Ukraine War Update - 14 August 2015

Friday, August 14, 2015  3:21 AM PDT

One Ukrainian soldier killed, six wounded yesterday, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- One soldier was killed and six more were injured in the ATO area Aug. 13.

   Presidential administration speaker on ATO Andrii Lysenko said at a briefing, Censor.NET reports.

   "One soldier was killed and six more received injuries during engagements over the past day," he said.

Friday, August 14, 2015  2:28 AM PDT

Militants block removal of Ukrainian soldiers' bodies from Donbas

(Ukraine Today) --- Volunteers of "Black Tulip" group risk their lives to bring back the bodies of soldiers killed in action in the east Ukraine

   UNIAN: Kremlin-backed militants do not allow a corridor for the Ukrainian 'Black Tulip' volunteer organization to remove Ukrainian soldiers' dead bodies from the Donbas conflict zone, Yaroslav Zhylkin, the chairman of NGO Narodna Pamyat [People's Memory] Union's board, wrote on Facebook.
   "Well, apparently something is going to happen there [in Donbas], …we haven't been given a corridor," he wrote.

   Zhylkin said it was not a typical situation for volunteers.

   "It has rarely happened to us. Even during the siege of the Donetsk airport and the town of Debaltseve, we were able to get there," he said.

   Black Tulip (Cargo 200 Evacuation), a Ukrainian volunteer organization, was set up in September 2014 as a joint civil and military cooperation project of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the National Museum of Military History of Ukraine and NGO Narodna Pamyat Union. About 120 volunteers from different regions of Ukraine have been involved in the mission.

   As of the end of February 2015, volunteers had withdrawn 390 dead bodies of Ukrainian troops from the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone in eastern Ukraine.

Friday, August 14, 2015  1:30 AM PDT

Militants shelled Marinka and Krasnohorivka with heavy artillery having wounded soldier, - Donetsk Regional Administration

   (Censor.NET) --- The Armed Forces of Ukraine serviceman was wounded in Marinka district of the Donetsk region.

   This was reported in the press service of the Donetsk Regional Military and Civil Administration, Censor.NET reports citing 112 Ukraine.

   "The towns of Marinka and Krasnohorivka were fired at with heavy artillery and small arms over the past day. The information on inflicted damage is currently specified," the statement reads.

   One serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was wounded as of 8 a.m. Aug. 14, Donetsk Regional Military and Civil Administration added.

   All public utilities of the district function normally.

Friday, August 14, 2015  1:00 AM PDT

Terrorists committed massive attack on residential neighborhood of Artemove village at night. Evidence transferred to OSCE.

   (Censor.NET) --- The Ukrainian Military observers of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the cease-fire (JCCC) record numerous war crimes committed by the pro-Russian militants against civilians in the Donbas.

   The ATO press center reports citing the press officer of the Ukrainian party of JCCC Ruslan Semeniuk, Censor.NET informs.

   According to him, the terrorists conducted a massive strike on the residential neighborhood of Artemove village located not far from Dzerzhynsk village in the Donetsk region on the night of Aug 12. The shelling was conducted with 122-mm and 152-mm artillery from the direction of the mine named after Yury Gagarin situated near Horlivka: "About 50 militants' shells hit Artemove from 11 p.m. Aug 12 to 02:30 a.m. Aug 13."

   "A four-apartment house was completely burnt as a result of the shelling, which left all the residents homeless. Several cars, bicycles, many fences, and outbuildings have been recorded damaged. There are craters from the shells of different calibers on the streets.

   "A three-storey building has its roof and windows damaged. A woman was wounded in the arm by shrapnel. The shelling also damaged windows, doors, and gas pipeline in a two-storey house. The power was also cut there.

   "The shells of 122-mm and 152-mm caliber have as well damaged power transmission line, three houses, a coalhouse, a car, killed a dog, broken windows and doors. Many houses have their walls, windows, doors, and roofs damaged.

   "In addition, 122-mm projectiles have damaged facade of the building, windows, doors, 15 meters of rails, outbuildings and fence at the train loading station in Artemove.

   "The facts of the barbarous destruction of the residential neighborhood and the railroad station in the Artemove village by the pro-Russian militants have been documented by the observers of the Ukrainian party of JCCC and handed over to the OSCE special monitoring mission," JCCC press officer Semeniuk said.

Friday, August 14, 2015  12:55 AM PDT

Terrorists shelled Avdiivka, wounding two women, - Interior Ministry

   (Censor.NET) --- At 2:40 a.m. Aug. 14 police office of Avdiivka was informed of an artillery shelling of the city. According to preliminary information, two women have been wounded.

   The shelling was reported by the Interior Ministry in the Donetsk region press service, Censor.NET informs. Later, more information was provided by the Chief Police Head of the region Viacheslav Abroskin.
   According to him, two women have been wounded.
   "Today, militants shelled historical part of Avdiivka with Grads. As usual, [they did it] at night, meanly, while civilians were sleeping. Two women, both born in 1959, received shrapnel wounds," Abroskin wrote on his Facebook page.
   More information of damages and casualties is being specified. Avdiivka city police officers are documenting the consequences of the shelling.

Friday, August 14, 2015  12:38 AM PDT

Militants attack Ukrainian army positions 95 times overnight

   KIEV, August 14 (Ukrinform). --- The combined Russian-separatist forces shelled Ukrainian army positions in eastern Ukraine 95 times on August 13.

   The press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) wrote on Facebook on Friday.

   "The Russian proxies started firing Grad multiple rocket launchers at about 22:00 Kiev time on ATO fortified positions near the villages of Talakivka, Pavlopil, and Starohnativka close to the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol. They also fired 152mm artillery systems on Starohnativka and Talakivka. From 18:00 to midnight, the militants attacked the village of Novotroitske twice, using 120mm mortars," the report says.

   "At about 22:00 Kiev time, the occupiers started firing mortars and 152mm artillery systems on ATO forces in the village of Zaitseve in the Artemivsk sector," the press center said.

   "From midnight to 06:00 Kiev time on August 14, the militants used banned artillery nine times. They fired Grad rockets on ATO forces in Vodiane four times and in Opytne three times," the press center said.

Friday, August 14, 2015  12:24 AM PDT

 ‘LPR’ terrorists admitted that another Putin’s ‘humanitarian’ convoy contained vehicle spare parts

   (Censor.NET) --- The militants have admitted that Russian ‘humanitarian’ convoy, invaded Ukraine on May 14, contained vehicle spare parts.

   On May 14 , the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) observed a convoy of 39 trucks, with Russian Federation license plates, and with the inscription "Humanitarian aid from the Russian Federation". The trucks entered Luhansk city proceeding from the direction of the Russian Federation. An 'LPR' interlocutor at one of the warehouses told SMM that the humanitarian aid shipment contained flour, wheat, sunflower oil, and cereals. However, the SMM was unable to verify this information.

   Censor.NET reports citing Radio Svoboda.
   At the same time, "three of the 39 trucks were sent to the 'LPR ministry of emergency and reconstruction'. An interlocutor, responsible for the warehouse, said that they contained vehicle spare parts," the OSCE representative confirmed.

   Ukrainian border guards were not allowed to verify the contents of the 26th illegal Putin's 'humanitarian convoy'.

Thursday, August 13, 2015  23:36 PDT

35th 'Putin's humanitarian convoy' left Russia for Donbas

   (Censor.NET) --- 35th 'Putin's humanitarian convoy' left Russia for the Donbas.

   As reported by Censor.NET citing Liga, this was announced by the Russian Federation Emergency Service.

   "Russia's Emergency Service convoy with aid for the Donbas has left for the Russian border. It counts over 100 trucks carrying more than 1,000 tons of cargo," the message reads.
   The authority states that the trucks carry food, medicines, and daily necessities.Before entering the territory of Ukraine, the convoy will divide into two, one heading to the Donetsk region, the other to the Luhansk region.
   As known, Russia allows neither Ukrainian border guards not Red Cross representatives to examine the cargo. Every time a convoy arrives to the Donbas, terrorists intensify their activities. Ukrainian party has stated multiple times that the Russian Federation sends weapons and other aid to mercenaries in its convoys.

   Kiev insists that the cargo from Russia were delivered to the Donbas via railway. Ukrainian border guards and Red Cross representatives announced that they were not able to examine the trucks that carry the so-called humanitarian aid.

Thursday, August 13, 2015  10:42 AM PDT

SBU exposes Russian FSB interference in local elections in Zakarpatya

   (Zik) --- The Security Service of Ukraine has foiled the attempts by Russia special services to influence preparations for the local elections in October 2015.

   Acting under the cover of a private Moscow-registered organization, foreign agents were trying to help local leftists to raise their popularity in Zakarpatya. Moscow patrons promised the leftists to bankroll their election campaign, SBU says.

   SBU warned one of the leftist party leaders that his actions can be qualified as state treason.

Thursday, August 13, 2015  9:53 AM PDT

Rebels ban access to OSCE observers – Alexander Hug

   (Zik) --- Rebels in the Luhansk separatist republic ban OSCE monitors to inspect the areas to which they had allegedly pulled out heavy artillery from the touchline, OSACE mission head Alexander Hug said Aug. 13, UNIAN reports.

   In some cases, last week OSCE monitors did not see any heavy artillery in the areas of withdrawal, Hug said.  

   The Ukrainian army also restricts access to OSCE monitors to deployment areas of heavy artillery by banning the monitors to approach the weapons to take their serial numbers, Hug complained.