Ukraine War Update - 4 August 2015

Tuesday, August 4, 2015  7:40 AM PDT

Russia names cause for expelling Swedish diplomat

   (UNIAN) --- A Swedish diplomat has been expelled from Moscow in a tit-for-tat move after the Scandinavian country recently kicked out a Russian diplomat, BBC Russian News Service reported referring to a statement of Russia's Foreign Ministry.

   Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in the statement on Tuesday that the move is a retaliatory measure to the "unfriendly action" against a Russian diplomat in Stockholm. It did not identify either diplomat or give any further details. The ministry added that "Stockholm bears full responsibility for the consequences of this provocation."

   Yesterday, Swedish Foreign Office spokesman Johan Tegel reported that a senior official of the Embassy of Sweden in the Russian Federation declared persona non grata.

   The Swedish ministry said that the unfriendly step could be considered to be a tit-for-tat move in response to Sweden's expelling a Russian diplomat prior to that.The Russian diplomat was expelled because of actions "not in line with the Vienna Convention" which governs diplomatic relations, according to the report.

   Relations between Russia and Sweden have deteriorated amid strain over the Ukrainian crisis.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015  6:35 AM PDT

Vuhlehirsk thermal power plant stopped due to shelling damages

   (Censor.NET) --- Thermal power plant (TPP) in Vuhlehisrk, the Donetsk region, has again halted its operations on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

   This is reported by Censor.NET citing the Tsentrenerho Public Company press service.
   According to them, unending combat activities and artillery shelling in the vicinity of Svitlodarsk, the Donetsk region, on Aug. 3 damaged power lines of 330 kW Donbaska-1 and Donbaska-2.
   "This resulted in Vuhlehirsk TPP halt due to loss of its own power needs. The plant infrastructure has not been damaged. The start of the TPP power blocks will depend on repair of power lines by Ukrenergo repair crews," the message reads.
   As reported, Vuhlehirsk TPP was stopped due to damages caused by large-caliber artillery shelling by terrorists on July 27. Its operations were renewed on Aug. 1.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015  4:14 AM PDT

Three Ukrainian soldiers killed in ATO area in past 24 hours

   KIEV, August 3 (Ukrinform). --- Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed; seven soldiers were wounded in ATO area in past 24 hours.

   Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the anti-terrorist operation, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a briefing in Kiev, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

   "Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed, seven soldiers were injured over the past day," he said.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015  2:52 AM PDT

Situation in Ukraine's eastern regions.

   KIEV, August 3 (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 4 has been released by the information and analytical center of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015  12:48 AM PDT

Stanytsia Luhanska and Krymske shelled at night: 128th Brigade commander wounded, - Luhansk state administration

   (Censor.NET) --- A serviceman was wounded as a result of shelling Stanytsia Luhanska in the Luhansk region on Aug. 3.

   This is stated by the Luhansk regional military civil administration press service, Censor.NET reports.

   "From 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Stanytsia Luhanska was fired at from an anti-tank rifle. As recorded, a building of the district administration was hit. Terrorists used grenade launchers systematically to shell the greenery around the village. As a result, the commander of the 128th Mountain Infantry Brigade from Lviv was wounded," the report reads.

   "At the same time, an enemy drone was long orbiting over a tuberculosis dispensary in the village of Krymske near Novoaidarsk with a mortar strike being delivered shortly after. No information of casualties or injured was reported," the state administration added.

   "I visited Stanytsia Luhanska yesterday. Seeing all the devastation in front of me, brought to the Luhansk region by the "Russian World," I got once again convinced that terrorists shelling civilians almost each day have nothing sacred inside. Residents are trying to live ordinary lives despite constant shelling. I will do my best to not make these people feel abandoned by the authorities," the Head of the Luhansk regional military civil administration Heorhii Tuka noted.

Monday, August 3, 2015  23:30 PDT

Terrorists violated cease-fire 109 times over past day, as fight occurred near Leninske, - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- Ukrainian military continue resisting illegal armed units in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area.

   This is reported by Censor.NET citing the ATO press center.
   "Aug. 3, from 6 p.m. to midnight the enemy continued shelling our positions using arms that must be removed from the demarcation line.

   "Like in previous days, the key resistance was recorded near Donetsk. At about 7 p.m. mercenaries fired twice at Avdiivka using 120-mm mortars. From 10:10 p.m. to midnight they delivered mortar fire at the city areas with no ATO forces. Also, at about 11 p.m. terrorists fired tanks three times at our strongholds in Pisky. Vodiane was sprayed from 152-mm mortars at 8 p.m. At 10:30 p.m. mercenaries struck Pervomaiske from 122-mm artillery and tanks. Moreover, at 11:20 p.m. the enemy fired 120-mm mortars at civilian homes in Opytne. The enemy artillery sprayed Sanzharivka in the Artemivsk direction. In the area of Mariupol occupants shelled Starohnativka from mortars and 152-mm artillery.

   In general, during the past day, Aug. 3, illegal armed units violated cease-fire 109 times. After midnight, Aug. 4, militants concentrated fire in the Donetsk region shelling Opytne, Vodiane, Avdiivka, Marinka. And around 1 a.m. our troops engaged in a fight with an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group near the village of Leninske. Due to skillful actions of our fighters the mercenaries retreated," the report reads.

Monday, August 3, 2015  13:35 PDT

“DPR” terrorists’ heavy weapons guarded by paratroopers from Russia’s Orenburg, - OSCE

   (Censor.NET) --- OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) observers recorded presence of paratroopers from Orenburg (Russian Federation) in the heavy weapons storage areas of the “DPR” militants.

   Censor.NET informs citing the OSCE SMM report as of Aug. 2, 2015.

   "The SMM revisited five "DPR" heavy weapons holding areas whose locations comply with the respective withdrawal lines. An armed man guarding the facility at one of the sites claimed that he and those present at the site were part of the 16th airborne brigade from Orenburg, Russian Federation," the report reads.

   At the same time, the OSCE observers noted that the guards did not wear identifying insignia that would have confirmed their belonging to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.