Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

The first loss of the New Year… too young, too soon

20-year-old Mykola Holubiev was killed near Novotoshkivske, Luhansk Oblast on January 1, 2019.

Mykola was born in Volochysk, Khmelnytsky Oblast in 1998. He enlisted in 2017 and served in the 108th Battalion of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade.
Mykola leaves behind his grieving parents.

Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!

Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone

Russian mercenaries launch 5 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors.

No casualties on the Ukrainian side.1 enemy militant killed, 3 wounded.

Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine releases report on the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have resettled from Donbas and Crimea from beginning of Russian aggression - 1,512,435 persons.

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone

Russian-led forces launch 3 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors.

1 Ukrainian serviceman wounded.3 enemy militants wounded.

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko says that Russia has deployed more troops in occupied Crimea than during the Soviet era. This also violates the agreed restrictions on the southern flank of the Russian Federation.

[Natalka]

(sorry, haven't been posting because I am in hospital. WiFi sucks here, plus always there are interruptions)

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone

Russian-backed forces launch 16 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors, 2 using heavy artillery and mortars banned by Minsk.

No casualties on the Ukrainian side.1 enemy insurgent killed, 1 wounded.

Ukrainian forces in Donbas shoot down enemy drone equipped with fragmentation explosives.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) en route to the Black Sea to conduct maritime security operations & enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability with NATO allies & partners in the region.

One of the Ukrainian sailors captured near the Kerch Strait on Nov 25, 2018, Vasyl Soroka, needs urgent medical examination due to an injured hand.Despite repeated appeals, no recommendations have been issued on rehabilitation and recuperation.

[Natalka]

Jan 19

Russian mercenaries launch 9 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors, several using heavy artillery and mortars banned by Minsk.

No casualties on the Ukrainian side.1 enemy insurgent killed.

Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin says that concept of joint United Nations and OSCE peacekeeping mission in Donbas is still under discussion.

Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas says new dynamics needed in Minsk peace talks to resolve situation in Donbas,

[Natalka]

Jan 18

Russian occupation troops launch 13 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors, several using heavy weapons and mortars proscribed by Minsk.

1 Ukrainian soldier wounded.3 enemy insurgents killed.

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reports nearly 300 explosions within 24 hours in Luhansk and Donbas regions.

[Natalka]

Ukrainian Unity Day (Den Sobornosti) is an important historical event in Ukraine, which marks the anniversary of the unification of eastern and western Ukraine in 1919. It is celebrated on January 22 every year.

Unity Day is a Ukrainian observance that commemorates the Treaty of Unity signed on January 22, 1919.

On this day Ukrainians unfold a giant National Flag to mark National Unity Day in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Kharkiv, Donetsk and other cities of Ukraine. Several years ago, civic activists in Kyiv, (taking an example from the first “human chain” in Ukraine, which connected Kyiv and Lviv in January 1990), joined each other in a human chain, more than a mile long, on Kyiv’s Patona bridge, connecting banks of the river Dnipro to symbolize the unity of Ukraine’s east and west.

[Natalka]

Serhiy Sadovsky, nom de guerre “Kytayets”, was laid to rest in his hometown on January 23, 2019. He died of a heart attack on January 20, 2019.

Serhiy was born in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhya Oblast on September 5, 1976. He took part in the Revolution of Dignity in the ranks of the Melitopol Self-Defence group. He enlisted in the Donbas battalion in summer of 2015 and later in the 21st Battalion. He was demobilized on January 15, 2019.

Serhiy leaves behind his grieving parents, wife, and 2 young sons.

Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!

Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone

Russian mercenaries launch 2 attacks against Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and mariupol sectors.

No casualties on the Ukrainian side.3 enemy militants killed.

OSCE spots 26 Grads in Russian-occupied part of Luhansk region.

Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe expects Russia will immediately free 24 Ukrainian sailors captured near the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018.

[Natalka]

War continues to take its toll…
28-year-old Mykhailo Shyshlyk died of heart failure on January 22, 2019.
Mykhailo was born on October 27, 1990 in Strashevychi, Lviv Oblast. He enlisted on June 11, 2014 and served in the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Mykhailo was deployed 5 times to the front lines – September 2014 to May 2015 (twice), November 2015 to January 2016, March to May 2016, and January to April 2018.

Mykhailo leaves behind his grieving parents and a young son.

Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!

Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone

Russian-backed troops launch 9 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors, several using heavy artillery and mortars banned by Minsk.

No casualties on the Ukrainian side.5 enemy militants killed, 1 wounded.

Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service reports that Russian authorities have allocated US$350 million for destabilization scenarios in Ukraine & their major goal is to meddle in Ukrainian presidential & parliamentary elections in 2019.

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe calls on Russian Federation to provide captive Ukrainian sailors with necessary medical & legal assistance as per the 1949 Geneva Convention.

[Natalka]

Since Russia’s attack on Ukrainian ships and capture of 24 sailors on 25 November 2018, Ukraine has been trying to receive international recognition for the captives being prisoners of war.

The PACE resolution 2259 (2019) adopted on 24 January 2019 did not explicitly say the sailors are POWs. But by calling upon Russia to treat them in accordance to provisions of international humanitarian law such as the Geneva conventions it indirectly gave them this status, as the Geneva Conventions established humane rules of war.


#FreeAzovSeaSailors #LetMyPeopleGo

[Natalka]

53-year-old Vitaliy Hubenko, nom de guerre “Batiushka”, was killed near Katerynivka, Luhansk Oblast on January 25, 2019. Russian-led forces started shelling Ukrainian positions with missiles (ATGMs), killing 1 soldier and wounding 4 others.

Vitaliy was born on February 16, 1965 in Sofiyivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv Oblast. He completed his studies in a theological seminary in Kyiv. Enlisted and served as active soldier and chaplain in the 25th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade "Kyivska Rus".

Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!

Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone

Russian terrorist troops launch 10 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and mariupol sectors, 2 using heavy artillery and mortars proscribed by Minsk.

No casualties on the Ukrainian side.4 enemy militants killed, 2 wounded.

Mission of the European Union to visit Ukraine January 27 - February 2 to assess joint implementation of several projects on infrastructure development of regions adjacent to the Sea of Azov.