (Debaltseve, Pisky, Donetsk airport) were received starting from the beginning of 2015, Censor.NET reports citing the press service of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration.
   Today bodies of two soldiers killed in Debaltseve were brought to the morgue. "Of the total 759 bodies brought to Dnipropetrovsk, 433 were visually identified and handed over to the relatives. 112 victims were identified after DNA examination; their bodies were handed to relatives in different regions of Ukraine (Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Mykolayiv, Chernivtsi, Lutsk , Kirovohrad, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernihiv, Poltava, Rivne, Kiev, etc.). At present, 212 bodies remain unidentified," the report reads.
   A special group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine performs daily work on the evacuation of the bodies of the Ukrainian soldiers from Debaltseve. The basis for forensic research is Dnipropetrovsk. Most bodies are brought there for identification.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  3:07 AM PDT

Putin gets ready for new military operation - Turchynov

   KIEV, March 20 (Ukrinform). --- Russia gets ready for a new large-scale operation against Ukraine.

   This was stated by secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov on Friday during celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the National Guard Kulchytsky volunteer battalion, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

   "We understand that time is limited, that Putin gets ready for a new large-scale military operation. So now our goal is not to lose these days, these hours, and to strengthen our army, the National Guard, to build the powerful line of defense, to make up for our losses of weapons and technique. We must be ready to meet the enemy and be ready to win," Turchynov said.

   According to him, in spite of the so-called cease-fire, the attacks in the ATO area continue, although with less intensity.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  2:47 AM PDT

Savchenko's health condition worsens

   KIEV, March 20 (Ukrinform). --- Health condition of Ukrainian pilot and MP Nadiya Savchenko, who is being illegally detained in Russia, has deteriorated. She is about to be delivered to the city hospital from the pretrial detention center in Moscow.

   This information has been posted by her sister Vira Savchenko on a Facebook page. Vira Savchenko refers to lawyer Ilya Novikov.

   "Ilya Novikov came from Nadiya 15 minutes ago... The liver function tests have worsened. She is about to be delivered to the city hospital (with bars and escort with weapons.) It is unknown which hospital she will be transferred to. The lawyers are trying to figure it out to know where to look her for ..." Vira Savchenko has posted.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  2:39 AM PDT

Ukrainian troops forced terrorist group to retreat in a clash near Opytne

  (Censor.NET) --- Illegal armed groups continued provocative shelling of Ukrainian positions on the night of March 21.

   Pisky village was shelled from grenade launchers and 82 mm mortars six times. At 11.35 p.m. 120-mm mortar fire was opened at the village, Censor.NET reports citing the ATO press center.
   At 2.30 a.m., ATO fighters revealed a reconnaissance and sabotage enemy group, which tried to penetrate deep into our territory. A battle started and the enemy was forced to retreat. This was the second unsuccessful attempt of the militants to circumvent Ukrainian troops' positions in the vicinity of the village over the past 24 hours.

   In the Mariupol sector, the terrorists shelled Shyrokyne village from 8.30 to 10.20 p.m. with small arms and 120-mm mortars.
   No night attacks are reported in other sectors.
   Starting from 8 p.m. on March 20 and until midnight, the militants fired at ATO forces positions four times. Five more cases of cease-fire violations are reported from midnight to 7 a.m. on March 21.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  2:22 AM PDT

NATO ready to consider Ukraine's bid for membership

   KIEV, March 20 (Ukrinform). --- NATO is ready to consider the Ukraine's bid for membership in the alliance, if Ukraine decides to submit it.

   This has been stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels at the forum organized by the German Marshall Fund.

   "It is up to Ukraine decide whether to submit the bid for NATO membership or not. Ukraine should decide that. If it submits, we will consider the application in the same way as we consider the application of any other country," Ukrainian media telegraf.com.ua quotes him.

   In 2015, the units and the individual officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will take part in 237 events of the individual partnership program with NATO.

Saturday, March 21, 2015  1:24 AM PDT

Terrorists resumed shelling from tanks, Grad rocket systems and howitzers

  (Censor.NET) --- The Russian militants have stopped to "imitate" following the Minsk agreements and shelled Ukrainian army’s positions with artillery and multiple rocket launchers over the past 24 hours.

   Representative of the Information Resistance group Dmytro Tymchuk wrote on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.

   The terrorists shelled Ukrainian army's positions with Grad rocket systems near Bakhmutka road. The army was fired from 120-mm mortars, tanks, 2S1 Gvozdika howitzers in the Donetsk, Artemivsk and Prymorske sectors (Avdiivka, Chermalyk, Opytne, Novotroitske, Orlivske).
   "In addition to shelling, a terrorist unit attacked Ukrainian army's positions near Opytne village. The army fired back and forced the militants to retreat," Tymchuk wrote.

Friday, March 20, 2015  14:05 PDT

Militants shelled Avdiyivka all day using mortars and artillery - ATO press center

  (Censor.NET) --- Today, March 20, the illegal armed groups continued to fire at the positions of the ATO forces. In an attempt to engage our units into an armed confrontation, despite the peace agreements, the enemy once again used weapons, which was to be removed from the demarcation line.

   This is stated by the ATO press center, Censor.NET reports.

   The summary reads: "The largest number of provocations was observed at the Donetsk direction. The bombardment of the town of Avdiivka lasted here almost all day. At 10:35 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:05 p.m. this locality was shelled by the criminals using 122-mm artillery. At 12:30 p.m. the town was fired at by a tank and at 2:40 by 120-mm mortars. Also, the Russian-terrorist groups used artillery, mortars and anti-tank weapons against Opytne, Pisky, and Novotroitske. In addition, near Pisky the Ukrainian military clashed with a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the enemy who tried to sneak into our territory. The fight lasted from 7:20 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.

   "The criminals opened small arms fire at the Luhanske village at the Artemivsk direction. In the Luhansk region they fired at Stanytsia Luhanska, Sokolnyky, and Krymske. At the Mariupol the enemy used 120-mm mortars near the villages of Orlovske and Chermalyk.

   "In total, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. the enemy used mortars and grenade launchers 16 times, small arms 10 times and one time the separatists opened tank fire."