Ukraine War Update – 17 August 2015

Monday, August 17, 2015  4:56 AM PDT

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed, seven wounded in ATO area in past day

   KIEV, August 17 (Ukrinform). --- Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed; seven soldiers were wounded in ATO area in past 24 hours.

   Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on ATO, Colonel Andriy Lysenko said this at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

   "Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed, seven soldiers were injured in ATO area over the past day," he said.

Monday, August 17, 2015  4:03 AM PDT

Over half shelling occur near Donetsk - ATO

   KIEV, August 17 (Ukrinform). --- Over 50% of all ceasefire violations, committed by the militants in the ATO area, are recorded near Donetsk.

   Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on ATO, Colonel Andriy Lysenko said this at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

   "The situation near Donetsk has not changed significantly. It is relatively quiet here only from 8:00 to 18:00. In the dark time, the enemy uses heavy weapons continuously. Over 50% of all ceasefire violations, committed by the invaders, fall on the Avdiyivka - Opytne - Pisky - Krasnohorivka - Marinka front line," Lysenko said.

   The spokesman added that the hostilities on the outskirts of Donetsk, in Mariupol direction, had resumed.

Monday, August 17, 2015  2:53 AM PDT

Situation in Ukraine's eastern regions. Map

   KIEV, August 17 (Ukrinform). --- The situation in eastern Ukraine remains tense. Despite the declared ceasefire, Russian-backed terrorists continue to fire at Ukrainian army positions and settlements in Donbas.

   The map reflecting the situation in Donbas as of 12.00 on August 17 has been released by the information and analytical center of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council.

Monday, August 17, 2015  2:12 AM PDT

‘Donbas’ volunteer battalion redeployed back to touchline

   (Zik) --- ‘Donbas’ battalion volunteers are to return to the combat zone near Mariupol, UNIAN reports Aug. 17.

   A month ago, the battalion was pulled out of Shirokine, the area the rebels and Ukraine army agreed to demilitarize.

   As the rebels failed to withdraw heavy artillery from the area, the battalion is to take its positions close to the touchline.

   Mariupol residents protested the decision to withdraw the volunteers and replace them with Marines.

Sunday, August 16, 2015  23:56 PDT

Russian paint Ukrainian markings on their tanks in Novoazovsk

   (Zik) --- The flare-up of military confrontation in the Mariupol area is a fact. The rebels are using heavy artillery to shell the villages close to Mariupol, Podrobytsi reports Aug. 17.

   The demilitarization of Shyrokine has been disrupted, and the rebels are openly digging trenches there. They shell Ukraine Marines in Shyrokine using mortars, Sector M press officer says.

   How the situation will unfold in the future nobody can risk to predict, Podrobytsi says. One thing is clear – heavy artillery and Grads are in the area.

   The rebels in Novoazovsk started to paint Ukraine army markings on their tanks. 

Sunday, August 16, 2015  23:56 PDT

Rebels hit villages close to Mariupol, kill civilians

   (Zik) --- The rebels of the Donetsk breakaway republic did not shell the villages near Mariupol in the night of Aug. 17, the rebel representative says, Ria-Novosti reports.

   However, according to the Ukrainian army, its positions were shelled from 120-mm mortars in Bohdanivka and Starohnativka, the villages close to Mariupol. 

   The Azov regiment reports heavy artillery enemy fire on 4 villages near Mariupol – Lebedynske, Sartana, Shyrokina and Hnutovo.

   Three civilians were killed in the shelling of Sartana, Ukraine army reports.

Sunday, August 16, 2015  23:39 PDT

Two civilians killed, six wounded after militants shell Sartana village near Mariupol

   KIEV, August 17 (Ukrinform). --- Russian mercenaries shelled Sartana village near Mariupol on Sunday, killing two and wounding six civilians.

   This is reported by the press service of the Ukraine's Interior Ministry department in Donetsk region.

   According to the police, the doctors first reported on the killed man, found on Zaozerna Street. Later it became known about another victim of shelling, a girl aged about 20-22, whose body was found on Chervonoarmiyska Street.

   As of morning it became known that militants shelled four private houses. As a result of shelling, six civilians (four men, a woman and a child) got injuries of varying severity.