Ukraine War Update - 6 April 2015

Monday, April 6, 2015  8:03 AM PDT

Russian riot police searched 20 Crimean Tatar houses Apr. 2-3

   (Zik) --- According to the Crimean field human rights mission, 20 searches by police of the houses of Crimean Tatars took place during Apr. 2-3.

   Apr. 2, police arrived in Zhuravky in 5 busses, 10 cars, 5 jeeps. Many had Kalashnikov guns and dogs. Helicopters were seen flying over the village.

   All the three roads leading to the village were blocked by road checkpoints.

   All cars leaving or heading to the village were stopped and searched.

   About 10 houses in the village were searched.

   The same cleansing operation was carried out the following day, Apr. 3, in Yasnoe Pole.

   Russia interior ministry says it is a mopping-up exercise that will continue till Apr. 10, Radio Svoboda reports.

Monday, April 6, 2015  8:01 AM PDT

Lysenko names flash point sites in Donbas

   KIEV, April 6 (Ukrinform). --- Russian-backed militants continue carrying out armed provocations against the ATO forces, including with the use of artillery.

   ATO spokesman Andriy Lysenko has announced this at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

   "The situation in the ATO area remains tense, but our military withhold the defense perimeter, giving the enemy no chance to move forward. However, militants continue carrying out chaotic provocations along the confrontation line. One case of the use of artillery on our positions has been noticed," Lysenko said.

   According to him, the main flash point sites of confrontation are the area of Donetsk airport, outskirts of Mariupol and Horlivka and the area of Shchastia.

Monday, April 6, 2015  7:40 AM PDT

Four servicemen killed near town of Shchastya to be buried with military honors - regional military commander

   KIEV, April 6 (Ukrinform). --- Four servicemen from the 92-th mechanized brigade who died due to a truck blast near the town of Shchastya in Luhansk region will be buried with military honors on Tuesday or Wednesday.

   Acting Military Commander of Kharkiv region Yury Kalhushkin told journalists, Ukrinform reported.

   He said that in the next few hours the bodies of four servicemen would be delivered to a morgue for examination.

   As Ukrinform had reported earlier, on April 5 in the morning the Pro-Russian rebels carried out a controlled launch of a rocket that hit a truck with Ukrainian military on a bridge in the city of Shchastya. Four servicemen were killed on the spot. Three of them were drafted from Kharkiv region, including Deputy Chief of Staff Major Oleh Kovbasa.

   According to the reports, as of April 1 62 soldiers from Kharkiv region were killed in the Donbas conflict zone.

Monday, April 6, 2015  7:07 AM PDT

PM: Ukraine's decentralization to be held on Polish model

   KIEV, April 6 (Ukrinform). --- Ukraine will follow the experience of Poland in the field of decentralization of government, which allowed the country to become one of the EU leaders.

   Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk has stated this during the first meeting of the Constitutional Commission, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

   "Poland has become one of the key countries of the European Union due to not only economic reforms, such as those carried out in Ukraine today, but also due to broad political reforms on changing the Constitution, the system of state power and control," he said.

   According to Yatseniuk, the Polish model of decentralization will form the basis of constitutional changes in this field in Ukraine.

Monday, April 6, 2015  6:10 AM PDT

Six Ukrainian soldiers killed and two wounded over the past day - NSDC

   (Censor.NET) --- During the last 24 hours six Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two injured.

   This was stated at a briefing of the ATO speaker Andrii Lysenko, Censor.NET reports.

   "Over the past day four soldiers were killed as a result of hostilities and one was wounded," he said.

   At the same time, according to the ATO speaker ATO as a result of violations of road safety rules an SUV tripped a mine near Shyrokyne, causing death of two soldiers and wounding one.

   "We call on all local residents to strictly observe the rules of movement in the ATO area and select safe routes," Lysenko said.

   Earlier, it was reported that there were no casualties among Ukrainian soldiers on April 4th.

Monday, April 6, 2015  4:56 AM PDT

Quarrels among rebels grow into shootouts

   (Zik) --- Because of cuts in the funding of the rebels by Russia, many separatist groups keep fighting for a lump of the pie, Ukraine army spokesman said Apr. 6, UNIAN reports.

   Due to poorer pay and low morals, various rebel groups begin to fight for their share of funding, sometimes starting shootouts, he said.

   One of recent quarrels happened at the checkpoint at Krasnoarmijske, Novoazovsky rayon where rebels fired small arms and light mortars at each other, the spokesman said.

   The Cossacks is another pain in the neck for rebels as they refuse to join the rebel army under the command of Russian officers. There were several armed conflicts involving the Cossacks.

Monday, April 6, 2015  3:34 AM PDT

Federalization is only possible through referendum - Poroshenko

   (Censor.NET) --- The matter of federalization of Ukraine can be resolved only through a referendum.

   This was stated by President Petro Poroshenko during the first session of the Constitutional Commission in Kiev, Censor.NET reports.

   "Ukraine will remain unitary state. Not because we up here will decide so, but because we regularly study the public opinion," he said, referring to the draft amendments to the Constitution to be discussed by the Commission.

   Poroshenko added that decentralization as an important item of this reform will not affect areas such as national defense, fighting corruption, border protection, and territorial integrity of the state.

   "In some ways, the powers of the central government will even be strengthened," the president said.

   At the same time, Poroshenko said that the change of the structure in the direction of federalization is possible through a referendum.

   "If someone is striving for federalization, the only way is [through] a referendum. If you want it," the head of state said.

   According to the March survey of the Kiev International Institute of Sociology, only 18.6% of respondents would agree to the federalization of Ukraine in exchange for the cessation of hostilities in the Donbas.

Monday, April 6, 2015  3:34 AM PDT

 “DPR” terrorist activity increased near Mariupol – Sector M headquarters

   (Censor.NET) --- The terrorists have been firing at the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces in the village of Shyrokyne since early morning of April 6.

   This was stated by press officer of Sector M Dmytro Horbunov, Censor.NET reports citing Mariupol website 0629.

   According to him, the positions of the ATO forces in Shyrokyne have been under small arms fire since 5 a.m. Monday.

   The situation is under control. There are no casualties among the Ukrainian military personnel.

   Horbunov said that after several days of relative calm, the activity of the DPR terrorist groups started increasing. There is a significant intensification of aerial reconnaissance over Chermalyk, Shyrokyne and north-eastern outskirts of Mariupol.

   According to the ATO press center, Chermalyk and Shyrokyno came under fire when Orthodox Christians celebrated Palm Sunday the day before.

Sunday, April 5, 2015  9:43 AM PDT

Jeep in Shchastya hit by enemy laser-guided missile, killing 4 Ukraine servicemen

   (Zik) --- A jeep mistakenly reported as having been blown by a mine, was in fact hit by a laser-guided anti-tank missile on the bridge in Shchastya, Ukraine army spokesman said Apr. 5.

   When the vehicle with Ukraine troopers was on the bridge, a shot was made using PTUR, a laser-guided missile.

   All the killed servicemen belonged to the 92nd Brigade.