Ukraine War Update - 21 May 2015

Thursday, May 21, 2015  7:47 AM PDT

Less shelling, attacks' geography expanding - OSCE

   KIEV, May 21 (Ukrinform). --- The situation in Donbas remains fragile and unpredictable, fighting continues with less intensity, but its geography expands.

   Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Alexander Hug has said this at the briefing in Kiev on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

   "The areas around the destroyed and now “DPR”-controlled Donetsk airport have remained in focus during the week. The mission has observed intense moments of escalation, which have been followed by less intense fighting. At the same time the level of tension in the area has been significantly less compared to the previous week," he said.

   Hug noted that monitors observed artillery, tank, mortar attacks, shelling from heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft arms and small arms near the Donetsk airport.

   At the same time Hug said that the geography of military clashes was expanding: "I should mention that the geography of hot spots expands. In particular, this refers to localities in Horlivka district [Donetsk region], and government-controlled village of Luhanske, north of Debaltseve [Donetsk region]."

Thursday, May 21, 2015  7:15 AM PDT

Ukraine's Emergency Service, NATO preparing for "Ukraine 2015" exercise

   (Interfax) --- A conference to plan the joint international exercise of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) to respond to emergencies, "Ukraine 2015," is being held in Lviv.

   "The event took place in the format of a plenary meeting. During the sitting, the participants discussed the main scenario, services' schedule, provided instructions on conducting training and discussed time indices for teams to come and participate," reads a statement issued by the press service of the Emergency Service on Thursday.

   According to Director of the Emergency Response Department at the Service, Hryhoriy Marchenko, "during the discussion we planned the joint exercise, where Ukrainian rescuers would work together with their foreign colleagues on eliminating an emergency in real conditions."

   He said that nearly 600 rescuers and 200 pieces of equipment from 30 countries are planned to be used the exercise.

   In turn, Head of EADRCC Guenter Bretschneider thanked the Ukrainian representatives for his organization being invited to the exercise. He said that this will be the third time EADRCC has cooperated with Ukrainian colleagues and his organization is happy to return.

   He said that some countries have already announced the participation of their teams in the training, and other participants are expected to confirm their participation soon. These teams will work together with Ukrainian rescuers despite the different languages and training standards.

   The Ukrainian Emergency Service said the international exercise will be held as part of the annual national program of Ukraine-NATO cooperation for 2015 to deepen the cooperation of NATO and Ukrainian Emergency Service in civil protection of the population and procedures on preventing and responding to natural and anthropogenic emergencies.

Thursday, May 21, 2015  6:20 AM PDT

OSCE drones spot Russian-made Strela-10 air missile systems in Donbas

   (UNIAN) --- OSCE drones have observed Russian-made 9K35 Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air missile systems in Russian-backed militant-occupied territory in the Donbas, OSCE Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday.

   "Our drones have recently been able to identify the presence of the 9K35 Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air missile systems in territory controlled by the Donetsk People’s Republic militant organization, near the village of Oktyabr, 25 kilometers from Mariupol," Hug said.

   According to Hug, the mission continues to record evidence that both sides have failed to completely withdraw heavy weapons out of range of the front line in the Donbas.

Thursday, May 21, 2015  6:06 AM PDT

SBU: Ukrainian military shoots down Russian drone in Donbas

   (UNIAN) --- Ukraine has displayed the wreckage of what it says is a Russian spy drone shot down near the city of Donetsk on Wednesday, further adding to a mountain of evidence that the Russian military is directly involved in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

   Markiyan Lubkivsky, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s SBU security service, said at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday that the sophisticated, five-meter-long “Forpost” drone was manufactured in 2013 at the Ural Civil Aviation Plant in Russia.

   "This is additional proof that Russia is carrying out aggression against our country," Lubkivsky said.

   Pictures of the downed drone posted by the Ukrainian military's Dnipro-1 battalion early on Thursday showed the Russian manufacturer’s markings, and markings from Israeli-made electronic equipment used in Forpost drones, which are made in Russia under license from Israel.

   In a press release posted on Facebook, Dnipro-1 said the $6 million drone was one of only eleven in service with the Russian armed forces.

   As news of the shoot-down spread, pictures of what appeared to be the same drone being assembled in the Ural Civil Aviation Plant were posted on Twitter. The drone wreckage pictures posted by Dnipro-1 and the factory pictures both showed the same identifying number – 923.

   Russia has denied that its armed forces are present in eastern Ukraine, but the fast accumulating weight of evidence of direct Russian involvement in the conflict in Ukraine’s Donbas has already made Kremlin denials scarcely credible.

   Also on Thursday, the SBU released photographs of the members of a Russian special operations unit that it said has been active in Ukraine for months.

   The soldiers in the pictures were earlier named by two suspected Russian special operations soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces on the weekend.

   According to the SBU, the Russian military team was on a mission to prepare for the capture of the Ukrainian town of Shastya, where a strategically important heat and power plant is located. The plant serves government-controlled areas of the north of Luhansk region.

Thursday, May 21, 2015  5:45 AM PDT

There exist evidence that Russian commandos in Donbas are on rotation, Security Service of Ukraine

   (Censor.NET) --- Russian commandos of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) have been on rotation in Donbas since 2014 for reconnaissance and sabotage activities.

   This was stated by Head of Security Service Counterintelligence Department Vitalii Naida at a breifing on Thursday, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.

   "After the illegal annexion of Crimea and as soon as the active phase of the conflict, provoked by Russia, was over, the 3rd Separate Brigade of the Main Intelligence Directorate was deployed in the territory of the Luhansk region and approximately since April last year has been there on rotation," he said.
   He pointed out that since April 2014 at least four rotations of the brigade took place, each time with 200-220 servicemen. The proof of this are technically documented materials which will be attached to the criminal proceedings.

   According to the Security Service represantative, the last rotation took place on Feb. 18, 2015, the first deployment place was in Molodohvardiisk, and the headquarters were accomodated in Luhansk.

   After the incident with the two captured GRU servicemen the rest of the unit was urgently returned to the territory of Russia on May17 in order to avoid identification, especially by the OSCE Monitoring Mission.

   V.Naida also said that Ukrainian intelligence has clear evidence of the activities of Captain Erofeev group in 20 different towns of Donbas. The group prepared and conducted sabotage acts, prepared ambush, mined areas, set bombs to destroy civilians, was involved in killing Ukrainian servicemen. The last military order of the group was to capture the town of Shchastya. "All that will serve as evidence in the trial of the detainees that is being prepared," said V.Naida.
   "14 members of (Erofeev group) of 16 have been identified. We know their names, callnames, military ranks and will hand these data over to the international courts," V.Naida said.

Thursday, May 21, 2015  4:16 AM PDT

Russian Main Intelligence Directorate coordinates militants’ attacks from Grad and Uragan MLRSes in the Donbas - SBU

   (Censor.NET) --- SBU stated that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation (GRU) masterminds and coordinates rocket artillery attacks committed by the militants against the Ukrainian servicemen and civilians in the Donbas.

   "We see clear evidence that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation special forces operatives create favorable conditions for the use of Grad and Uragan multiple rocket launchers, which come from the territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of Ukraine to conduct shelling of both the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civilian population, and they also provide security of the equipment" the Security Service of Ukraine Counterintelligence Department Head Vitalii Naida said at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.

   In testimony of this, he showed two documents issued between Sept. 12 and 26 and between Sept. 14 and 17, 2014. "Analysis of the information evidentiates that a number of Ukrainian cities and villages had come under rocket artillery shelling during this period. The Ukrainian military were not deployed in all the cities and villages. GRU special forces detachments provide conduction of attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine and we lay blame for this on the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation," Naida said.

Thursday, May 21, 2015  3:42 AM PDT

One soldier killed, eight wounded over past day - NSDC

   (Censor.NET) --- Over the past day, one Ukrainian soldier was killed in Donbas fighting.

   Another eight soldiers were wounded. This was announced by the ATO speaker Oleksandr Motuzianyk at a briefing, Censor.NET reports citing lb.
   "Over the past day, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and eight received wounds," he said.
The most casualties were occurred at the Svitlodarsk area of defense.

Thursday, May 21, 2015  3:24 AM PDT

Russia's return to G8 is not possible until it recognizes international law, - Merkel

   (Censor.NET) --- Return to Group of Eight format is not possible as long Russia's activities fail to comply with international law.

   As reported by Censor.NET citing RIA Novosti, German Chancellor Merkel said Thursday in a speech in parliament before the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga.
   Russia will not participate in the Elmau meeting of the G7, Merkel said, for the Group of Seven is seen as a community of values.
   The Chancellor said that a return to the G8 format is not imaginable as long as Russia doesn't act according to those basic values.

   Currently, the Group of Seven includes Germany, U.S., Canada, Japan, France, Great Britain, and Italy.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015  17:23 PDT

Ukrainian Lawmakers Vote To Terminate Military Cooperation With Russia

   (RFE/RL) --- The Ukrainian parliament has voted to annul military cooperation with Russia.

   The five intergovernmental agreements scrapped by the Verkhovna Rada on May 21 include one allowing Moscow to send forces across Ukraine to Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region. 

   The lawmakers also voted to terminate deals covering military intelligence cooperation and the mutual protection of classified information, basic Russian military transports across Ukrainian territory, and mutual arms purchases.

   The move comes as eastern Ukraine continues to be embroiled in sporadic fighting between government forces and pro-Russian separatists despite a cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk in February.

   More than 6,100 people have been killed in the conflict since April 2014.

   Kiev and the West accuse Russia of arming the rebels and sending troops there, charges Moscow denies.

   Based on reporting by AFP, AP, Interfax, and TASS