Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

June 29 at 10:09 PM

Poroshenko confers with Putin, others

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tried to keep his peace plan on track in a four-way phone call Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of France and Germany.

The two-hour conversation came ahead of a Monday deadline that European Union leaders set for Russia and separatists in eastern Ukraine to take steps to ease the violence or face further punitive measures.

The call was the latest in a series of discussions the leaders have held in recent weeks. A cease-fire in place since June 20 has been shaky, with both the Kiev government and the rebels accusing each other of violations.

A statement issued by Poroshenko’s office said he underlined Ukraine’s willingness to maintain the cease-fire at least until Monday evening and called on Putin to strengthen border controls to stop the flow of weapons, fighters and mercenaries to Ukraine.

— Associated Press

[Natalka]

Another Russian drone was shot down by the Ukrainian military in Luhansk Oblast. According to the soldiers, the terrorists tried to find out the coordinates of the ATO unit forces location.

[Natalka]

President of Ukraine suspends ceasefire in the Donbas

After a meeting of the Council of National Security and Defence, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has taken the decision to suspend the unilateral ceasefire in the Donbas.

Thus, the ceasefire, declared by the President on June 20 and extended to 22:00 on June 30, is deemed the effect of which is over.

"We will attack and we will liberate our land. The non-renewal of the ceasefire is our response to terrorists, rebels, looters, all those who are mocking peaceful civilians, who are paralyzing the economy of the region, who prevents the payment of salaries, pensions, stipends, who undermines the railroad, destroys water pipes, people, who are depriving people of a normal peaceful life," he said in an address to the nation.

[Natalka]

Ukraine army attacks eastern rebels as truce ends

Ukrainian forces have launched a full-scale military operation against pro-Russia separatists in the east, hours after a ceasefire ended.


Rebel bases and strongholds were under attack from aircraft and artillery, government officials said.
The 10-day ceasefire ended on Monday evening, with President Petro Poroshenko saying "criminal elements" had thwarted the chance for peace.

Ukraine's parliamentary Speaker Oleksander Turchynov told MPs on Tuesday: "I can inform you that in the morning the active phase of the anti-terrorist operation was renewed.

"Our armed forces are carrying out strikes on terrorist bases and checkpoints."


President Poroshenko went on television on Monday night saying: "We will attack, we will free our land."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28105117



"The unique chance to put the peace plan into practice was not realized," Poroshenko said. "This happened because of the criminal actions of the fighters." He said the militants violated the truce "more than a hundred times."


Poroshenko said the government was ready to go back to the cease-fire "at any moment, when we see that all sides are keeping to the basic points of the peace plan."


"Peace is, was and will be my goal," he added. "Only the instruments of achieving it are changing. ... The defence of Ukraine's territorial integrity, of the security and lives of peaceful citizens, demands not just defensive but offensive action against the terrorist militants."

"Ending the cease-fire, this is our answer to terrorists, armed insurgents and looters, to all who mock the peaceful population, who are paralyzing the economy of the region ... who are depriving people of a normal, peaceful life," Poroshenko said in his speech.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/we-will-...#ixzz36DVSXy8H

[Natalka]

There were reports of heavy shooting and bombardments all across eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, with civilian casualties. In the city of Kramatorsk, four people were killed when a minibus was hit by artillery fire, Ukrainian news agencies reported.
In a strategic victory for the government, Ukrainian forces retook control of a border checkpoint at Dolzhanksy in the Luhansk region, one of three important border crossings with Russia that had been seized by rebels. European leaders demanded on Friday that the three crossings be surrendered to the Ukrainian authorities.
Mr. Poroshenko issued a statement congratulating his troops for reclaiming the border checkpoint. Ukrainian officials said troops had cleared 20 explosive devices that had been set at the border post, and 15 more from surrounding roads.

Overnight, there were reports that two explosions damaged railroad lines in the east. A television tower serving the besieged city of Slovyansk was also destroyed by artillery fire.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/wo...aine.html?_r=0

[Natalka]

Pro-Russian rebels capture police building in eastern Ukraine

DONETSK, Ukraine -- The Interior Ministry headquarters in eastern Ukraine's largest city fell to pro-Russia separatists Tuesday after a five-hour gunbattle that erupted hours after the Ukrainian president said the rebels were not serious about peace and ended a cease-fire.

In Donetsk, the capital of Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland, many streets were deserted, and gunfire filled the air Tuesday as rebels besieged the headquarters of the regional Interior Ministry. The rebels eventually captured the compound, leaving the body of a plainclothes police officer outside.

It was not clear what prompted the rebel attack on the Interior Ministry building, which houses regional police, who have peacefully coexisted with the rebels even though they still officially answer to the central government in Kyiv.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/pro-russ...#ixzz36FuDRgfu

[Natalka]

July 2

Artillery destroyed Vostok camp, killing 250 Censor is reporting that Ukrainian forces are shelling enemy positions near Novoaleksandrivka, and that the Artillery of the 25th Dnipropetrovsk separate airborne brigade wiped out an enemy camp near Sloviansk, killing 250. The figures come from sources on the ground, also stating that 2/3rds of the insurgents were Chechen.
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400 insurgents killed July 1

Liga.net, citing a source involved with the government military operation, reported that over 400 insurgents were killed in action during yesterday's action.
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Luhansk airport under siege, cut off

Our military is still holding Luhansk airport, but it is virtually cut off from the outside world by terrorists

said advisor to the Interior Minister, Anton Gerashchenko. He also states that roads leading in are mined and landing aircraft is impossible.

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Military bases in northern Luhansk shelled, Russians invade
Ukrainians villages and air defense bases in Northern Luhansk, near the Russian border subject to intense shelling during the night as Russian insurgents invaded the country. The base was reportedly destroyed.
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At 6:30 AM local time in Netaylove, battles resumed between separatist forces and the National Guard. Heavy explosions were reported as units continue their advance on Donetsk.
In Donetsk, residents of southern, western and central parts of Donetsk awoke to the sounds of heavy cannonade.
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Clashes on near Russian border, 1 soldier KIA
The border town of Novoazovsk (Donetsk) was attacked by rebel mortar fire. One Ukrainian soldier was killed in a shootout and 4 were injured.

[Natalka]

On June 3, 2014, from 4.45 to 5.15 AM terrorists shelled from distant positions the Ukrainian checkpoint Dovzhansky in Luhansk Oblast using mortars, nine guards were wounded, as reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

At the end of the attack, terrorists deliberately fired a few rounds over the border aiming for the Russian checkpoint, presumably to discredit the Ukrainian Army and to regain control of the relevant area of the state border.

[Natalka]

ATO PRESS CENTER

"During the day, the ATO forces were searching for terrorists in the town of Mykolayivka and working to regain control of the town. After a weapons training the ATO forces attempted to push forward against the opposition.

The ATO Forces spent the first part of the day positioning themselves in strategic positions and carried out their operations during the latter half of the day. They were met with strong resistance from the terrorists and responded by altering their tactics.
Our military servicemen managed to avoid the ambush and fire zones.
Artillery and aviation attacks on the mercenaries’ fire positions and bases were carried out to keep our military servicemen safe.

By the end of the day we were able to block their positions and, in partnership with the National Guard and Ministry of Internal Affairs, began removing the terrorists from the town. The enemy suffered heavy casualties, with at least 150 mercenaries dead and 6 bases being destroyed. An ammunition base in Mykolayivka and an ammunition depot in Semenivka were destroyed and the Kharkiv-Rostov road was taken back under control.

Our loss: 1 dead, 4 wounded.
Totally for the past 24h: 2 dead,4 wounded".

[Natalka]

For the past 24h the ATO forces have been approaching terrorist positions in Luhansk, where the terrorist group "Luhansk People's Republic" is based. At the same time the army is getting closer to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

Stationed in Metalist and Oleksandrivsk, the ATO forces carried out a few successful operations in the suburbs of Luhansk. Last night the military servicemen crossed the border of Luhansk and fired upon terrorists from 3 sides.

"Our purpose is to isolate the gunmen and to not let them move out of Donbas. When they are isolated, we will give them a chance to give up the weapons. If they choose not to, we will kill them".

A lot of locals from the terrorist groups have been leaving their weapons and surrendering.

[Natalka]

Forces control most of 2 separatist areas

KIEV, Ukraine – A top Ukrainian security official says government troops have cleared more than a dozen towns of armed pro-Russia separatists and now control two-thirds of the eastern regions at the centre of the insurgency.


National security council secretary Andriy Parubiy said Friday that Ukrainian forces are still attacking rebel positions with artillery and planes. He said 17 villages had been secured by government forces since a unilateral cease fire expired Monday.


He said Ukrainian forces now control 23 of 36 local regions within Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, two regions along the Russian border that have declared independence from the government in Kyiv.


The rebels are still fighting back. Rebels shelled the Donetsk airport overnight and an AP reporter said a radar or communications tower there was still burning in the morning.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1432025/uk...aratist-areas/

[Natalka]

Ukrainian government forces took full control of the village of Mykolaivka near Sloviansk in Donetsk region by July 4 evening, taking about 50 militiamen prisoner, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said.

'Mykolaivka is completely under our control! About 50 militants who laid down their weapons have been taken prisoner,' Avakov wrote on Facebook around 6 p.m. on July 4.

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KIEV (Reuters) - At least 13 Ukrainian military personnel were killed in separate incidents on Friday in fighting against pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, a statement from the headquarters of Ukraine's "anti-terrorist operation" said. Nine others were wounded.

[Natalka]

NEAR SLAVIANSK Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Russian rebels were pulling out of a flashpoint area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday as authorities in Kiev savoured a major military success in its three-month fight against the separatists.


A Reuters reporter saw a convoy of around 20 military transport vehicles and buses filled with armed rebels driving out of Kramatorsk where they had gone after apparently earlier fleeing the separatist stronghold of Slaviansk nearby.


Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said a large number of separatists had fled Slaviansk after sustained fire from Ukrainian forces.


"A significant number of militants have left Slaviansk ... along the way, our battle groups are greeting them. They are suffering losses and surrendering," he said in a statement on his Facebook page.


A source close to the rebels told Reuters the rebels had been outnumbered by 50 to one. "(The Ukrainian forces) have greater numbers of troops and military hardware," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.


Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, after hearing a report from his newly-appointed chief of the armed forces general staff, ordered the Ukrainian to be run up on public buildings in Slaviansk.
The Ukrainian was later flying over Slaviansk, the website said, in place of the Russian one which had been there since rebels took over key buildings in April.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ukraine-leader-orders--raised-rebel-stronghold-overnight-083726254.html

[Natalka]

Ukrainian is raised above Kramatorsk city hall - people are SO happy!



Kramatorsk has been liberated.

[Natalka]

Terrorists blow up bridge near Luhansk Terrorists have blown up a bridge over the river Siverskiy Donets near Tryohzibenka village under Luhansk. Traffic movement over the highway is halted. pravda.com.ua