Protests in Ukraine escalate

[gryphon]

Gentle protest. A Ukraine-colored field in Russia-occupied Crimea, a few days ago

Beautiful

[Natalka]

Death Toll Rises As Battles Rage For East Ukraine Town

DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Artillery fire killed at least 12 civilians in the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Friday amid fierce fighting between pro-Russia separatists and government troops as hopes for a break in hostilities were dashed when an attempt to call a new round of peace talks failed.

Five people were killed as they were waiting for humanitarian aid outside a community center and two people were killed in the same neighborhood when a mortar shell landed near a bus stop.

Five other people died Friday in sporadic artillery fire in the west of Donetsk.

The United Nations on Friday voiced concern about the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Debaltseve and other densely populated areas in eastern Ukraine where intense fighting is going on. Neal Walker, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, has called for an immediate humanitarian truce to allow humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians.
"Indiscriminate shelling of civilians violates international humanitarian law and must stop," he said in a statement.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/0...ushpmg00000003

[Natalka]

Debaltseve

The strategic importance of Debaltseve is clear when looking at a map of the front line. It falls within a section of government-controlled territory that juts into the rebel-held area, and the separatists want to straighten the line.
It is a rail hub and has seen fierce fighting for several months, becoming like a new symbolic prize to win after Donetsk airport.




Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels are exchanging heavy tank and artillery fire in and around Debaltseve, a strategic town in eastern Ukraine.
There are reports - not independently confirmed - that the rebels have seized the nearby town of Vuhlehirsk.
Many civilians remain trapped in Debaltseve, while others - including people with shrapnel wounds - have managed to reach the town of Artemivsk.

The local authorities have begun to evacuate people from in and around Debaltseve, but many remain trapped.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31055060

[Natalka]

Chaplain went to the territory controlled by terrorists
to take the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers




30 January 2015

The priest went the forefront to the territory controlled by pro-Russian terrorist in Krasny Partyzan to bring home bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. He was taking dead bodies out of mud and loaded on the vehicle. These were his soldiers, he took care of them as chaplain, heard confessions and delivered clothes and food.

In the village Krasny Partyzan Ukrainian checkpoint was attacked. 15 Ukrainian soldiers were captured. Terrorists decided to execute 4 POWs. 11 prisoners are still alive. Terrorist didn't let the Ukrainian Army to take bodies. Execution was filmed and posted online.

Father Dymytrij decided: he need to go to take bodies and burry them. With only one driver, without body armor and guards he went to terrorists territory to fulfil his mission.


With their lives they protect peace, tranquility and commom life. With their bodies, their lives and health they keep the line between war and peace, "- said the chaplain fr. Dmytro.

[Natalka]

Monks offer Ukrainian soldiers spiritual rehabilitation in UGCC monasteries


The soldiers of the Ukrainian Army, especially those who sustained wounds or survived through
the hell of captivity can regain spiritual balance or improve their health condition, staying for a few days in the monasteries of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The monks offer spiritual rehabilitation of soldiers in silence and prayer, Radio Liberty reports.

Spiritual renewal includes a three-day training, prayer, meditation on the Holy Scriptures. These retreats take place in monasteries near Lviv and in Hoshivskyy monastery of Ivano-Frankivsk. Silence and prayer in the monastery are what now fighters need the most, monks believe.

Many soldiers find it is difficult to overcome stress, nightmares. They try to explain themselves why they had to take up arms and go through killing enemies,who might have taken away their lives. The vast majority of soldiers were not prepared for war.

“In this war they had to do things they would never do in peacetime. War is always aggression, the methods and ways mankind uses to stop it is killing the aggressor who wanted to kill you. As the Church we must help them go throughthis condition, let them know that killing in order to defend is to some extent justifiedas the Church teaches. Unfortunately, aggression is so deeply seated in man that it results in even worse aggression, capable to kill many civilians. We are witnessing aggression that kills more and more people. Our soldiers defend Ukraine in its territory so that the enemy did not kill us all. It’s important for us to pray that we go through this bitter experience in the correct manner,” says Stephen Sus, military chaplain and rector of the garrison church of Saints Peter and Paul in Lviv, who is involved in helping the army.

Last year, the fathers of the church raised huge donations for the ATO soldiers, which is more than five million UAH, more than sixty five thousand EUROS, one hundred and seventeen thousand USD, more than three thousand PLN and even more than thirty three thousand rubles. Things for fighters were bought for this money.

[Natalka]

(lucky people in Toronto who can see this!)

Toronto musician transports Ukraine’s turmoil to the stage

Mark Marczyk, who witnessed the Maidan uprising in Kyiv, has recreated those experiences in Counting Sheep.


Mark Marczyk and Marichka Kudriavtseva

He’s brought those days back to life on the stage in Counting Sheep, a play Marczyk co-wrote with singer and musicologist Marichka Kudriavtseva, recalling the spirit of Maidan as they met protesters and recorded the stories of those who brought the pro-Russian government to its knees.

Firsthand accounts and the duo’s own experiences are the foundation of the play, a multimedia, interactive production at the St. Vladimir Institute on Spadina Ave., which presents a series of vignettes in an intimate setting with only 30 people in the audience. They become part of the play, which unfolds as the audience sits around a communal table on Christmas Eve, singing carols.

The audience feasts on traditional Ukrainian fare prepared by head chef Dan Ihnatowycz and his team of cooks. But Counting Sheep isn’t dinner theatre, by any stretch. When the chefs aren’t cooking behind the scenes, they’re ladling borscht and inviting guests to dance to a different beat as Marczyk fiddles and his Juno Award-nominated Lemon Bucket Orkestra raises the roof with the raucous folk music it’s famous for.

But the revelry is short-lived. Berkut forces barge in, threatening the crowd with their weapons, leaving the cast and audience scurrying to build barricades with the tables and chairs they’d occupied earlier and heave “bricks” at their attackers — a scene straight out of Maidan.

While Counting Sheep depicts the events that rocked a nation and were a prelude to what was to come, the play’s central message isn’t political, said Marczyk, who is of Ukrainian heritage.

“For me, this was an atrocity against humanity which became a full-blown Russian invasion,” he said of the incursion that followed by pro-Russia forces in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. “The play is about revolution and the emotions that come with it.”

A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will help support Patriot Defence, which provides first-aid kits and combat lifesaver training to Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers.

After the Toronto production wraps up Feb. 1, Marczyk hopes to take Counting Sheep on the road and bring the events of Maidan to a wider audience.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015...the-stage.html

http://www.countingsheepkoljada.com/mark-marczyk/

[Natalka]

January 29, 2015
Ukrainian-Americans standing in the cold greeted President Obama to Philadelphia chanting "Mr. President Arm Ukraine", "Arms for Ukraine"," #FreeSavchenko", "Stop Putin". The demonstrators counting around 75 individuals also chanted, "Glory to Ukraine" and sang the Ukrainian Anthem.

[Natalka]

New sugar packets feature embroidery from all of Ukraine's 25 regions.





How cool! One could use them in Ukrainian coffee!

[Natalka]

'Dozens killed' in east as Minsk talks open


At least 40 people have been reported killed as fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels rages on in the east of the country.
Ukrainian officials say 15 soldiers and 12 civilians died in the past 24 hours. The rebels report 13 casualties.
The separatists also claim to have seized the town of Vuhlehirsk and surrounded the key hub of Debaltseve, but the Ukrainian military denies this.


Ukrainian troops are trying to defend the key transport hub of Debaltseve

On Saturday, Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak told reporters that "15 soldiers were killed and another 30 injured" during the fighting on the "whole line of contact" in the past 24 hours.

He also admitted that Debaltseve was now "partially controlled" by the rebels.
Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Abroskin, head of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry in the Donetsk region, said 12 people were killed by rebel shelling in the town.
In the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, Eduard Basurin, deputy commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said 13 people - including civilians - were killed in the past 24 hours in the areas held by the separatists.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31074772

[Natalka]

Ukraine peace talks collapse

Peace talks on Ukraine collapsed on Saturday after just over four hours with no tangible progress towards a new ceasefire but with Ukraine's representative and separatist envoys angrily accusing each other of sabotaging the meeting.

Ukraine's representative, former president Leonid Kuchma, left the talks in Minsk, Belarus, telling Interfax news agency that separatist officials had undermined the meeting by making ultimatums and refusing "to discuss a plan of measures for a quick ceasefire and a pull-back of heavy weapons".

The meeting of the "contact group", which also involves a Russian envoy and an official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, took place in the Belarussian capital even as fighting between Kiev's forces and the Russian-backed rebels raged on in Ukraine's east, claiming more civilian and military lives.

The outcome dashed hopes that a new ceasefire could be put together soon to stem nine months of conflict pitting Ukrainian government forces against Russian-backed separatists who have declared "people's republics" in eastern Ukraine.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0L409K20150131

[Natalka]

Euromaidanpr


6 hrs ·

A funeral for a Ukrainian soldier from Donbas, in Donbas, given in Russian and accompanied with Ukrainian flags: This is posted here to demonstrate the love that the Russian-speaking Donbas people have for Ukraine, and the grief they feel for one who died so they could be free. Posted with deep respect.

[Natalka]

Civilians arrive in Sloviansk as they escape


Debaltseve residents escape the fierce fighting in their Donetsk Oblast city and flee to nearby Sloviansk, which is controlled by Ukraine's forces.

Representatives of local authorities and a group of volunteers patiently await buses transporting the people that have fled Debaltseve, the nearby Donetsk Oblast city where fighting is ferocious. For months, Kremlin-backed separatists have surrounded the strategically important city, which could serve as a rail link between Donetsk and Luhansk, yet the city remained under Ukrainian control. However, fighting escalated in mid-January, with insurgents launching an offensive trying to regain control. Dozens of people have been killed and more wounded.

Due to the increasingly violent situation, Ukrainian forces tried to evacuate the city. Hundreds of civilians boarded buses transporting them to Sloviansk, where volunteers would take care of them.

Near nightfall, two buses arrive at the central railway station. Local authorities gather together with volunteers in front of the station’s entrance. All refugees need to register and many opt to take a special train that will bring them to Kharkiv or Kyiv. There, volunteers will take care of them, and bring them to a special refugee shelter for those who cannot afford their own accommodations.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukra...ll-379082.html

[Natalka]

Defense minister: 15 Ukrainian troops killed,
30 injured in Donbas over past 24 hours

Jan. 31, 2015

Fifteen Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and 30 others injured in the area of the military operation in southeastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has said.
"Fifteen servicemen have died. This concerns the entire contact line, from Luhansk region to Mariupol," Poltorak said at a briefing in Kyiv on Jan. 31.
Thirty other servicemen have sustained injuries of various degrees, he said.
Combat activities are continuing near Debaltseve, Donetsk region, Poltorak said, admitting that this town is "partially controlled" by militants.

[Anna Michele]

Chaplain went to the territory controlled by terrorists
to take the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers




30 January 2015

The priest went the forefront to the territory controlled by pro-Russian terrorist in Krasny Partyzan to bring home bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. He was taking dead bodies out of mud and loaded on the vehicle. These were his soldiers, he took care of them as chaplain, heard confessions and delivered clothes and food.

In the village Krasny Partyzan Ukrainian checkpoint was attacked. 15 Ukrainian soldiers were captured. Terrorists decided to execute 4 POWs. 11 prisoners are still alive. Terrorist didn't let the Ukrainian Army to take bodies. Execution was filmed and posted online.

Father Dymytrij decided: he need to go to take bodies and burry them. With only one driver, without body armor and guards he went to terrorists territory to fulfil his mission.


With their lives they protect peace, tranquility and commom life. With their bodies, their lives and health they keep the line between war and peace, "- said the chaplain fr. Dmytro.

He is a courageous and loyal man

[Natalka]

Deadly clashes rage in east Ukraine

Fighting raged in eastern Ukraine on Sunday as pro-Russian separatists used artillery fire to try to dislodge government forces from a strategic rail hub after peace talks collapsed.

"Fighting continues across all sections of the frontline," Kiev military spokesman Volodymyr Polyovy said in a briefing, noting that some 13 soldiers had been killed in the past 24 hours. Other Ukrainian authorities said at least 13 civilians had also been killed in attacks.

In eastern Ukraine, the Kiev military reported no let-up in separatist attacks on government positions.

Clashes are intense around the town of Debaltseve, Kiev spokesman Polyovy said, referring to a Kiev-held transport hub connecting the two main rebel strongholds that separatists aim to cut off, though the situation remained "under control".

The rebel advance has succeeded in seizing part of nearby Vuhlehirsk, he said. On Sunday the town was being pounded by near-constant shelling, a Reuters witness reported.

The Interior Ministry said seven civilians had been killed on Sunday in the shelling of Debaltseve, while the Luhansk regional administration said three civilians had been killed in shelling across the region overnight.

Residents are being encouraged to abandon the areas of fiercest fighting, where many have been living in makeshift bomb shelters, waiting for breaks in the bombardment to make quick trips for food and water.

In the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, which shook with artillery fire throughout Sunday, the regional administration reported the deaths of at least three civilians, describing the situation as "extremely tense".


Pro-Russian separatists ride on a tank in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, February 1



http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0L51AB20150201