Ukraine War Update - 24 June 2015

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  13:59 PDT

SBU detained two men dressed in Tornado battalion uniforms who planned assassination of Luhansk region police chief - Moskal

   (Censor.NET) --- Chairman of the Luhansk military-civilian administration Hennadii Moskal stated that the Security Service of Ukraine has detained two persons dressed in the uniforms of the Interior Ministry’s Tornado squadron on suspicion of plotting the assassination of Chief of Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Lysychansk (the Luhansk region) Anatolii Naumenko.

   Censor.NET reports citing the statement of the press service of Hennadii Moskal.

   "The Security Service and Interior Ministry officers detained two assassins in Lysychansk a few hours ago today (June 24). They were going to murder Chief of police of the Luhansk region Anatolii Naumenko. The detainees appeared to be the so-called volunteers of the Interior Ministry's Tornado squadron (they had appropriate chevrons but were not official members of the squadron)," the report reads.

   It was established that the suspects left the village of Pryvillia (the base of Tornado is situated there) June 22 and went through wood lines bypassing checkpoints to the city of Lysychansk where they checked into a mini-hotel.

   One of them was a 37-year-old sniper - the one who intended to commit a murder of Naumenko and the other one was a 58-year-old sniper's associate whose mission was to back up the main killer.

   Makarov pistols, which were in the books of the Tornado squadron, were seized from both of them during the arrest, as well as "Vepr" hunting rifle with a scope sight, two RGD-5 grenades and 47 rounds of ammunition of various calibers.

   During the interrogation, the "hitman" has confirmed that they were plotting an attempt upon Naumenko's life. They were aware of his place of work, residence, and main routes he used while the motive was the revenge for withdrawal of the Tornado squadron from the Luhansk region.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  12:43 PDT

Battle is underway in Shyrokyne not far from Mariupol

   (Censor.NET) --- A clash is currently taking place in Shyrokyne village not far from Mariupol.

   Mariupol online news outlet 0629 informs citing press officer of the sector "M" Yaroslav Chepurnyi, Censor.NET reports.

   The Russian militants were the first who opened fire, he stressed. The servicemen are using small arms in response. The residents of Mariupol hear gunfire. The residents of the left bank of Mariupol observe smoke rising over Shyrokyne. The situation in Mariupol is stable.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  11:21 AM PDT

Militants’ combat activity significantly reduced June 24, - ATO press-center

   (Censor.NET) --- The militants have significantly reduced their military activity along the demarcation line today, June24.

   Censor.NET informs citing situation report of the ATO press center.

   The report reads: "More than 10 cases of the cease-fire violation on the part of the illegal armed groups have been recorded totally.

   "The attacks on the Ukrainian troops' positions were committed from small arms mainly. In particular, the assaults were recorded near Shyrokyne as well as Opytne, Pisky, and Avdiivka near Donetsk.

   "Our defenders' positions on the outskirts of Sanzharivka near Artemivsk were fired at from automatic grenade launchers.

   "Our troops' positions near the village of Syze in the Luhansk region were shelled from 82-mm mortars and grenade launchers.

   "The tank shelled Marinka from the direction of the territories temporarily occupied by the militants under the control of the Russian authorities

   "Regardless of this relative calm there is information that the illegal armed groups use it to regroup and intensify hostilities at certain directions.

   "In particular, there has been an acute problem with the fuel availability at gas stations in occupied Donetsk in recent days. It is likely that it was diverted to the needs of the illegal armed groups.

   "The leaders of the pro-Russian gangs also carried out reconnaissance on the outskirts of the capital of the Donbas this morning. After that the residents of the occupied city informed about the evacuation of local residents from certain neighborhoods of Donetsk," the ATO press service stressed.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  8:03 AM PDT

Army impounds 500 trucks in Kiev

   (Zik) --- The army has impounded 500 trucks to serve its needs from Kiev companies, organizations and institutions, Kiev’s military commissar Col. Volodymyr Kydon told journalists June 24.

   The recently changed legislation allows the army to temporarily mobilize vehicles, he said.

   The law allows mobilizing vehicles from businesses, organizations and institution. Privately owned vehicles can be impounded when the government imposes martial law in Ukraine, the colonel explained.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  7:43 AM PDT

Canadian defense minister to visit Ukrainian leadership during visit to Ukraine

   (Interfax) --- Canadian National Defense Minister Jason Kenney is expected to visit Kiev on June 25-27, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry charge d'affaires Dmytro Kuleba said.

   "The Canadian minister will visit military facilities in the Lviv region, where Canadian instructors will conduct training of units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Kuleba told a briefing on Wednesday.

   Kuleba said Kenney is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  2:10 AM PDT

Truck with ammunition blows up in Poltava overnight

   (UNIAN) --- A military vehicle with a trailer of ammunition, including mines, caught fire at on a highway running through the Ukrainian town of Poltava on the night of June 24, local Web site Kolo reported on Wednesday.

   According to the eyewitnesses, the truck caught fire while it was moving.

   The soldiers in the truck noticed fire in time and tried to put it out. However, after a few minutes they called for firefighters. The ammunition in the trailer then began to explode, with people in the area starting to hear explosions at about 0100.

   A witnesses told an UNIAN correspondent that a column of military vehicles was driving on the highway after midnight, when the cabin of one of the trucks caught fire. As a result of the fire, the ammunition began to explode.

   According to the report, there were no casualties as a result of the accident.

   "The car was traveling from Kiev to the Donbas conflict zone. No casualties, explosive experts are working at the scene," said Yuriy Sulaiev, a representative of the Interior Ministry in Poltava region.

   The accident occurred at the place where there were no houses and a few hundred meters from fuel filling stations. The road was immediately closed off in order to prevent injuries.

   The official cause of the fire will be established by the law enforcement agencies.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  1:08 AM PDT

Border guards repulsed five militants’ attacks at checkpoints in Donetsk region: one soldier wounded

   (Censor.NET) --- Over the past 24 hours the Border patrol repulsed five attacks of the militants.

   This is stated by the press service of the State Border Service of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.

   "Over the past day the illegal armed groups continued to violate the cease-fire intensively shelling the positions of the Ukrainian military. Four times the illegal armed groups opened fire at Marinka checkpoint, where the border guards serve together with the Armed Forces. Russian mercenaries opened fire using machine guns, RPGs and sniper rifles. Ukrainian military opened fire and forced the enemy to retreat. As a result of the armed confrontations one Ukrainian soldier was wounded. In addition terrorists used rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns to fire at Zolote checkpoint of the Ukrainian military. The forces of the checkpoint repulsed the attack of the the militants. There were no casualties among the troops," the agency stated.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015  12:11 AM PDT

Lone Russian Lawmaker To Oppose Crimean Annexation Charged With Embezzlement

   (RFE/RL) --- Russian authorities have charged Ilya Ponomaryov, the lone State Duma representative to vote against the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, with embezzlement.

   The Federal Investigative Committee said on June 24 that a state-funded technological foundation had paid Ponomaryov $750,000 for lectures, but he had delivered only brief comments.

   It also said it may put Ponomaryov on an international wanted list if he fails to turn up for the investigation.

   Ponomaryov, a member of the A Just Russia party, voted against the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 after Russia took control of the Black Sea peninsula.

   He is now in the United States after being stripped of his parliamentary immunity from prosecution in April.

   Ponomaryov denies wrongdoing and says the case against him is politically motivated.

Military conducting large exercise over Alaska

A pair of F-15C Eagles from the 18th Wing at Kadena Air 

Base, in Japan, take off from Joint Base Elmendorf-

Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska, Tuesday, June 23, 

2015, while participating in Northern Edge, a joint training 

exercise. (Bill Roth/Alaska Dispatch News via AP)

   JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — The sparse expanses above Alaska are a little more crowded this month as nearly 200 military aircraft are taking part in an annual training exercise.

   Nearly 6,000 military members from all four branches of the military are taking part in Northern Edge 2015, which includes naval exercises in the Gulf of Alaska and some operations involving ground troops. The U.S. Pacific Command exercise, coordinated by command leaders in Alaska, tests the readiness of the nation's troops and isn't in response to any increased tensions with any other nation, said Lt. Col. Tim Bobinsky, who is helping lead the exercise.

   Northern Edge is normally held every two years, but this is the first exercise since 2011. The government shutdown, or sequestration, forced the cancellation of exercises in 2013.

   Bobinsky said Alaska offers the military a unique training opportunity, including 65,000 square miles of air space.

   "As everyone knows, Alaska is very large," he said Tuesday. "And because of that we have some great opportunities to have some large training air spaces that give us awesome opportunities to conduct things that we can't do in very many other places, not just in the United States but around the world."

   Alaska also offers land and sea to accommodate maritime and ground forces exercises. Three U.S. Navy destroyers and a submarine are taking part in simultaneous exercises in the Gulf of Alaska, but not without controversy. Some people in gulf towns such as Cordova and Kodiak have protested the exercises, worried about what the Navy's presence might do to salmon and other marine life.

   One of those ships, the guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup, is expected to sail up Cook Inlet and dock at the Port of Anchorage on Wednesday.

Ukraine War Update - 23 June 2015

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  7:12 AM PDT

Rebooting Graveyard Tanks: Ukraine rebuilds Soviet-era tanks

 (24Today) --- Many of Ukraine's tank factories were abandoned after the fall of Soviet Union

   Dozens of tanks from Ukraine's infamous tank graveyard stationed in a secret depot in the city of Kharkiv are being brought back to life with new hardware.

   Many of Ukraine's once thriving tank factories were abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and hundreds of tanks were left to rot.

   Now, as Ukraine struggles to stave off Russian-backed insurgents in its eastern region, these T-64 tanks which were the main Soviet-era battle tanks are getting rebooted with new parts including brand new engines.

   Victor Kozonak, Director of Kharkiv's armoury plant: "This is a gas-turbine engine with a capacity of 1200 horsepower. This allows the tank to develop a cross-country speed of nearly 70 km per hour. In principle this tank can catch up to any car or tank."

Some of these tanks come from various abandoned factories and military bases around the country.

   Igor Yakumenko, Head engineer at Kharkiv armoury plant: "All systems are restored. The tanks are armed with 128 mm gun, a functioning stabilizer, a loading mechanism, and a tested a new engine is installed. The suspension system is also tested."

The old tanks are taken apart; their old parts are replaced for new ones and the tanks are put back together, ready to be deployed to the conflict in east Ukraine.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  6:33 AM PDT

One Ukrainian soldier killed and 12 wounded over past day, – ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- One Ukrainian soldier was killed and 12 were wounded in the ATO on June 22.

   This was stated at a briefing of the representative of the Presidential Administration on anti-terrorist operation Andrii Lysenko, Censor.NET reports.

   "Over the past day of fighting one Ukrainian soldier was killed and 12 were wounded," he said.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  6:32 AM PDT

Report: Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk possible militant targets

   (UNIAN) --- The fighters of the LPR and DPR militant organizations may try to occupy the Ukrainian-controlled towns of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to a report by Stratfor, a U.S. geopolitical intelligence firm that provides strategic analysis and forecasting to individuals and organizations around the world, Ukrainian online news source Apostrophe has reported.

   "The greatest escalation of the situation is taking place around Donetsk, as well as in the area between Donetsk and Luhansk. If the separatists are planning to go on the offensive, they may try not only to expand the boundaries of the DPR in the area of Donetsk, but also to take control of the towns of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk," the document says.

   Stratfor also said there was the possibility of an aggravation of the situation near Mariupol.

   According to the U.S. analysts, the main reason for the latest escalation of the conflict in the Donbas was Russia's desire to use this situation as a lever of influence on the West.

   At the same time, the Ukrainians should not fear neither a full-scale offensive, the aim of which would be to create a land corridor to Crimea, nor the occupation of the whole eastern part of the country, Stratfor said.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015  12:32 AM PDT

Kremlin has ‘Bessarabia’ project. They plan to do something there - Saakashvili

   (24Today) --- This was stated by Chairman of the Odessa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili on ICTV, Censor.NET reports.

   "I am ashamed to say this, but until recently, Vladimir Putin thought more about the Ukrainian Bessarabia than our own government. They (Russia) have 'Bessarabia' project... They are preparing to do something there..., " Saakashvili said.

   "The majority of population in Bessarabia only watches Russian TV channels ... The main thing I'm worried about is not a direct Russian attack at this stage ... There's an awful poverty there, the worst roads are not only in Ukraine but in Europe. It is not just a road, but a strategic road from Ukraine to Romania, that is to the European Union," the governor of Odesa region said.

   According to him, today, some residents of Bessarabia indeed only see Ukraine in a negative light.

   "They (the locals - ed.) are now isolated. And the only things they see Ukraine in are greedy officials ... terrible roads which no one has repaired for a long time no one ... the prosecutor's office of the Odessa region, which blocks the crossing of the Danube, which for them is the source of income, the judge of Izmail district, who forbade the peasants to gather the harvest ...," the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration said.

   On April 30 the SBU said that the security forces prevented the establishment of illegal formation under the working title 'Bessarabia'.

   After that the agency repeatedly reported arrests of members of the underground separatists, overseen by Russia to destabilize the situation.

Monday, June 22, 2015  12:08 PDT

Militants committed more than forty attacks on Ukrainian positions today. They used tanks and artillery against Pisky, Opytne and Vodiane, - ATO press center

   (Censor.NET) --- The pro-Russian illegal armed groups continued committing attacks on Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the east of Ukraine all day long on June 22.

   Censor.NET reports citing the ATO press center.

   The report reads: "The militants assaulted our positions along almost the entire demarcation line more than 40 times.

   "After the criminals had shelled Nyzhnie village from Grads at night, they kept committing fire strikes on other towns and villages of the Luhansk region. The militants shelled Zolote and Novotoshkivske several times using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars prohibited by the Minsk agreements. In addition, Krymske village was fired at from grenade launchers.

   "The mercenaries of the Kremlin covered Pisky, Opytne and Vodiane villages near Donetsk by the dense fire from artillery, prohibited weapons and tank guns. The position of our defenders near Marinka was assaulted by an enemy sniper as well as grenade launchers and mortars.

   "It was hot near Artemivsk today. The village of Luhanske came under the fire of powerful 152-mm caliber artillery systems and 120-mm mortars there while Lozove village was twice attacked from the same types of weapons. The artillery shells of 122-mm caliber launched from the temporarily occupied territories were damaging and destroying civilian houses on the outskirts of Novozvanivka village.

   "The residents of Opytne village have been subjected to the terrorist attacks of the Russian armed gangs as well. Their homes were treacherously impacted by the militants' tank," the statement reads.

Monday, June 22, 2015  8:57 AM PDT

US provided speedboats for Ukraine’s special forces. They are already training to use them at Odessa naval base.

   (Censor.NET) --- Five American Willard Sea Force 730 and Sea Force 11M speedboats (seven and 11 meters long respectively), which the United States handed over to Ukraine are being successfully mastered in Odesa.

This is stated by editor of the Ukrainian Military Portal Taras Chmut on his Facebook page, Censor.NET reports.

According to him, the price of an 11-meter boat is about $850,000. The seven meter boat costs around $350,000 (price varies depending on configuration and contract conditions).

Four boats will go to the Naval special forces in Odessa and Ochakiv, and a seven-meter will give the search and rescue service of the Navy.

"The options on these boats are great - each is equipped worth Furuno navigation radar. There are gun mounts for 7.62-mm machine guns, which is extremely important for the Special Forces. They also come with a number of expendables, spare parts and tools, as well as warranty service from the manufacturer! In addition, the Americans will be training those who will maintain and operate them for two weeks, which will greatly reduce the chances of breaking such important equipment. What are these boats for? For special forces units - for quiet and fast delivery of groups to a certain area, to patrol bases, deployment locations, ports, for raids, for anti-sabotage defense, as inspection to check vessels. For search and rescue units - for quick search on the water. The Ukrainian Navy needs dozens of such boats. Let us hope that the aid of our allies will not be limited to these," Chmut wrote.

U.S. to deploy 250 tanks in eastern Europe to counter Russian threat

   (Censor.NET) --- The United States will place 250 tanks, artillery pieces and fighting vehicles in seven eastern European countries as a bulwark against Russian aggression.

   Ash Carter, the US defence secretary, said Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland will host equipment in order to reassure Nato countries alarmed by Russian action in Ukraine, Censor.NET reports citing The Telegraph.
   "We will temporarily stage one armoured brigade combat team's vehicles and associated equipment in countries in central and eastern Europe," Mr Carter said at a joint press conference with three Baltic defence ministers.
   After Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last year, Nato leaders agreed to step up exercises and rotations of forces through Nato allies in eastern Europe as well as storing hardware there for use in an emergency.
   Reports of the deployment triggered a furious response from Moscow earlier this week, and came after President Putin announced he would 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal.
   The equipment will include 250 tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers. The amount of equipment that would be temporarily stored in each country will be enough to supply either a company, of around 150 soldiers, or a battalion, of about 750 soldiers.
   Nato, the defence alliance, is in the process of building six new bases in eastern Europe to host rapid-response forces that are capable of reacting within three days to any threat.
   Since the Minsk negotiations committed Russia to withdrawing from Ukraine in February, more than 1,000 tanks, surface-to-air missile systems and other heavy weapons have crossed the border, according to Nato sources.
   Meeting in Brussels tomorrow, defence ministers will discuss how the alliance can respond to "hybrid warfare", of the kind seen in Ukraine, in which Russian-tied separatists known as "little green men" appeared to be acting independently of Moscow. 

USS Laboon to operate in Black Sea

   (Censor.NET-20 Jun) --- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) is scheduled to arrive in the Black Sea on June 21 to promote peace and stability in the region.

   Censor.NET reports citing LB.ua.
   The United States continues to demonstrate its commitment to the collective security of our NATO allies and support for our partners in Europe, in light of the ongoing Russian intervention in Ukraine. All DoD efforts in support of our NATO allies in Eastern Europe fall under the umbrella of Atlantic Resolve.

   USS Laboon (DDG-58) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for Father John Francis Laboon (1921-1988), a captain in the Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy, who was awarded the Silver Star during World War II while serving on USS Peto (SS-265). 

NATO: Putin has broken all the rules, cooperation with Russia is worse than with Soviet Union

   (Censor.NET-19 Jun) --- Russia rejects the possibility of a dialogue with NATO, which is available, and its unpredictability is higher than of the Soviet era.

   This was stated by NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow at a GLOBSEC security conference, Censor.NET reports citing Yevropeiska Pravda.

   Vershbow noted that NATO still has ways and willingness for political dialogue with the Russian Federation but it does not see any desire to talk from the Russian side.

   The Deputy Secretary General also said that the situation in cooperation with Russia is worse than it was during the Soviet era in times of Brezhnev, where there were certain rules of the game, which everyone adhere to. He stated that Russia denies the existence of any such rules, citing as example Russia's denial of its troops being present in Ukraine and its attempts to convince NATO about it. 

Ukraine War Update - 22 June 2015

Monday, June 22, 2015  7:32 AM PDT

PACE notes worsening humanitarian situation in Donbas

   KIEV, June 22 (Ukrinform). --- PACE President Anne Brasseur has expressed grave concern over humanitarian situation and respect for human rights in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine.

   She stressed this at a briefing for journalists in Strasbourg, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

   "We are being reported on serious violations of human rights from the conflict-torn areas. Impunity for human rights violations is maintained, the safety of journalists is still not guaranteed, the international humanitarian law is being violated. Despite the ceasefire agreement, military operations in eastern Ukraine are expanding, and the number of casualties as well as the number of internally displaced persons grows," she said.

   Brasseur also stressed that the PACE well understood the complexity of conflict settlement and was perfectly aware of the role of Russia in that. "We are well aware that Russia's role in this crisis is crucial for ending the war and search for stable solution," the PACE President said, adding that derogation of powers of the official delegation of the Russian Federation will be considered on Wednesday.

Monday, June 22, 2015  6:19 AM PDT

Ukraine's Defense Minister to visit NATO headquarters

   KIEV, June 22 (Ukrinform). --- Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak is to attend the meetings of the North Atlantic Council at the level of defense ministers in Brussels.

   Acting Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO Yehor Bozhok has said this to an Ukrinform correspondent in Brussels.

   "June 24-25, Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak will visit the NATO headquarters. According to the visit program, the Defense Minister will participate in the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the level of defense ministers," the Ukrainian diplomat said.

   The Defense Minister of Ukraine will also hold a number of bilateral meetings with NATO Secretary General, U.S. Secretary of Defense, defense ministers of Lithuania, Poland and Australia.

   "The agenda of the NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting includes the issues related to the progress, made by Ukraine in reforming security and defense sector, as well as plans for further cooperation. We expect the Alliance to reaffirm its willingness to continue building up support for Ukraine in reform of the Armed Forces and other bodies of security sector," Bozhok said.

Monday, June 22, 2015  5:27 AM PDT

Ukrainian Minister urges OSCE SMM to check radiation background in Donetsk over possible containment site breach

   (Interfax) --- Ecology and Natural Resources Minister of Ukraine Ihor Shevchenko has urged OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) observers to check the radiation background in Donetsk region.

   The press service of the ministry said there was a huge explosion at a state-owned chemical products plant in Donetsk region on June 16. The explosion was caused by the detonation of an underground storehouse filled with ammunition, which might have breached the containment of a radioactive waste burial site located between the town of Pisky and Zhovtneva mine.

   "The state of the burial site with radioactive waste under the supervision of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine near Donetsk raises alarm, as Ukraine can't check the radiation background at the moment, which might lead to grave ecological consequences. That's why we demand that OSCE SMM representatives measure the radiation background in the district," Shevchenko said.

   As reported, on June 20, Andriy Taran, the Ukrainian representative in the Joint Coordination Center for Ceasefire Monitoring (JCCCM), said the state of the burial site was causing alarm, and Ukraine would be grateful if OSCE SMM representatives would monitor the radiation background in the region controlled by the militants, and take other steps to eliminate the danger in the region.

Monday, June 22, 2015  5:00 AM PDT

Visegrad Four to deepen military cooperation with Ukraine

   KIEV, June 22 (Ukrinform). --- The Visegrad Group countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia) will deepen military cooperation with Ukraine.

   The press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on the results of the meeting of Chiefs of General Staffs of the Visegrad Four countries that was held on June 18-19 in the Slovak town of Old Smokovec.

   "The leaders of delegations of the participating countries expressed their full support for our country and confirmed their intention to deepen military cooperation with Ukraine," the statement said.

   The meeting was attended by Chief of General Staff, Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Colonel-General Viktor Muzhenko.

   The parties summed up the military cooperation of the Visegrad Group countries with Ukraine over the past year and determined priority areas for future cooperation.

Monday, June 22, 2015  3:48 AM PDT

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed, three wounded over the past day, - ATO speaker

   (Censor.NET) --- Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed, three wounded in the course of the anti-terrorist operation on June 21.

   This was announced by the Presidential Administration speaker on the ATO matters Andrii Lysenko at a briefing, Censor.NET reports.

   "Over the past day, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed, another three received injuries," he said.

Monday, June 22, 2015  3:10 AM PDT

Russian sniper detained in Donbas - Investigative blogger.

   (Censor.NET) --- Photographs of the Russian military sniper detained by Ukrainian soldiers were found online. He had previously served as a "peacemaker" in the 7th military base in Abkhazia.

   This is stated by Ukrainian investigative blogger Anton Pavlushko on his Facebook page, Censor.NET reports.

   "Yesterday there were reports about four detained separatists including a Russian sniper. Today a video of the interrogation was posted online. Two seem to be typical pro-separatist men, one - a local former interior troops serviceman. But the Russian turned out to be an interesting persona. He served as a peacekeeper in the 7th military base in Abkhazia in a reconnaissance battalion, sniper company. Here he served first as a clerk (so smart that he was specially sent from Anapa?) and then in the infantry.

   "He started talking about SVD rifle himself: "Well, I did not have an SVD, just a regular automatic gun..."

Monday, June 22, 2015  12:52 AM PDT

Militants shell Ukrainian military 85 times in past 24 hours

   KIEV, June 22 (Ukrinform). --- Russian armed gangs shelled Ukrainian positions and peaceful settlements 85 times over past 24 hours, the ATO press centre reports.

   The Donetsk direction remains the epicenter of tension. Fifty-two attacks on our positions and civilian population were recorded there.

   After midnight, the pro-Russian mercenaries shelled Krymske village and Zolote town, Luhansk region, using various grenade launchers.

   In the morning, militants fired twenty Grad MLRS rockets on village of Nyzhnie, Luhansk region.

   About ten cases of the use of weapons against the ATO forces have been already recorded this morning.

Monday, June 22, 2015  12:10 AM PDT

Savchenko may face 13 years in prison - lawyer Novikov

   KIEV, June 22 (Ukrinform). --- Ukrainian pilot, MP of Ukraine Nadiya Savchenko, who is being illegally held in Moscow, faces a thirteen-year sentence in Russia.

   This was announced by one of Savchenko's lawyers, Ilya Novikov in the Podrobnosti Nedely weekly program on Inter TV Channel.

   "This will be a guilty verdict with about 13 years [in prison], or even more. This doesn't bother us and this is not interesting. We are well aware that it's not the number [of years] her return home depends on," Novikov said.

   According to the lawyer, the defense of the Ukrainian pilot does not expect a fair verdict as justice in Russia has changed over the last 20 years.

   "There will be no fair trial. Russian justice has become ridiculous in the past two decades. They won't free Savchenko just for a thank you. This would be a blow to [the reputation of] the country's leaders," Novikov said.