Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

Andriy Borysenko was killed by a sniper bullet near Avdiyivka, Donetsk Oblast on December 20, 2017
Andriy was born in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He served in the 25th Separate Air Brigade, and on the front lines since the beginning of the war, taking part in fighting at Shakhtarske, Krasnohorivka, Shakhta Butivka, Avdiyivka, etc.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

Like This Page · 11 hrs ·






Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian-backed militants launch 15 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors.
One Ukrainian soldier killed, four wounded.

The Tripartite Contact Group for Donbas announced another CEASEFIRE effective from midnight December 23, 2017.
Contact Group also agrees to prisoner exchange, but no date or numbers set.

[Natalka]

Despite of the holiday truce

[Natalka]

Ivan Sorokodzyuba, call sign “Vakha”, was killed by shrapnel on December 19, 2017 in Novotoshkivske, Luhansk Oblat.
Ivan was born in Rokytne, Kyiv Oblast on December 15, 1976. He enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in February, 2017. He served as Senior gunner in the 13th Battalion Chernihiv-1, 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

35-year-old Oleksiy Orikhovsky was killed in heavy shelling near Avdiyivka on December 21, 2017.
Oleksiy was born in the village of Kamyanka, Sumy Oblast on June 8, 1982. He served as commander of an armed support unit in the 25th Separate Air Brigade. When war broke out in Eastern Ukraine, he volunteered for the front lines. He enlisted in 2015.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

US will provide anti-tank weapons to Ukraine

(CNN)The US is going to provide lethal anti-tank weapons to Ukraine to help it fight off separatists which have the backing of Russia, a senior State Department official told CNN.



The State Department officially announced Friday evening that the US was going to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression," but the statement from spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was not going to give any further details.


The State Department said the "US assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself."
Among the weapons being sent are US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, the official said.


Members of Congress and the US-backed Ukrainian government had long requested anti-tank weapons to boost Kiev in its fight against Russian-backed separatists.

more here...

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/politi...946PMStoryLink

[Natalka]

Ukrainian lawmakers have voted to make December 25, celebrated as Christmas by the majority of the world’s Christians, as an official state holiday, besides January 7. This means that, starting from 2017, Ukraine will officially celebrate two Christmases.

Prior to that, Ukraine had an official state holiday for Christmas only on 7 January,

[Natalka]

Oleh Shevchenko was killed by a sniper bullet near Luhanske, Svitlodarsk Bulge, Donetsk Oblast on December 23, 2017.
Oleh was born in Lozova, Kharkiv Oblast on September 20, 1988. He enlisted in 2015 and served in the 25th Battalion “Kyivska Rus of the 54th Separate Motorized Brigade.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian proxies launch two attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk andMariupol sectors.
No casualties on the Ukrainian side.

Prisoner exchange scheduled for December 27.

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian terrorists launch six attacks against Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors.
One Ukrainian serviceman killed, five wounded
#CHRISTMASTRUCE

Alexander Zakharchenko, "leader of the illegal "DPR" [Donetsk Peoples' Republic], signs a decree on "pardoning" the citizens of Ukraine held in the "republic" that will be released during the exchange of captives with Kyiv. Prisoner swap will take place today at 12:00. Ukraine is ready to swap 306 persons for 74 Ukrainians held hostage in occupied Donbas.

[Natalka]

Yuriy Zolotariov passed away in Mechnikov Hospital, Dnipro on December 24, 2017. Yuriy was seriously wounded in the head during combat at Shakhta Butivka, Donetsk Oblast. For 4 days, doctors fought to save Yuriy’s life, but the young officer slipped away on Xmas Eve…
A career officer, Yuriy was born in Dnipro on February 11, 1983. He served as senior lieutenant, deputy commander in the 1st Battalion of the 25th Separate Air Brigade. Yuriy was in the front lines from the very beginning of the war.
Yuriy leaves behind his grieving wife.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Christmas greetings from our boys on the front lines. Theirs are the best and most memorable Christmas trees in the country!

[Natalka]

Prisoner swap

Ukraine has conducted the largest prisoner swap in the Donbas from the beginning of the war. Exchanged to 233 separatist prisoners held by Ukraine, 73 Ukrainian hostages have been released on 27 December 2017.
Some Ukrainian servicemen were taken captive back in early 2015, many civilians were arrested in the occupied territory for their pro-Ukrainian views being charged with "espionage" or "high treason" by the occupation authorities. Now the 73 Ukrainians will celebrate New Year holidays in free Ukraine.
Meanwhile, 29 more Ukrainians remain behind bars in occupied Luhansk and Donetsk, negotiations regarding their release are planned for the beginning of 2018.
The Security Service of Ukraine says that 103 people remain held hostage, 402 are considered missing.





The presidential plane with freed Ukrainians on the way from Kharkiv to Kyiv


http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/12/2...run-republics/

[Natalka]

Serhiy Shyrkov died of a heart attack in the war zone (Luhansk Oblast) on December 24, 2017.
Serhiy was born in Severodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast on July 22, 1976. He resided in Sumy.
He served as Lieutenant Colonel, SBU officer in Sumy Oblast. He joined the Ukrainian Cossack Society. In 1999, he graduated from the Makarenko Pedagogical University, Faculty of Philology in Sumy. He completed his military service in the Marine Corps of Ukraine (Sevastopol, 1999-2001). When war broke out, Serhiy was sent several times to the war zone on special ops missions. He also served in the Azov National Guard. He performed counterintelligence tasks in support of different units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Serhiy leaves behind his father, brother, wife and 10-year-old son.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian hybrid troops launch six attacks on Ukrainian positions in Mariupol, Luhansk and Donetsk sectors.
One Ukrainian soldier wounded.
#CHRISTMASTRUCE
Russian-made Orlan-10-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) shot down by Ukrainian troops near village of Kurdiumivka, Donetsk Oblast.
OSCE SMM records 61 explosions in the war zone as of 19:30, December 26, 2017.