Ukraine War Update - 29 March 2015

Sunday, March 29, 2015  8:05 AM PDT

SBU arrested 'LPR' terrorist who was paid $ 300 to kill Ukrainian soldiers.

   (Censor.NET) --- The counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine detained a militant, who was paid for insidious attacks on Ukrainian servicemen.

   A member of Zaria terrorist battalion, which belongs to illegal 'Luhansk People's Republic' troops, was detained in the ATO area, Censor.NET reports citing the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine.
   The detainee said he participated in the treacherous seizure of Ukrainian checkpoint between the town of Shchastia and Smile village. The militant received a $300 'reward' for the murder of Ukrainian servicemen.

Sunday, March 29, 2015  7:26 AM PDT

No shelling from cannon artillery or armoured vehicles reported as situation stabilizes

   (Censor.NET) --- The situation in the ATO area has become more stable.

   No shelling from cannon artillery or armored vehicles has been reported over the past 24 hours, Andrii Lysenko, speaker of the National Security and Defense Council announced today at a briefing, Censor.NET writes.
   "Since 9.30 p.m. till dawn no shelling of Ukrainian positions and settlements was reported," Lysenko noted.
   However, armed provocations are still observed all along the line of collision from the Sea of Azov to the central part of the Luhansk region. Shyrokyne and the Donetsk airport remain the most dangerous places in the region. It is also not calm in the area of Bakhmutka highway.

Sunday, March 29, 2015  6:53 AM PDT

Crimean Tatar TV Counts Minutes To Impending Shutdown

   SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine(RFE/RL) --- There is only one Crimean Tatar-language television channel in the world -- Simferopol's ATR television. But on April 1, this endangered species just might become extinct.

   "We'll come to work as usual on April 1," ATR journalist Safie Ablyayeva says. "But we have no idea what we'll find, since we have just as much information as all Crimean Tatars."

   ATR is currently broadcasting with a running countdown clock ticking down the seconds until the station's license expires. More than 190,000 people have responded to an online poll on the station's website, with over 99 percent expressing support for the channel.

   Under Russian law -- which has been in force in the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea since Moscow's internationally unrecognized annexation of it in March 2014 -- ATR must register with the Russian telecoms oversight agency, Roskomnadzor, by April 1 or lose its right to broadcast.

   But registering has turned out not to be as easy as one might have hoped. The Russian authorities have already sent ATR's paperwork back three times for corrections or additions.

   "A month passes and then they give us some sort of formal objection," ATR General Director Elzara Islyamova told RFE/RL's Current Time television. "We either answer their question or make some sort of change and then resubmit and again we get a 30-day pause. You see, they can find such formal objections to delay the application for 100 years if they want."

   The de facto authorities in Crimea, however, see things differently, arguing that ATR is intentionally trying to attract attention to itself. Sergei Aksyonov, head of the executive branch of the Russian government in Crimea, told a recent press conference that "they are purposefully trying to create a precedent by preventing Roskomnadzor from issuing the documents. They are making mistakes on purpose in order to create a conflict around the station."

   The authorities have also refused to renew the license of QHA, a popular Tatar news agency. In January, law enforcement agencies raided ATR and confiscated some archival material and computer files.

   ATR General Director Islyamova is certain the channel is being harassed for its editorial line. "Our policy is to show what is happening each day -- all the events that happen in Crimea," she says. "We, of course, cover social and economic problems among Crimean Tatars and all other groups in Crimea. Of course, there are moments when we are not pleasing the authorities."

   Crimean Tatar activists and international human rights organizations charge that the Crimean Tatar community has been subjected to harassment since Russia annexed Crimea. Earlier this month, Amnesty International wrote that Crimea Tatars have been subjected to an "unrelenting campaign of intimidation" because of their unwillingness to recognize Russia's control over Crimea.

   "The current government in Crimea doesn't want us to develop," says Zair Smedlyayev, the head of the election commission of the Crimean Tatar Kurultai, or governing assembly. "They want us simply to disappear as a nation. I am certain, though, that somehow we will manage to keep the channel [ATR] running."

   ATR says negotiations with the authorities are still continuing and there remains a chance the station will not be forced off the air on April 1.

   "Maybe we should start a petition of residents, of Crimean Tatars," one Simferopol local told Current Time television. "Most likely everyone will be against closing it down. It is the only Crimean Tatar channel."

Sunday, March 29, 2015  6:01 AM PDT

No one killed, two Ukrainian soldiers injured over last 24 hours

   (Censor.NET) --- Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded and no one was killed in the ATO zone on March 28.

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

   "There are no losses among Ukrainian soldiers," he said.
   Shyrokyne and the Donetsk airport remain the most dangerous places in the area.

   ATO speaker noted that the terrorists continue to reinforce their troops with Russian mercenaries.
   In addition, the militants continue to threaten the OSCE SMM observers. In particular, on March 28, the SMM was not allowed to Novoazovsk town in the Donetsk region.

Sunday, March 29, 2015  5:11 AM PDT

Slava Rabinovich: severe food shortage to hit Russia in May-June

   (Zik) --- A renowned Russia financier and opposition member, Slava Rabinovich, gave an exclusive interview to ZIK March 28, describing the present economic situation in Russia and Ukraine.

   Asked if he had seen the Banderites (West Ukraine militant radicals) in Kyiv, Rabinovich said Kyiv is a peaceful international city, with the junta being in Moscow. 

   Speaking about the effect of western sanctions on Russia, he said, “Putin keeps saying the sanctions have no influence on Russia’s economy.

   I have heard many lies from Putin in many years in the past. Even the sanctions are not intensified, the Russian economy is headed for a collision with a concrete wall. 

   All the talk that the country’s economy is recovering is a lie.

   In several months, Russia will be hit by a food crisis. Importers will go bankrupt due to the ruble devaluation.

   In some trade networks the line of cheeses dropped by 60-70 percent, with other food items dropping by 80-90 %. The inflation has reached double digits. The crisis will affect other industries and the unemployment will go up.

   Regarding Ukraine, Putin believed that Ukraine will split up in two parts after the annexation of Crimea, with eastern Ukraine becoming his windfall.

   As his plan were disrupted, Putin is set for his Plan B – destabilization of Ukraine. Under this plan, Ukraine may be ruined economically.

   Ukraine is a failed state now. However, the country retains a chance to recover and the life may be bettered within a year. In another year, Ukraine may find itself in a better economic situation.”

Sunday, March 29, 2015  4:03 AM PDT

Firefights between Krymske and Sokilnyky occured over the night

   (Censor.NET) --- The military situation in the government-controlled part of the Luhansk region remains unstable.

   No Grad or artillery shelling was reported over the past 24 hours. However, hostilities continued in a number of villages and towns, Censor.NET reports citing Hennadii Moskal, Head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration.
   "Firefights between the militants and Ukrainian troops in Krymske and Sokilnyky villages occured periodically over the night, while mortar shells periodically exploded in Bakhmutka. There is no information about possible victims," the governor wrote.
In addition, due to bad weather (frost and heavy wind) some settlements in the region partially remain without electricity supply.

Sunday, March 29, 2015  3:02 AM PDT

Sector C situation deteriorates, enemy preparing for onslaught

   (Zik) --- As of the Friday night, the situation in Sector C has worsened, with the enemy making forays into Ukraine-held territories using infantry and tanks, military expert Yury Butusov writes in Facebook March 29.

   The Russian/rebel troops use 122-mm and 152-mm caliber guns, the weapons forbidden by the Minsk agreement.

   Ukraine army returns fire only faced with imminent danger, the expert said. 

   Overflights by drones in Sector C have also intensified.

Sunday, March 29, 2015  1:41 AM PDT

Russia plans to eliminate Ukraine as an independent state and could spark a new offensive

   (Censor.NET) --- Vladimir Putin’s main focus today is to split the unity among the United States of America and the European Union.

   Ukraine's prime minister Arsenii Yatseniuk told The Associated Press on Friday, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
   The prime minister said the West must stay united in helping Ukraine repel Russian aggression and that achieving this would be the "joint success of the entire free world".
   "Russia plans to eliminate Ukraine as an independent state and could spark a new offensive in the east to achieve that aim... Russia was uninterested in de-escalating Ukraine's conflict with separatist forces, despite its commitment to maintain a peace deal made in Minsk on Feb," Yatseniuk said.
   "A few years ago we had the territory. Today, we have the country. An independent country that is fighting for freedoms and liberties," the prime minister concluded.

Saturday, March 28, 2015  11:17 AM PDT

Militants in Luhansk region fire Grad first time after Minsk truce – Moskal

(UNIAN) --- After a long break due to the truce, Russian-backed militants have again used Grad multiple rocket launchers.

REUTERS

   A reconnaissance and sabotage group of militants made an attempt to infiltrate into the town of Novotoshkivka in Popasna district, Luhansk region, in the early hours of Saturday.

   This was announced by the press service of Hennadiy Moskal, the head of Lugansk regional military and civil administration.

   At night, militants again used Grad multiple rocket launchers in Luhansk region after a long break, the press service said.

   At 2300 Kiev time on Friday, they were shelling the 29th roadblock at the Bakhmutka motor road and the dislocation of the Ukrainian forces in the town of Novotoshkivka. "Rockets exploded near a coalmine facility and Kuibyshev Street. As a result of a direct hit, a garage facility was burnt, some districts of the village were cut off the power grids. More detailed information about damage and casualties among civilians is being verified," the press service said.

   What is more, from 0000 to 0330 Kyiv time on Saturday, a battle with the use of automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades continued on the outskirts of Novotoshkivka, not far from a bus stop, as a reconnaissance and sabotage group of Russian-backed militants was attempting to enter the town.

   During the night there were skirmishes between the Ukrainian troops in Krymske and Russian "Cossacks" groups in Sokilnyky. Krymske remained out of the reach of firing, no destruction was reported. From 2100 to 2300 Kyiv time on Friday, the village of Stanytsia Luhanska was seeing automatic and

Saturday, March 28, 2015  7:41 AM PDT

DPR militant units confront each other

   (Censor.NET) --- Different DPR units came into a conflict with each other.

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

   "According to the intelligence reports, the conflict is escalating between the DPR Ministry of State Security and other terrorists units on DPR-controlled territories," Lysenko said.