Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

Mariupol celebrates 3rd anniversary of liberation of the city

[Natalka]

[Natalka]

[Natalka]

Euromaidan PR‏ @EuromaidanPR 6h6 hours ago

ATO Press Center: Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian positions 43 times yesterday resulting in 4 wounded Ukrainian soldiers

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

4 hrs ·

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian proxies launch 36 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors.
One Ukrainian soldier wounded.
President Petro Poroshenko declares there are over 40,000 Russian troops on Ukrainian territory.

[Natalka]

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met US President Donald Trump on 20 June 2016 in Washington DC.

The Ukrainian President conducted negotiations with President Trump, and also Vice President Mike Pence, Pentagon Chief James Mattis and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.

Poroshenko’s Administration reported that a “meaningful and detailed” meeting took place, on which Ukraine “received strong support from the U.S., support of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of our state, as well as support in the continuation of reforms in Ukraine” and noted that the meeting was very broad, covering issues ranging from the USA’s support of reforms in Ukraine to purchases of American coal and military cooperation. Poroshenko also said that the USA reaffirmed its commitment to the Minsk Agreements.

According to the White House, the meeting with Pence concerned U.S. support for the Normandy Format negotiations to implement the Minsk agreements and Ukraine’s reforms to fight corruption, improve the business climate, and keep Ukraine’s International Monetary Fund program on track.

Petro Poroshenko proceeded to meet with the U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Reportedly, James Mattis expressed full support for Ukraine and supported the preservation of sanctions against Russia and noted Ukraine’s progress in defense and security.
“Even in the face of the aggression and cyberattacks your country demonstrates solid commitment and does a lot. The U.S. sticks to the position of supporting Ukraine,” he stressed.

more here

http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/06/2...o-meets-trump/

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an aside...

Donald Trump said it was a “great honor to be with the president of the Ukraine,” hitting a sour note with Ukrainians, who loathe the prefix “the” before the name of their country, as it characterizes Ukraine as a territory and not a geopolitical entity.

So he was not well briefed....

explanation here -

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.2a915cf9e64c

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

3 hrs ·

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian hybrid troops launch 35 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors.
two Ukrainian soldiers wounded.

Minsk Agreements - Representatives of the "Normandy Four" have agreed on a "harvest truce" from June 24 to the end of summer.

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reports that on June 20 two armed men attacked two OSCE patrol cars, each containing six men near the railway station of Yasynuvata, territory occupied by the so-called "DNR" territory. The attackers smashed the car windows, threatened the observers with their weapons, and fired at the vehicles as they drove away. No one was injured, but the observers are in "a state of deep shock".

[Natalka]

Yevhen Sarnavsky, call sign "Eugene" was honoured on the Maidan on June 17, 2017.
Yevhen was seriously wounded on June 8 in a blast during a demining mission near the village of Kamyanka, Donetsk Oblast. He underwent several operations - amputation of both legs, surgery on internal organs of the abdominal cavity and on the lungs. He was in coma for one week, and died without regaining consciousness on June 15, 2017 in Mechnikov Hospital, Dnipro.

Yevhen was born on September 14, 1989 in Kamyanets-Podilsky, Khmelnytsky Oblast, but lived in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast. He was deployed to the front lines from the very first day of the war, and served as captain, commanding officer in the Demining Division of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade.
Yevhen spent his childhood and school years in Ovruch, Zhytomyr Oblast. In 2006, he graduated from Kamyanets-Podilsky Lyceum specializing in intensive military and physical training. He and his wife moved to Bila Tserkva where he served in the 72 Separate Mechanized Brigade. He was engaged in demining operations near Volnovakha, Hranitne, Avdiyivka, and other front-line villages.

He leaves behind his mother and his wife who is with child.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Mykhailo Mocherniuk was killed on June 16 by a 12.7 mm sniper bullet near Novotoshkivske, Luhansk Oblast.

Mykhailo was born on August 27, 1974 in Borivske, Kharkiv Oblast. He served as senior soldier, mechanic and driver in the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

59 mins ·

Past 24 hours in the war zone

Russian proxies launch 48 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Mariupol, Luhansk and Donetsk sectors (N.B. The "harvest truce" negotiated through Minsk talks has officially started!)
Two Ukrainian servicemen wounded.

First Deputy head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, Alexander Hug: "DNR authorities" have not allowed OSCE observers to enter occupied territory in order to record number of civilian casualties, namely in Makiyivka, Trudovske, Pisky, etc.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert: The United States is deeply concerned about an alarming pattern of violence and harassment by Russia-led separatists in eastern Ukraine, directed at unarmed civilian members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. The latest in a series of threatening and intimidating incidents involved harassment, threats, and ultimately shots being fired at retreating mission vehicles on June the 20th. This follows the tragic death in April of a U.S. citizen who was serving as a paramedic with monitors when his vehicle struck an explosive in separatist-controlled territory.

The incidents are part of a broader effort to keep the international community from seeing what is happening in eastern Ukraine. We call on Russia to use its influence to end this campaign of intimidation and honor its commitment to allow free, full, and safe access to the OSCE monitors. More broadly, a lasting and durable ceasefire is urgently needed to relieve human suffering and create space for progress on Minsk implementation.

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

6 hrs ·

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian proxies launch 26 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors.
Two Ukrainian soldiers killed, two wounded

[Natalka]

23-year-old paratrooper Oleh Stovbovenko was killed in the war zone on June 17.
Oleh was born in Burkhanivka, Mykolayiv Oblast on August 6, 1993. He served in the Ukrainian Army since May 2015.
Oleh leaves behind his parents and a young wife.

[Natalka]

@CanadianForces members observe Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel during live-fire training in Starychi, Ukraine, during #OpUNIFIER



A member of Canada's Joint Task Force–Ukraine listens as Ukrainian officers brief their troops in Starychi

[Natalka]

Volodymyr Ivanyk and Andriy Lutsiv (pictured in the centre), two fighters of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, were laid to rest in their native towns in Lviv Oblast (Andriy in Boryslav and Volodymyr in Stebnyk) on June 25, 2017.
Both men were killed near Avdiyivka on June 22, 2017.

Andriy was born December 8,1978 in Boryslav, Lviv Oblast and served in the 8th Separate Battalion Aratta of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army.
He leaves behind his wife and daughter.

Volodymyr was born March 28, 1987 in Stebnyk, Lviv Oblast and served in the 8th Separate Battalion Aratta of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army.
He leaves behind his parents, brother, wife and young son.

Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

5 hrs ·

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian hybrid forces launch 23 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors.
One Ukrainian soldier wounded.

Ukrainian troops intercept enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. Four enemy soldiers were detained while two others - the commander and a saboteur - were killed. The deceased commander of the group was a citizen of the Russian Federation, who came from the city of Kirov.
Among the captives was another representative of the RF from Altai Territory.