Ukraine War Update - 6 May 2015

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  8:46 AM PDT

Russia continues stealing Ukrainian coal

   KIEV, May 6 (Ukrinform). --- The coal export from Donbas to Russia continues through Gukovo and Donetsk checkpoints. The overall cross-border traffic increased at border crossing points.

   This was said in the OSCE report.

   "As in previous weeks, the average number of entries/exits increased at border crossing points, as well as number of trucks that transport coal from Luhansk region to the Russian Federation. The majority of the vehicles crossing the border have number plates issued in Luhansk region, including an increasing number of articulated trucks and the long-distance coaches commuting between Luhansk and cities in the Russian Federation, predominantly in the Rostov region," the document said.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  8:06 AM PDT

Ukraine, Moldova have to coordinate actions on European integration

   KIEV, May 6 (Ukrinform). --- Ukraine and Moldova have to coordinate their actions on European integration.

   President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this during a meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici, the press service of the Head of State reports.

   "The President of Ukraine stressed the importance of strong and politically stable Moldova for Ukraine and noted the interest in coordinating actions on the European integration and the exchange of experience on introduction of the visa-free regime," the statement said.

   According to the President, it is important to use benefits of the European integration and reduce risks. "Coordination of actions and efficient mutual support are important factors," the Head of State emphasized.

   The President assures that Ukraine supports Moldova and highly appreciates common projects on economic development, financial stability and benefits of the European integration.

   In turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister expressed interest in Ukraine's experience of reforms.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  6:27 AM PDT

Poroshenko urges terrorists to withdraw equipment from buffer zone

   (Censor.NET) --- President Poroshenko demands that the terrorists fulfil the agreements and withdraw all the weaponry in a matter of hours.

   President Petro Poroshenko has held a meeting with Ukrainian representatives in the working subgroups of the Trilateral Contact Group on the peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbas Volodymyr Horbulin, Yevhen Marchuk, Iryna Herashchenko and Ihor Veremii, Censor.NET reports citing the press office of the president.

   He said that the Russian-backed militants return the weaponry , which had been earlier withdrawn, to the buffer area on the eve of May 9 . "The explanation doesn't withstand any criticism: they are allegedly preparing to the parade and carry out military exercise. Agreements must be fulfilled and all the weaponry must be withdrawn in a matter of hours," Petro Poroshenko noted.

   "Any rotation, format transformation or retreat from the Minsk agreements is inadmissible," the president said.

   "Neither Ukraine, nor our international partners accept the revision of the Minsk agreements. We persistently demand signatories to the Minsk agreements, first of all Russia, to make every effort for the agreements to be fully implemented," the Head of State emphasized.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  6:08 AM PDT

Russia continues to mass soldiers and armour near Mariupol (Video)

   (UNIAN) --- According to numerous reports by journalists operating in and around Mariupol, Russia is continuing to mass thousands of soldiers in the area, with the movement of troops indicating a possible offensive in the near future, military analysts say.

   The Kremlin is believed by many to be readying to push forward with an attempt to seize this strategic port city in southeastern Ukraine, Ukraine Today reports.

   No less than 44 violations of the Minsk ceasefire agreement occurred overnight, killing at least one Ukrainian soldier early on Wednesday, Ukraine’s military has reported.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  6:03 AM PDT

Russia demands to postpone the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement implementation until 2017

   (Censor.NET) --- Russian Ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov appealed to the EU to postpone the signing of the trade part of the Association Agreement with Ukraine until 2017.

   He said this at a public event in Brussels Tuesday evening, Censor.NET reports citing Evropeiska Pravda.

   According to Chizhov, the idea was discussed at the expert level in April. The ambassador has specified that Russia advocates the idea that the current delay of the agreement entry into force should be extended for another year, EUobserver writes.

   As you know, September 2014, Russia disputed that the free-trade treaty implementation to be postponed until Jan. 1, 2016. The unilateral trade preferences regime will be valid for Ukraine during this period (the Ukrainian goods are exported to the EU tax free while the imports are subject to duties).

   At the same time, such a regime does not encourage Kiev to introduce reforms, full implementation of which is required by the free-trade treaty. That is why the experts strongly criticize the unilateral regime.

   Chizhov clarified that his initiative has been rejected by the other parties. At the same time, he has not lost hope that the EU will eventually return to this idea.

   "I did not have the impression that it was acclaimed enthusiastically by the Ukrainian delegation and the one of the European Commission. This may be considered as an indication of the fact that Ukraine has fulfilled most of the objectives on its way to fulfill this part of the Association Agreement. We will find out whether it has any bearing on reality until the end of the year," the Russian diplomat added.

   Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the EU Kostiantyn Yelisieiev earlier stated about Russia's constant attempts to postpone the introduction of a free trade treaty between Ukraine and the EU. (blogger note: I guess he needs the agreement postponed since its taking him longer to carve up the Ukraine then planed).

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  5:09 AM PDT

Five Ukrainian soldiers killed, 12 wounded in past day: Kiev

   Kiev (AFP) --- Five Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 12 wounded over the last 24 hours as clashes rumbled on between government forces and pro-Russian rebels, a military spokesman said Wednesday.

   Four of the soldiers died when their armoured vehicle hit a landmine close to the frontline town of Avdiivka, while the fifth was killed in a rebel ambush, Ukrainian spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

   The latest casualties come as Ukrainian and separatist representatives gear up to meet for the first time since the two sides inked a shaky peace deal in February that dampened much of the fighting but failed to halt clashes at key hotspots.

   Negotiators from the warring sides will meet with international mediators and officials from Russia -- which Kiev accuses of masterminding the conflict -- in the Belarussian capital Minsk to discuss the battered truce and a convoluted political roadmap for ending the conflict.

   Both Kiev and the insurgents accuse each other of continuing to violate the ceasefire deal despite claims from both that they have withdrawn heavy weapons from the frontline in accordance with the agreement.

   Kiev spokesman Lysenko said that rebels continued to bombard government positions with 152mm cannons around Mariupol, the largest remaining Ukrainian-controlled city in the conflict zone, and the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.

    The United Nations says that over 6,100 people have died in more than a year of fighting that has ravaged Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland and pitched Russia into a bitter standoff with the West.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  2:10 AM PDT

Pisky village turned into shambles: Kiev-1 battalion showed consequences of terrorist attacks.

   (Censor.NET) --- The defenders of Pisky village near Donetsk have shared pictures of aftermath of another shelling committed by the Russian terrorist forces.

   Censor.NET reports citing TSN.

   They are shelled from large caliber artillery and rocket one. The Ukrainian troops' position in this village were fired at from mortars twice as well as attacked from automatic grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, sniper rifles and small arms in one day alone, May 5.

Subsequently, the village turned into a desert with abandoned bombed-out apartment  buildings and private houses.	The photos from one of the trouble spots in the ATO area were published by the Kiev-1 battalion.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  12:14 AM PDT

As Ukraine erects defenses, critics fear expensive failure

   HOPTIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — The flimsy, razor wire-topped fences popping up along bare expanses of Ukraine's eastern frontier are the first line of defense against a much-feared Russian invasion. Trenches fortified by timber have been hollowed out for soldiers to take up positions. And bulky, metallic obstacles looped together with more barbed wire are laid across the fields to halt advancing tanks and infantry.

   A little more than a year and-a-half ago, the very idea of creating such fortifications — reminiscent of World War I trench warfare — would have struck many as perverse. But the project was announced with fanfare in summer as fighting against Moscow-backed separatists reached peak intensity. In December, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that the program, dubbed "Project Wall," would cost almost $520 million and take four years to complete.

Now doubts are creeping in.

   With much of eastern Ukraine in the hands of Russian-backed separatists, large swaths of the border remain impossible to secure — meaning enemy troops can just sneak in through areas under rebel control. And cash-strapped authorities have already had to revise budgets downward, so there's little money for building defenses.

   The project is for now centered on the Kharkiv region, which lies north of the conflict zone and shares a 315-kilometer border with Russia. To insulate that region from any separatist offensive, another layer of protection is being built on the frontier with areas under rebel control.

   Views are mixed among residents in the city of Kharkiv, the regional capital, about the wisdom of building defenses.

   Some in the economic powerhouse of 1.4 million people embrace the idea, and look with distress to the fate that befell the neighboring, mainly Russian-speaking Donetsk and Luhansk regions. More than 6,000 people have died to date as a result of fighting between government and rebel forces.

   "We need to protect ourselves somehow," said Sergei Kotlyar, 46. "But, of course, this won't give us 100 percent guarantees, even if it holds back the enemy for a little time."

   Others believe investing in fences and trenches is a waste of money, noting that anti-tank defenses will be of limited use against the rocket launchers widely deployed over the course of the war.

   "Who is it going to stop?" said 22-year old Kharkiv resident Anatasia Duda. "A country like Russia definitely has the means to deal with slabs of metal. And what's the use of that wall when the border with Donetsk isn't even under control?"

   In earlier times, lines separating the republics of the Soviet Union were viewed as little more than a formality, so families and communities straddled inconspicuously across borders. On paper, that changed with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

   But scant security along the 2,300-kilometer (1,400-mile) demarcation between Russia and Ukraine has for two decades ensured a smuggler's dream. Farmers and their livestock blithely crisscrossed in areas where it has never quite been entirely clear which country one was in.

   Separatist fighters in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have exploited the porous borders, moving about with ease. Ukraine accuses Russia of pouring its own army's equipment and manpower across the border to assist rebel offensives. Moscow dismisses all satellite imagery and anecdotal evidence underpinning those claims.

   Ukrainian border guards fought bitterly to keep the frontier sealed against overwhelming odds.

   "We know from the experience of fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that fire comes from the neighboring state (of Russia) without them having to cross the border," said Oleksandr Kruk, head of the Kharkiv regional division of the border service.

   On top of creating physical barriers, Ukraine is also fortifying obstacles of red tape to deter the numerous Russian citizens known to have voluntarily joined forces with local separatists.

   Rules for crossing official frontier points have been stiffened. In Hoptivka, people stand impatiently in crowded and slow-moving lines to get into Russia for work or to visit relatives.

   Russian citizens can only enter Ukraine on their international travel passports, whereas they could formerly sail through with their national ID cards. Closer checks by border guards have also slowed things down.

   Fifty kilometers (30 miles) of fences have already gone up, but not without complications. The exact coordinates for the location of the fence are hard to fix since the process of demarcating borders after the collapse of the Soviet Union was never properly completed.

   Rather than wait around for a labouriously negotiated agreement, Ukraine's security leadership last June unilaterally marked out what it sees as the country's eastern limits.

   Although it is illegal to own property within 50 meters (yards) of the border, people near the new fences have been granted control over the land all the same, said Kharkiv regional government Igor Raynin.

   "We are not prepared to tell people that this was not done properly and to confiscate land through the courts," Raynin said.

   The fortifications under construction go further back than the immediate line with Russia itself. Trenches, shelters and parking areas for armoured vehicles have been built along highways running southward from Russia past Kharkiv, a hive of Soviet-built industry.

   With the government forced to cut costs across the board as the economy struggles under the weight of war, the budget for the project has been reduced twofold.

   But Raynin insists the project is still sound.

   "This has been done in such a way that the quality of the wall will not suffer adversely," he said.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015  12:09 AM PDT

Separatists concentrate 3,000 troops near Mariupol – Tymchuk

   (Zik) --- The Russia/rebel command has strengthened its flank formations with respect to the Ukrainian army in the area of Svitlodarsk-Artemivsk, military expert Dmytro Tymchuk reports May 6.

   Over May 5, the enemy has moved infantry, tanks and artillery to the area

   Two military convoys passed via Makiyivka toward Yenakieve and Horlivka, the first including 16 APCs and the other including 7 tanks, 2 APCs and several trucks, Dmytro Tymchuk reported.

   The enemy is, in fact, creating a powerful offensive concentration with several scores of armour and 3,000 troops spearheaded against Mariupol, the expert said.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015  10:47 AM PDT

Israel cancels sale of drones to Ukraine after telephone call by Putin to Benjamin Netanyahu

   (Zik) --- Israel government didn’t give a go-ahead to the sale of drones to Ukraine following a buzz to Netanyahu from the Russian president, Bloomberg reports May 5, citing a highly placed Israeli official.

   In October 2014, Ukraine Foreign Minister Klimkin visited Israel and declared that Ukraine is interested in purchasing drones to monitor the ceasefire in Donbas.

   Israel’s major producer Israel Aerospace Industries agreed to sale the drones.

   Earlier, calling the sale unproductive, Putin said Israel could sell the drones to Ukraine in response to Russia selling C-300 missiles to Iran. (blogger note: I guess it shows Netanyahu’s backbone to so easily be intimidated by Putin).

Lithuania stages 'little green man' war games, with eye on Moscow

   VILNIUS (Reuters) --- Lithuania launched a military exercise on Wednesday to simulate an attack on its new gas terminal, a move its strongly anti-Moscow president said was intended to show the Kremlin that the tiny country would defend itself.

   The scenario is modeled on last year's capture of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula by Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms and civilian clothes, who came to be known as the "little green men" when Moscow initially denied their identity.

   "We will not allow ourselves to be taken easily," President Dalia Grybauskaite told Reuters. "We try to learn from the Ukrainian and Crimean situation ... We're not fearing anybody."

   Some 3,000 troops will be involved in this week's "Lightning Strike" exercise, simulating a response to armed groups seizing local government buildings, weapons stockpiles and airports to form a separatist government, as happened in Crimea and other parts of Ukraine.

   "The exercise will involve dealing with what can be generally called the 'little green men'," Donatas Suchockis, spokesman for Lithuanian Army’s Joint Staff, told Reuters. It began in Klaipeda port, where "Independence", a floating liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal, arrived last year. An explosion was simulated in a gas pipeline connected to the terminal, while guards dealt with "protesters" circling it in small boats.

   The high profile war games will help cement the reputation of Grybauskaite as a leading voice of opposition to Russia within the European Union and NATO since the Ukraine crisis wrecked Russia's relations with the West last year.

   The tiny Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are the only parts of the former Soviet Union to have joined both the EU and the Western military alliance.

   They all have ethnic Russian minorities and fear they could be in danger of invasion, since President Vladimir Putin proclaimed Moscow's right last year to use military force to protect Russian speakers across the ex-Soviet Union.

IRON LADY

   Grybauskaite's tough stance earned her the nickname "Iron Lady" in her country of 3 million people, and helped her win re-election last year after a first term marked by a crisis that saw the economy shrink by 15 percent under austerity policies.

   One of her main achievements in office has been opening the LNG terminal to free Lithuania from the need for Russian energy imports, which she has called an "existential threat."

   Grybauskaite repeated earlier calls for NATO to increase its military presence to demonstrate its willingness to defend the Baltics.

   "The need of NATO to be present in Baltic states in more large scale is becoming more evident," she said.

   NATO countries say Russian forces have increased infiltrations by air and sea into their territory since the Ukraine crisis began. In the past week NATO has also been running one of its biggest ever anti-submarine drills in north European waters.

   Russia says it has defended its national interest by protecting its citizens and ethnic kin in Ukraine, and that its takeover of Crimea represented the will of residents in a referendum. Western countries say Russian troops are also fighting alongside separatists in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

   Grybauskaite's supporters say her tough stance towards Moscow has been vindicated. She argues that a ceasefire in Ukraine has collapsed and Kiev needs military assistance. She pushes for more military spending, has reintroduced conscription and has likened President Vladimir Putin's tactics to Hitler's.

   The Baltic states were occupied by both the Nazis and the advancing Red Army during World War Two, ending the war under Soviet rule.

   "We are noisiest because we have the strongest interests in being so," said former Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius. "Historically we know about Russia’s bad behavior."

   Critics say Grybauskaite polarizes East and West and quashed dissent at home by accusing critics of Kremlin influence.

   When she once called Russia a terrorist state, Lithuania's representative on the European Commission in Brussles, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, accused her of building a "Berlin Wall" along with Putin.

   Her prickliness sometimes alienates even allies. She refused to attend a meeting of East European leaders in 2010 with President Barack Obama in protest against a U.S.-Russian treaty on arms reduction which she said was harmful to central and eastern Europe defense.

   She complains that other EU countries do not have the stamina to push through long term sanctions against Russia.

   "Of course some countries are far away, they think that it's not their business, they engage much more in problems of emigration, or Africa," Grybauskaite said.

Ukraine War Update - 5 May 2015

Tuesday, May 5, 2015  8:12 AM PDT

Two Ukrainian soldiers die as militants attack near Artemivsk

   (UNIAN) --- One Ukrainian soldier was killed and six were injured when Russian-backed militants attacked Ukrainian positions near the town of Artemivsk in Donetsk region, journalist Andriy Tsaplienko reported on Facebook on Tuesday.

   One soldier was killed when a militant sabotage and reconnaissance group attacked a transport of the Ukraine’s 30th Mechanized Brigade with a rocket-propelled grenade, Tsaplienko wrote.

   Six other soldiers were wounded in that attack, which occurred at about 16:35.

   Tsaplienko said the soldiers of the 30th Brigade returned fire and destroyed one of the militants’ vehicles.

   In another incident, a sapper from the 30th brigade engineering unit lost both legs in a landmine explosion and later died, despite efforts to save his life, Tsaplienko said.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015  5:37 AM PDT

Three Ukrainian soldiers wounded in the ATO area yesterday. Any servicemen killed - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Any Ukrainian servicemen was killed in the ATO area, three soldiers were injured May 4.

   ATO speaker Andrii Lysenko said at a briefing, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.

   "There were no battle losses among the Ukrainian servicemen during the past day, three soldiers received injuries," Lysenko stated.

   He noted that the situation in the ATO area stabilized over the past 24 hours: the enemy reduced the number of armed provocations committed against the Ukrainian military.

   The fiercest clashes between the militants and the ATO forces took place in Shyrokyne village (Mariupol direction).

   The militants' hostile activity was recorded in the Donetsk airport vicinity and the western suburbs of Horlivka (Donetsk direction).

   "The enemy widely uses prohibited weapons there unsuccessfully trying to advance but the expertise and cohesion of our soldiers do not leave any chance to the invaders," Lysenko stressed.

   Five flights of enemy drones have also been recorded at the Donetsk and Mariupol directions.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015  5:07 AM PDT

OSCE monitors try to persuade Mariupol residents to support demilitarization of Shirokine

   (Zik) --- OSCE monitors, many of whom are Russian officers, are trying to persuade Mariupol residents that the proposed demilitarization of Shirokine, a town close to Mariupol, will not affect their security, ZIK’s Myroslav Hanushchak reports from Mariupol May 5.

   “May 3, the residents of Mariupol rallied to protest the proposed demilitarization, saying, if it happens, the separatists will threaten the city directly,” the journalist said.

   Mariupol residents, however, do not give much trust to OSCE whose mission is to observe, not canvass.

    “OSCE is egging us on supporting the demilitarization of Shirokine. But who will give us the guarantees the city won’t be shelled after Ukraine army withdraws from Shirokine?” the locals ask.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015  4:50 AM PDT

Terrorists disguised as Ukrainian troops are planning to attack peaceful rally in Donetsk on May 9 - Presidential Administration

   (Censor.NET) --- The "DPR" and "LPR" terrorists are preparing a large-scale bloody provocation May 9. They are going to fire at a peaceful rally in Donetsk to create a pretext for a major offensive near Shyrokyne, Pisky, and Stanytsia Luhanska villages.

   Presidential Administration of Ukraine speaker on ATO Colonel Andrii Lysenko said at a briefing in Kiev today, Censor.NET reports citing UNIAN.

   "According to the intelligence, the leaders of the illegal armed groups are preparing a massive bloody provocation. In particular, the militants are going to commit an attack on the peaceful rally in Donetsk during celebration of the Victory Day on May 9. The enemy intends to accuse the ATO forces in advance of committing this terrorist attack," he said.

   According to Lysenko, this crime will trigger major offensive on the Ukrainian troops' positions at three fronts: near Shyrokyne, Pisky, and Stanytsia Luhanska villages.

   Earlier, the ATO headquarters reported that the militants began lifting minefields in the Luhansk region to clear the way for the military advance.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015  12:53 AM PDT

27 attacks and battle near Zolote village recorded yesterday evening - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- The Russian-terrorist forces violated the cease-fire 27 times from 6 p.m. to midnight May 4. The peaceful villages and cities were not attacked but the overall situation in the anti-terrorist operation area remained tense.

   Censor.NET reports citing the ATO press center.

   "The illegal armed groups once again shelled the ATO forces' positions near the villages of Shyrokyne, Pisky, Hnutove, and Opytne from 120-mm mortars and our positions near Pisky, Maiorsk, Leninske, and Kirove villages from 82-mm mortars in the Donetsk region. The criminals again shelled our strong points near Shyrokyne from 122-mm artillery and tank gun as well as attacked our positions near the villages of Opytne, Pisky, Hranitne, and Avdiivka using automatic grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and small arms.

   "The enemy also shelled our positions near the village of Syze in the Luhansk region from 82-mm mortars," the statement of the press center reads.

   In addition, the press service reported that the clash between the Ukrainian soldiers and a group of terrorists took place in the village of Zolote: "The engagement of the Ukrainian military with a group of the militants took place not far from the village of Zolote from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Our soldiers stopped the attackers with dense fire from small arms and forced them to retreat. There were no artillery attacks on peaceful villages and cities recorded within the reported period."

Monday, May 4, 2015  23:40 PDT

There are no Ukrainian volunteer units in Donbas, army says

   (Zik) --- There are no volunteer military units in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the army press service says in Facebook May 5.

   “There are some media reports about the alleged presence of Ukrainian volunteers in Donbas. The Ukrainian army dismisses the reports as false. 

   Only regular Ukrainian troops  and National Guard are taking part in operations against the separatists and Russian troops in Donbas.

   Earlier, following the Minsk agreements, volunteer battalions have been incorporated in the armed forces as regular units.

NATO to briefly move command HQ to Romania from Naples

   BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top NATO commander says the alliance will briefly move an allied joint force command headquarters to Romania as NATO continues to hone its ability to react to Russia's moves in Ukraine and other security challenges.

   U.S Navy Adm. Mark E. Ferguson III, commander of the Allied Joint Force Command based in Naples, Italy, said Tuesday the command will relocate to Cincu, in mountainous central Romania, for 12 days in June to support a NATO exercise involving 1,000 troops from 21 NATO states.

   "This deployment will be the first time a NATO Joint Force Command headquarters has deployed to Romania," Ferguson said in Bucharest during a two-day visit.

   Some 350 staff members will test their ability to command and control a multinational exercise from a forward position, said Lt. Col. Thorsten E. Smoll, public affairs officer at JFC Naples. The facility in southern Italy will remain in charge of the other missions that are currently its responsibility, such as the KFOR force in Kosovo.

   "This exercise will test the full operational capability of my staff by shifting command and control between ... Naples and the forward deployed elements in Cincu," Ferguson said.

   Cincu is Romania's largest military shooting range, some 180 kilometers (112 miles) northwest of Bucharest.

   Ferguson said the exercises were "defensive in nature and are focused on enhancing our interoperability, readiness, and responsiveness."

   At the same time, NATO and the U.S. will conduct exercises in Poland, the Baltics, the Baltic Sea

   In the Baltics, Striking Force NATO will conduct a major Allied maritime exercise.

   The US Navy will also operate missile-defense ships in the Black Sea, while the US Army Europe will conduct a land exercise in the Baltic States.

Latvia Detects Russian Military Ships Near Border As NATO Conducts Naval Exercises

    (IBTimes) --- Latvia’s armed forces purportedly spotted several Russian naval vessels operating in its prohibited economic zone, the nation’s press service said Monday.    The incident marked at least the third time this year that Latvia claimed to have spotted Russian ships active in the area without authorization.

   Two Russian ships and a submarine were detected about 5 miles from Latvia’s border, the country’s national armed forces said, Russians media agency Sputnik News reported. Military personnel also identified a Russian transport aircraft near Latvian airspace.

   The incident occurred just hours after Swedish authorities claimed Russian ships had interfered with attempts to lay a network of cables as part of an energy deal between Sweden and Lithuania, reported EurActiv, a news agency that specializes in European Union affairs. Russian authorities said the ships were merely defending its right to conduct military drills in the area. Sweden and Lithuania each planned to discuss the incident with the Kremlin.  

   Latvia previously claimed to have detected Russian warships in its waters in both February and April. 

   Russia’s military has conducted a series of land, sea and air training exercises in recent months after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to modernize the nation’s armed forces. Western leaders have expressed increasing concern with Russia’s military activity given its annexation of the formerly Ukrainian territory of Crimea last March and its purported involvement in the ongoing eastern Ukraine conflict. Clashes between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatist rebels purportedly backed by the Kremlin have killed 6,000 people since early 2014.

   In the face of Russia’s activity, the NATO military alliance has recently expanded its own military operations. Several NATO nations and Sweden, which is not part of the alliance, conducted anti-submarine naval drills in the North Sea on Monday to test procedures to locate and destroy underwater vessels.

   "Russia has a right to be at sea, just as we do," said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Brad Williamson, who commanded the operation, Reuters reported. “But incidents we have seen are not in line with international regulations … and that’s been a cause of concern.”

Ukraine War Update - 4 May 2015

Monday, May 4, 2015  6:22 AM PDT

Russia completes preparations for war in Ukraine

   (Zik) --- The shelling by rebels of their own territories in Donetsk from Yasynuvata and Makiyivka as well as May 3 night shelling of Holmivsky from Horlivka are part of bloody provocations by the separatists against civilians to fan hatred to hateful Ukrainian government soldiers. Preparations for the war are close to the end, Army SOS NGO activist Yury Kasianov writes in Facebook May 3.

   “On Aug. 31, 1939, the Nazis set up an attack by “Polish aggressors” on a German radio station, with German SS-men and criminals disguised as Polish soldiers killing peaceful Germans (the latter were murdered concentration camp prisoners), Kasianov wrote. 

   The recent merciless shelling of civilians in Donetsk and Holmivsky by Russian/rebel troops may be the casus belli Putin needs to renew the war in Ukraine.

   Preparations for war by Russia are almost over, the activist warns.

Monday, May 4, 2015  5:09 AM PDT

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed, five wounded in ATO area over the past day - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Over the past 24 hours, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five wounded in the ATO area.

   As reported by Censor.NET, this was announced by the Presidential Administration representative on ATO matters, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk at a briefing.

   "Over the past day, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed, five were wounded in the ATO area," Motuzianyk said.

   According to him, part of the losses were caused by the incident that happened near Katerynivka village of the Popasna district of the Luhansk region. "A combat reconnaissance patrol vehicle (BRDM) of the Ukrainian army blew up on a land mind, which killed two soldiers and wounded three. The latter were taken to hospital," Motuzianyk said.

   Another two soldiers were wounded in a combat clash near Shyrokyne village, the Mariupol direction.

Monday, May 4, 2015  3:41 AM PDT

Situation in Ukraine's eastern regions.

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

Monday, May 4, 2015  12:55 AM PDT

Ukraine not to withdraw its troops from Shirokine

   (Zik) --- Deputy commander of Ukraine troops in Donbas Serhy Halushko said on 112 Ukrayina TV there are no plans to withdraw Ukraine troops from Shirokine. “Given the situation and the number enemy attacks on our forces the withdrawal is out of the question. There are 40, 50 and even 60 violations of the ceasefire by the enemy amid massive troop movements. Mariupol residents can be assured that we will reduce the level of their safety,” he said. Mariupol residents rallied May 3 to protest the demilitarization of Shirokine, a key town on the approaches to Mariupol.

   ~~Ukraine not to withdraw its troops from Shirokine
   Deputy commander of Ukraine troops in Donbas Serhy Halushko said on 112 Ukrayina TV there are no plans to withdraw Ukraine troops from Shirokine. 

   “Given the situation and the escalating number enemy attacks on our forces the withdrawal is out of the question. There are 40, 50 and even 60 violations of the ceasefire by the enemy amid massive troop movements.

   Mariupol residents can be assured that we will reduce the level of their safety,” he said. 

   Mariupol residents rallied May 3 to protest the demilitarization of Shirokine, a key town on the approaches to Mariupol.

Sunday, May 3, 2015  23:10 PDT

Komorowski: units involved in Russian aggression against Ukraine will march on Red Square on V-E Day

   (UNIAN) --- The president of Poland claims that the power of the units which have committed aggression against neighbouring Ukraine in the face of the entire world will be demonstrated on Moscow's Red Square on May 9.

   Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski announced this in his speech on the occasion of Constitution Day in Poland on May 3, Radio Poland has reported.

   He said that the situation behind the eastern border of Poland was tense and noted the Poles have "a special occasion to closely monitor whether any new threat isn't looming."

   "We are facing a challenge of how to maintain and strengthen freedom. From the period of Poland's history which goes back to the Constitution of May 3, 1791, we've learnt a lesson that freedom is not given once and for all," Komorowski said.

   "Soon, on May 9, Red Square in Moscow will turn into an armored square. There will be those units that have recently attacked neighboring Ukraine in front of us and the whole world, demonstrating their force. It has been a long time since a military conflict was as close to the Polish borders as now," he added.

   "One should bear in mind that in this military demonstration, demonstration of force, we are talking not about history, but about the present and future. It is the image of today's unstable and restless world," he added.

Sunday, May 3, 2015  22:15 PDT

ATO update: Donetsk militants violate truce 56 times in first half of Sunday

   (UNIAN) --- From midnight to 1800 Kiev time on May 3, illegal armed groups in Donbas violated the ceasefire 56 times.

   As was the case on the previous day, the enemy used Grad BM-21 multiple rocket launchers, 152mm- and 122mm-caliber heavy artillery systems, and 120mm-caliber mortars to shell the Ukrainian positions along the line of contact, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) reported on Facebook.

   For six minutes starting from midnight, missiles from Grad launchers were being fired at the Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka in Donetsk region. From 1424 to 1427 Kiev time on May 3 pro-Russian forces used Grad launchers to shell Ukrainian troops not far from the village of Krymske in Luhansk region. 152mm-caliber artillery systems were used near the village of Shyrokyne not far from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol.

   What is more, 122mm-caliber artillery systems were used to shell ATO forces near Avdiyivka twice, and near the villages of Opytne, Vodiane and Shyrokyne one time each. Fire from 120mm-caliber mortars was opened to attack Ukrainian forces near Opytne three times, near the village of Pisky [close to the destroyed Donetsk airport] and the town of Avdiyivka twice each, and near Shyrokyne and Krymske one time each.

   What is more, ATO forces near Pisky, Opytne, Hranitne and Mayorsk in Donetsk region were under intensive fire from 82mm-caliber mortars, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, anti-tank guided missiles, heavy machine guns, and small arms.

   A fight near the village of Krymske in Luhansk region started at 1600 Kiev time on May 3 and lasted for 30 minutes. The enemy also intensively shelled Ukrainian positions in the town of Schastia, using mainly automatic grenade launchers, machine guns and small arms.

Sunday, May 3, 2015  13:14 PDT

Column Of Heavy Weapons Drives Through Donetsk

   (RFE/RL) --- At around 1 p.m. local time on May 3, a column of six Ural trucks pulling howitzers was filmed driving through central Donetsk, heading toward the north of the separatist-held city. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service) 

Finland Sends Letters To Reservists

   (RFE/RL) --- The Finnish military has begun sending letters to some 900,000 reservists amid increased tensions between the Nordic states and Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

   Russia and Finland share a 1,340-kilometer land border.

   The military said the letter campaign, which started on May 4, was prompted mainly by cuts in the defense budget.

   Finland's defense budget this year has shrunk to 2.7 billion euros ($2.99 billion), or 1.29 percent of GDP, down from 1.4 percent in 2012.

   The letters reportedly informed reservists what their role would be in a "crisis situation." 

   Finland, with a population of 5.2 million, is one of few countries in Europe still to have compulsory military service for men. It has a professional army of 16,000, but in the event of mobilization, it could muster a 230,000-strong force.

   Last month, neutral Finland and Sweden joined with NATO members Norway, Denmark, and Iceland in a joint statement that directly cited the Russian "challenge" as grounds to boost defense cooperation.