Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

Euromaidan PR @Euro maidanPR · 19m 19 minutes ago

173 unidentified Ukr servicemen are buried at Krasnopilske cemetery, identified thru DNA test




Memorial to the heroes fallen at war was opened in #Dnipropetrovsk at Krasnopilske cemetery






http://www.unian.net/war/1069385-v-d...ml#ad-image-10

[Natalka]

Over the last few days Russia has sent to the Donbas 50 Ural military trucks, 20 manned APCs and a freight train with 40 wagons of military equipment, the spokesman of the government’s Anti-Terrorist Operation headquarters, Andriy Lysenko, said at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

"According to intelligence reports, over the past few days from the territory of the Russian Federation via the Dolzhansky checkpoint Ural 50 military trucks and 20 infantry fighting vehicles with fighters seen were heading in the direction of the town of Debaltseve" he said.


"And a freight train of about 40 wagons carrying military equipment, which was covered with tents, passed from the territory of the Russian Federation through Dolzhanska railway station in the city of Sverdlovsk in Luhansk region," Lysenko added.


As UNIAN reported earlier, the militants have deployed a tactical groups of up to 120 fighters in the area Shyrokino, according to reports from the Information Resistance group of military experts.


"A buildup and rotation of tactical militant groups continues, [with the groups] conducting fighting in the Shyrokino and Pavlopol areas," the group said in a statement.

Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/war/1069247-at...to-donbas.html

[Natalka]

Yavoriv, Ukraine - April 18, 2015, senior paratroopers of the 173 U.S. Airborne Brigade check training area as part of military exercises "Fearless Guardian".
Yavoriv, Ukraine - 20 April 2015, opening ceremony of Ukrainian-American command post exercises, which began at the International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security in Lviv Oblast.

[Natalka]

Not long after the OSCE monitors left the area....

Rus-backed militants shelled #Shyrokyne w/ mortars. Town's residential areas came under fire

[Natalka]

Georgian volunteer of #Azov Georgy Dzhanelidze was killed in action near #Shyrokyne yesterday.
He was 41, leaving a wife and three children.

From FB:

George came to help the fraternal Ukrainian people in his fight last winter. Taught newbies, passed the Ukrainians experience obtained in the Russo-Georgian war of 2008. George was a real man and died as befits a real man in the battle for our Ukraine, which you called a second homeland.

With the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch of Kyiv and all RUS-Ukraine Filaret AZOV Regiment instructor George Džanìlìdze was posthumously awarded the Medal "for sacrifice and love for Ukraine."

This Medal is awarded to people who have active civic position, heroism, sacrifice during the events of the revolution, dignity, in defending the motherland in Donbas and in Crimea, as well as volunteer activities and assistance to the armed forces, the National Guard, dobrovol′čim batal′onam and other military formation in Ukraine.

[Natalka]

Red Cross will increase its assistance to Ukraine

The International Committee of the Red Cross is willing to expand its activity in Ukraine for the solution of complicated humanitarian situation in the occupied territories. Prospects of further cooperation have been discussed in the course of the meeting between President Petro Poroshenko and President of the ICRC Peter Maurer.
The Head of State has emphasized: “Ukraine appreciates the ICRC’s willingness to provide assistance to the victims of the conflict”.

The President has noted the importance of Ukraine’s cooperation with the ICRC for the delivery of the international humanitarian aid to the people living in the occupied territories of Donbas. The Head of State has emphasized that the Government of Ukraine was constantly cooperating with the ICRC. Earlier, at the meeting with the ICRC mission, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko has discussed the need for accelerating the procedures of registration of humanitarian cargoes from the ICRC.

Peter Maurer has noted that the ICRC was ready to increase the number of trucks with humanitarian cargo significantly. According to him, the ICRC’s activity in Ukraine is among 5 biggest and top-priority operations of the Committee in the world. In 2015, the ICRC’s budget in Ukraine will amount to USD 84.5 million.

The President has called on the ICRC to use all opportunities to increase the volume of the international humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine that found themselves in difficult conditions due to the aggression of Russia.

The Head of State has touched upon the issue of non-fulfillment of the item of the Minsk agreements concerning the liberation of hostages, particularly Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who has been kidnapped over 10 months ago and is still kept in Russian prison due to the trumped up charges. The President has urged the ICRC to intensify its work in order to liberate Nadiya Savchenko immediately.

President Maurer noted that the ICRC was willing to participate in the process of liberation of all hostages more actively, particularly in their secure transportation and the search of missing persons.

http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/32704.html

[Natalka]

Canadian medical team returning to Ukraine

(Toronto) A second team of Canadian medical professionals will travel to Ukraine to perform reconstructive surgical procedures on victims of violence against the Euromaidan movement and Vladimir Putin’s invasion into Eastern Ukraine. The mission will run May 8-17, 2015. This is following the first successful mission in November 2014, which saw 37 reconstructive surgeries.


The mission is organized by the Canada Ukraine Foundation under the patronage of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. The medical team of more than 20 professionals is comprised entirely of volunteers and includes surgeons, anesthetists, and nurses. The team is assembled from across Canada and will treat facial and upper extremity trauma, post-traumatic craniofacial deformities, soft tissue defects, and scars. The team is headed by Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, Head of the Adult Craniofacial Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Professor of Plastic Surgery, University of Toronto.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/04/2...tins-invasion/

[Natalka]

Ukraine + Israel
Tryzub + Star of David

Azrieli Center Complex. Tel Aviv, Israel. Text under Tryzub reads "Together Until the End"

[Natalka]

Russia Is Boosting Air Defenses Inside Eastern Ukraine

(US State Dept)

Russia is building up its air defenses inside of eastern Ukraine and bolstering forces along the border in violation of a recent truce, the State Department said on Wednesday.

"The Russian military has deployed additional air defense systems into eastern Ukraine and moved several of these nearer the front lines," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

"Russia is also building up its forces along its border with Ukraine," the statement added. "After maintaining a relatively steady presence along the border, Russia is sending additional units there."
According to the State Department, the additional forces will give Russia its largest presence on the border since October 2014.

Moscow was also shipping heavy weapons into eastern Ukraine and Russian-separatist forces were conducting increasingly complex training in the restive eastern part of the country, including with drones, in an "unmistakable sign of Russia's presence," Harf added.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukr...rtment-n346686


To respond to this and other Russian allegations, the Obama administration declassified intelligence describing a range of Russian military activities in and near Ukraine, which was included in Ms. Harf’s statement.

Some of the Russian military’s air defense systems in Ukraine have been moved closer to the front lines, her statement noted. The Russian military and separatists have also kept substantial communications and other “command and control” equipment in eastern Ukraine that would be needed to organize an attack.

In addition, the Russian military has been providing extensive training for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Western officials said such training might indicate that the Russian military was looking to play a less obvious role and avoid a possible expansion of sanctions should hostilities resume.

The use of Russian reconnaissance drones in the training exercises “leaves no doubt that Russia is involved in the training,” Ms. Harf’s statement said.

“Combined Russian-separatist forces maintain a sizable number of artillery pieces and multiple rocket launchers within areas prohibited under the Minsk accords,” Ms. Harf’s statement said. “Russia has continued to ship heavy weapons into eastern Ukraine.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/wo...imea.html?_r=0

[Natalka]

Ukraine troops shelled by pro-Russian rebels near Mariupol

Pro-Russian rebels have shelled Ukrainian army positions east of the key city of Mariupol in breach of a ceasefire deal
This comes a day after the US accused Russia of sending more troops to the region. Moscow denies any involvement.


Shyrokyne near Mariupol

Russian-backed militants have resumed the use of heavy weapons during their attacks on the village of Shyrokyne near Mariupol, head of the Information Resistance group Dmytro Tymchuk wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday

"The DPR militants used the tactic of asking for a ceasefire five times, but they also violated it five times," Horbunov said.
It was reported by military sources earlier that the militants are continuing to build up their forces in the area of the village of Shyrokyne.

Ukrainian positions in Schastya in Luhansk were attacked, as were the towns of Avdiivka and Pisky near Donetsk. Reports also stated that militants used 120-milimeter guns, a weapons which is forbidden from being used under the terms of a ceasefire deal signed between Russia and Ukraine.

[Natalka]

Armenians of #Lviv, other city residents came to commem 100th anniversary of #ArmenianGenocide

[Natalka]

Love this! Big boxing match, but the child asks for an autograph from a Ukrainian soldier!

[Natalka]

Euromaidan PR @Euro maidanPR · 5h 5 hours ago Kyivites meet servicemen of Ukr Armed Forces' 12th battalion back from the front on rotation

[Natalka]

Euromaidan PR @Euro maidanPR · 5h 5 hours ago

#Russian proxies fired at the ambulance evacuating wounded #Donbas serviceman from #Shyrokyne

[Natalka]

In #Mykolayiv Prez #Poroshenko visited mil drills, awarded #ATO servicemen, WWII vets.