Ukraine War Update - 26 April 2015

Sunday, April 26, 2015 7:09 AM PDT

Six drones spotted in ATO area over past 24 hours

   (Censor.NET) --- State Border Service units continue to protect the Ukrainian-Russian border and the demarcation line between the ATO forces and the militants.

   Press service of the State Border Service informs, Censor.NET reports.
   The situation in the ATO area remains tense. Over the past 24 hours, the terrorist did not shell Ukrainian border units. However, the terrorists continue to use drones for aerial reconnaissance. The border guards recorded six UAVs flying over the ATO area.

   In addition, last night the guards of the Luhansk detachment spotted two drones, which violated the border and the airspace of Ukraine, near Melove village. Three vehicles with food were detained along the line of demarcation. The vehicles were transporting goods without proper documentation.

Sunday, April 26, 2015  4:06 AM PDT

One Ukrainian soldier killed, seven wounded yesterday

   (Censor.NET) --- One Ukrainian soldier was killed and seven were injured in the ATO area yesterday, April 25.

   This was announced by the presidential administration representative on the ATO matters, colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk, Censor.NET reports
   "Over the past day, one Ukrainian soldier was killed in combat in the ATO area; seven soldiers were wounded," Motuzianyk said.
   As it was reported earlier, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and two were wounded in the ATO area on April 24.

Sunday, April 26, 2015  2:23 AM PDT

Tanks continue to enter Donetsk from the east. PHOTO

   (Censor.NET) --- Russian terrorists continue to accumulate tanks in Donetsk.

Journalist and photographer Petr Shelomovskiy writes in his Twitter, Censor.NET reports.
"Three T-72 rebel tanks have entered # Donetsk from the east. This might be another indication of rebel forces build up," the photographer wrote.
Earlier Censor.NET reported that militants continue to move manpower and tanks to the city of Donetsk.

Sunday, April 26, 2015  1:25 AM PDT

 ‘LPR’ and ‘DPR’ militants continue to fire from banned mortars and cannons

   (Censor.NET) --- The situation remained tense in the ATO zone last night. The terrorists have violated the truce firing 30 times at the ATO forces’ positions from 6 p.m. till 12 a.m. on April 25.

   Censor.NET reports citing the ATO press center.

   Thus, the terrorists fired at the ATO forces' positions near Pisky village (Donetsk region) eight times (four times from 120mm mortars). The militants have also shelled Ukrainian strongholds with mortars near the villages of Leninske, Shyrokyne, Maiorske, and Avdiivka town.

   "The enemy continued to use banned artillery systems (more than 100mm caliber guns). The army's positions at Avdiivka town were shelled with 122mm mortars. The militants fired at Ukrainian soldiers near Maiorske village from a 152mm cannon. In the Luhansk region, the militants fired at the Ukrainian stronghold near the town of Shchastia from an IFV. Stanytsia Luhanska village was shelled with automatic grenade launchers," the report reads.

   Enemy drones were also spotted near Pisky and Kamianka villages in the Donesk region.

Saturday, April 25, 2015  13:51 PDT

Norway adds more Russian citizens, Donbas militants on its sanction list

   (UNIAN) --- The changes concern the list of persons whose foreign bank accounts should be frozen in line with recent sanction-related decisions by the European Union.

   Following the EU's steps, Norway has extended the list of sanctioned individuals and companies from Russia and Ukraine, by adding 19 persons and 9 legal entities on it.

   This is said in an official statement by Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian news agency TASS has reported.

   "The adopted changes concern the list of individuals whose foreign [bank] accounts should be frozen in line with recent decisions by the EU," the document said.

   Norway has been consistent in joining all the packages of EU sanctions, though the country is not an EU member state. Norway's black list is similar to the EU's one. The recent changes correspond to those announced by the EU on February 16, 2015.

   In particular, the list included Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoliy Antonov, First Deputy Defense Minister Arkadiy Bakhin, head of the Main Operations Directorate and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Andrey Kartapolov. The list also includes MPs of the State Duma, singer Iosif Kobzon and Valeriy Rashkin.

   The rest of the list is made up of militants and members of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

   All the sanctioned persons face travel bans and asset freezes in Norway.