The killed in action and wounded toll counts between Russian backed rebels and Ukrainian soldiers reached the double digits in southern Donetsk in a midday ground assault Monday afternoon, according to Russian and Ukrainian language news accounts.
Rebel media claimed the encounter took place in Kominernovo, which is 12 kilometers due east of Mariupol, on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov.
According to the website novorosinform.org. two Ukrainian rifle platoons (about 60 effectives) attacked rebel fixed positions supported by artillery fire, tanks and BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). A total of 10 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another five were wounded. Various rebel media reports say the Ukrainians lost one BMP-1, and one tank was damaged.
Rebel media showed a reporter's video which showed some of the Ukrainian dead. Rebel media characterized the attack as an attempt to break through the lines. Rebel media also said that the Ukrainians were forced back t their start lines as a result of the attack.
The Donetsk ministry of defense said that the total dead for the Ukrainians at Kominternovo amounted to 12 dead and 16 wounded, two IFVs and two tanks damaged.
Starting on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, the line of Bezimennie-Sakhanka-Kominternovo has been the target of many weeks of artillery fire and small unit probes by the Ukrainians, including a small arms attack by sea.
According to korrespondent.net, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that eight rebel soldiers were killed and 16 wounded. A lb.ua report said that rebel artillery launched against Ukrainian positions included 152mm and 122mm artilery, 122mm rocket artillery, and 82mm and 120mm mortar fire into the area of Vodyanoye, which is only a few hundred meters south of Kominternovo. Rebel media reported that Ukrainian artillery in southern Donetsk continued overnight at Kominternovo between March 20th and March 21st.
A subsequent report by the Donetsk ministry of defense said that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions in and around Yasinovataya for 90 minutes on Tuesday. The Ukrainian ministry of defense, quoted by lb.ua, said that rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Avdievka, Opytnoye, the Butovka mine and at Peski.
The reported losses at Kominternovo are some of the heaviest combat losses by both sides since last year, when Ukrainian forces attacked rebel positions along the Svetlodarsk arc, which is north of Debaltsevo. In that battle, the Ukrainian attempt the break a large section of the rebel line using the same formula, light infantry supported by artillery, IFVs and tanks. A subsequent attack near Yasinovataya attempted to break the rebel line between Gorlovka and Donetsk, but that attack was stopped as well.
According to rebel bloggers the decision to make the attack on Kominternovo was made by a rifle company commander who had been drinking.
Despite nearly constant fighting and increasing combat experience since the fall of 2014, neither side is capable of forcing a decision anywhere along the line of contact. The Russian backed rebels hold an extensive defensive system that Ukrainian forces have yet to break even after months of shelling. The Ukrainian hold the same defensive system on their side of the line.
The journalism of Chris Covert
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Saturday, March 18, 2017
3 Ukrainian soldiers die in fighting in Donetsk
A total of three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another seven were wounded in ongoing fighting in southeastern Ukraine, according to Russian language news accounts.
For most of the past week, fighting between the Russian backed rebels of Donetsk and Lugansk, and Ukrainians have subsided somewhat, but in the last 48 hours artillery attacks for both sides have increased.
According to a news account in lb.ua, quoting the Ukrainian ministry of defense, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed Friday along with four wounded.
The fighting is confined to three specific areas, in southern Donetsk, near Donetsk city and in northwestern Donetsk.
The lb.ua report said that rebel forces fired on Ukrainian positions a total of 112 times in a 24 hour period.
Rebel 82mm, 120mm mortars and 122mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Lebedinskoye, Shirokino, Gnutovo and Vodyanovo.
Rebel mortars and artillery, including heavy 152mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Marinka and Krasnogorovka.
In Avdievka, near Donetsk city, rebel mortars were reported hitting targets there and in old Avdievka, nearer to the line of contact near Gorlovka.
On Saturday, rebel 82mm and 120mm mortars fired on Ukrainian positions at Avdievka and Peski. Near the Sea of Azov, rebel 120mm mortar fire hit Vodyanovo and 122mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Gnutovo.
Rebel media claimed overnight Friday to Saturday that Ukrainian forces fired on rebel positions a total of 307 times using medium and heavy artillery. Among the locations struck by Ukrainian artillery near Mariupol was Novoazovskiy. Ukrainian artillery also struck rebel positions at Yelenovka, near the Donetsk airport, and western districts of Donetsk city, as well as at Zaitsevo, Gorlovka and Yasinovataya.
According to a summary in novorosinform.org, On Saturday, Ukrainian artillery hit the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city, Spartak, Avidevka, Gorlovka and Zaitsevo. In the south Ukrainian artillery hit Kominternovo and Zaichenko.
Both sides are claiming they struck each others' positions in Yasinovataya, with the Ukrainians claiming that observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation witnessed the artillery strikes. According to rebel media, one civilian was wounded in the artillery attacks.
Rebel media also claimed to have monitored radio traffic that reported eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed in an ammunition handling accident in Opytnoye, where four self propelled 122mm artillery vehicles were parked. Two of the SP vehicles were destroyed in the incident.
For most of the past week, fighting between the Russian backed rebels of Donetsk and Lugansk, and Ukrainians have subsided somewhat, but in the last 48 hours artillery attacks for both sides have increased.
According to a news account in lb.ua, quoting the Ukrainian ministry of defense, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed Friday along with four wounded.
The fighting is confined to three specific areas, in southern Donetsk, near Donetsk city and in northwestern Donetsk.
The lb.ua report said that rebel forces fired on Ukrainian positions a total of 112 times in a 24 hour period.
Rebel 82mm, 120mm mortars and 122mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Lebedinskoye, Shirokino, Gnutovo and Vodyanovo.
Rebel mortars and artillery, including heavy 152mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Marinka and Krasnogorovka.
In Avdievka, near Donetsk city, rebel mortars were reported hitting targets there and in old Avdievka, nearer to the line of contact near Gorlovka.
On Saturday, rebel 82mm and 120mm mortars fired on Ukrainian positions at Avdievka and Peski. Near the Sea of Azov, rebel 120mm mortar fire hit Vodyanovo and 122mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Gnutovo.
Rebel media claimed overnight Friday to Saturday that Ukrainian forces fired on rebel positions a total of 307 times using medium and heavy artillery. Among the locations struck by Ukrainian artillery near Mariupol was Novoazovskiy. Ukrainian artillery also struck rebel positions at Yelenovka, near the Donetsk airport, and western districts of Donetsk city, as well as at Zaitsevo, Gorlovka and Yasinovataya.
According to a summary in novorosinform.org, On Saturday, Ukrainian artillery hit the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city, Spartak, Avidevka, Gorlovka and Zaitsevo. In the south Ukrainian artillery hit Kominternovo and Zaichenko.
Both sides are claiming they struck each others' positions in Yasinovataya, with the Ukrainians claiming that observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation witnessed the artillery strikes. According to rebel media, one civilian was wounded in the artillery attacks.
Rebel media also claimed to have monitored radio traffic that reported eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed in an ammunition handling accident in Opytnoye, where four self propelled 122mm artillery vehicles were parked. Two of the SP vehicles were destroyed in the incident.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Girkin says contractors are part of rebel army in Donetsk
Russian Reserve FSB Colonel Igor Girkin said on a television interview that a total of 15,000 well paid contractors are part of the rebel army in the separate republic of Donetsk, according to a korrespondent.net news reports.
The Donetsk army count 40,000 effectives in their ranks, including, according to Ukrainian reports, about 4,000 Russian regulars.
Col. Girkin, who goes by the call sign Strelkov, was a key figure in the start of the civil war in Ukraine, and played a central role in the takeover of Crimea in the spring of 2014.
Girkin also said in his remarks that the rebel army no longer has the combat power to expand the territory Russian backed separatists now control, save for a Russian-backed general war and offensive. The reasons include the increased strength of the Ukrainian Army in the area.
Despite temporarily holding the post of Donetsk minister of defense before Vladimir Kononov took over in early August of 2014, Girkin has not had friendly relations with the political/military leadership of Donetsk.
In a Live Journal post last Sunday, Girkin all but called Donetsk president Aleksandr Zakharchenko and Lugansk president Igor Plotnitsky criminals, who would not be able to maintain their posts in any future administration, even if in the unlikely event a political solution to the Ukrainian civil war could be found. Among the suggested solutions, at least by Girkin, included the formation of a Transnistria-like autonomous entity which would presumably fold both former Ukrainian provinces into a single autonomous region.
Transnistria is a nation state between western Ukraine and Romania which is recognized by only three other nations, including Russia. It was formed following a brief civil war just after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1992.
Since the start of the Ukrainian civil war in the spring of 2014, autonomy for Donetsk and Lugansk has been discussed among Ukraine, Russian and the European Union as a possible solution to the conflict, the most immediate effect of which would be to turn Ukraine into a federation. Ukrainian nationalists, such as members of Right Sector and other political blocks, vehemently oppose federalizing the nation to suit a Russian speaking minority in southeastern Ukraine.
Recriminations have been flying among the former and current political leadership of Donetsk, and Girkin in recent days.
According to former foreign minister of Donetsk Aleksandr Koffman, it was Girkin's actions in the early part of the civil war while in Slavyansk in the spring of 2014 which provoked the Ukrainian military into attacking the separatists with military force. Girkin already had been fingered along with Ukrainian GRU Colonel Igor Bezler for the murder of Vladimir Rybak, a Gorlovka politician in March of 2014.
Reports following the separatists' retreat from Slavyansk in the summer of 2014, even those most favorable to Girkin, painted his charges as armed thugs who conducted checkpoints to rob passersby.
Fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk
According to several news reports in lb.ua a total of seven Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers were wounded in the ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk on Monday.
According to one of the lb.ua accounts, rebel 120mm mortars struck Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Shirokino, Novotroisk, Marinka and Krasnogorovka. Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Gnutova.
The report said that rebels used rocket artillery, tank gunfire and mortar fire in Avdievka. Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Opytnoye, Kamenka and Zaitsevo.
In Lugansk, rebel 120mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Krimenskoye.
Rebel media claimed that Ukrainian artillery fire damaged 13 buildings in western Donetsk city and in Zaitsevo over night.
Ukrainian artillery fire was reported at the Kuibyshevsky district of Doentsk city, at the Donetsk airport, at Spartak and Zaitsvo.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Novoazovskiy, Sakhanka and Kominternovo.
A mortar duel between rebel forces and Ukrainian forces was recorded near Debaltsevo, near the Svetlodarsk region.
The Donetsk army count 40,000 effectives in their ranks, including, according to Ukrainian reports, about 4,000 Russian regulars.
Col. Girkin, who goes by the call sign Strelkov, was a key figure in the start of the civil war in Ukraine, and played a central role in the takeover of Crimea in the spring of 2014.
Girkin also said in his remarks that the rebel army no longer has the combat power to expand the territory Russian backed separatists now control, save for a Russian-backed general war and offensive. The reasons include the increased strength of the Ukrainian Army in the area.
Despite temporarily holding the post of Donetsk minister of defense before Vladimir Kononov took over in early August of 2014, Girkin has not had friendly relations with the political/military leadership of Donetsk.
In a Live Journal post last Sunday, Girkin all but called Donetsk president Aleksandr Zakharchenko and Lugansk president Igor Plotnitsky criminals, who would not be able to maintain their posts in any future administration, even if in the unlikely event a political solution to the Ukrainian civil war could be found. Among the suggested solutions, at least by Girkin, included the formation of a Transnistria-like autonomous entity which would presumably fold both former Ukrainian provinces into a single autonomous region.
Transnistria is a nation state between western Ukraine and Romania which is recognized by only three other nations, including Russia. It was formed following a brief civil war just after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1992.
Since the start of the Ukrainian civil war in the spring of 2014, autonomy for Donetsk and Lugansk has been discussed among Ukraine, Russian and the European Union as a possible solution to the conflict, the most immediate effect of which would be to turn Ukraine into a federation. Ukrainian nationalists, such as members of Right Sector and other political blocks, vehemently oppose federalizing the nation to suit a Russian speaking minority in southeastern Ukraine.
Recriminations have been flying among the former and current political leadership of Donetsk, and Girkin in recent days.
According to former foreign minister of Donetsk Aleksandr Koffman, it was Girkin's actions in the early part of the civil war while in Slavyansk in the spring of 2014 which provoked the Ukrainian military into attacking the separatists with military force. Girkin already had been fingered along with Ukrainian GRU Colonel Igor Bezler for the murder of Vladimir Rybak, a Gorlovka politician in March of 2014.
Reports following the separatists' retreat from Slavyansk in the summer of 2014, even those most favorable to Girkin, painted his charges as armed thugs who conducted checkpoints to rob passersby.
Fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk
According to several news reports in lb.ua a total of seven Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers were wounded in the ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk on Monday.
According to one of the lb.ua accounts, rebel 120mm mortars struck Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Shirokino, Novotroisk, Marinka and Krasnogorovka. Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Gnutova.
The report said that rebels used rocket artillery, tank gunfire and mortar fire in Avdievka. Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Opytnoye, Kamenka and Zaitsevo.
In Lugansk, rebel 120mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Krimenskoye.
Rebel media claimed that Ukrainian artillery fire damaged 13 buildings in western Donetsk city and in Zaitsevo over night.
Ukrainian artillery fire was reported at the Kuibyshevsky district of Doentsk city, at the Donetsk airport, at Spartak and Zaitsvo.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Novoazovskiy, Sakhanka and Kominternovo.
A mortar duel between rebel forces and Ukrainian forces was recorded near Debaltsevo, near the Svetlodarsk region.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Donetsk water plant repairs delayed by artillery
Repairs on the Avdievka water filtration plant were delayed once again due to fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian backed rebels, according to Russian language news accounts.
Avdievka is a northern suburb of Donetsk city, and has been controlled by Ukrainian forces since the summer of 2014.
The water plant has been shut down numerous time since February 15th, when artillery exchanges between the two combatants forced the shutdown. Since that time the plant has been fired on repeatedly, according to rebel media, either damaging the power lines that operate the plant, or by forcing personnel from working at the plant because of security concerns.
The water filtration plant serves all of Avdievka, as well as parts of Donetsk and nearby villages on both sides of the line of contact.
The latest outage is because of security concerns for electrical repair crews.
Physical damage to the plant has been limited to damage to the building and to power lines which service the plant. Rebel say that last Saturday, Ukrainian forces fired small arms fire on vehicles carrying plant workers as they evacuated the water plant. Ukrainian artillery has been blamed for damage to the power lines feeding the plant in Yasinovataya.
Yasinovataya has been a major issue between the two warring parties, after last year when Ukrainian forces moved into a gray zone in western Avdievka, making the line of contact much closer to the west. Artillery fire from Ukrainian forces in Yasinovataya has been nearly a daily feature since that time.
Now Ukrainian media is claiming that rebel forces fired rocket artillery on Avdievka on Sunday, and it has been rebel artillery fire that has cut off Avdievka electricity. Ukrainian media said rebel forces fired a total of ten rockets into the town. The day before, Ukrainian media accused rebels of firing tank main gun fire on a high rise building in Avdievka. Rebels claimed that the Ukrainian staged the attack for the benefit of Ukrainian electronic media.
According to a news account in lb.ua, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five more were wounded in the fighting Sunday.
The Ukrainian KIAs died in a firefight in southern Donetsk. Although the exact location wasn't disclosed, Ukrainian media reports are that a firefight took place in Marinka between a Ukrainian fixed position and a rebel probe.
Rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions in the southern Donetsk region at Nikolaevka, while rebel mortars stuck Ukrainian positions at Slavnoye, Gnutovo, Pavlopol and Berezovoye.
Near Donetsk city, rebel mortars hit Ukrainian positions at Butovka mine, Luganskovo and Nevelskovo.
In Lugansk, rebel mortars were reported hitting Ukrainian positions at Ekaterinovka, Bolguslaskovo, Novoaleksievka and Popasnoye.
According to a report compilation, firefights and mortar attacks have been taking place at several points near Donetsk city including at the Donetsk airport, the Petroskiy district, Yasinovataya, Staromykailovka, Zaitsevo and Spartak. Heavy artillery fire and ground combat have been taking place at Marinka, Yelenovka and Dokuchaevsk.
Near the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian artillery hit several locales including at Novoazovskoye, Sakhanka and Kominternovo.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported that the March 4th seaborne attack by elements of the Ukrainian Navy aboard two small motor boats resulted in two Ukrainian dead and three wounded. One boat was heavily damaged in the attack and had to be towed back to Mariupol.
Avdievka is a northern suburb of Donetsk city, and has been controlled by Ukrainian forces since the summer of 2014.
The water plant has been shut down numerous time since February 15th, when artillery exchanges between the two combatants forced the shutdown. Since that time the plant has been fired on repeatedly, according to rebel media, either damaging the power lines that operate the plant, or by forcing personnel from working at the plant because of security concerns.
The water filtration plant serves all of Avdievka, as well as parts of Donetsk and nearby villages on both sides of the line of contact.
The latest outage is because of security concerns for electrical repair crews.
Physical damage to the plant has been limited to damage to the building and to power lines which service the plant. Rebel say that last Saturday, Ukrainian forces fired small arms fire on vehicles carrying plant workers as they evacuated the water plant. Ukrainian artillery has been blamed for damage to the power lines feeding the plant in Yasinovataya.
Yasinovataya has been a major issue between the two warring parties, after last year when Ukrainian forces moved into a gray zone in western Avdievka, making the line of contact much closer to the west. Artillery fire from Ukrainian forces in Yasinovataya has been nearly a daily feature since that time.
Now Ukrainian media is claiming that rebel forces fired rocket artillery on Avdievka on Sunday, and it has been rebel artillery fire that has cut off Avdievka electricity. Ukrainian media said rebel forces fired a total of ten rockets into the town. The day before, Ukrainian media accused rebels of firing tank main gun fire on a high rise building in Avdievka. Rebels claimed that the Ukrainian staged the attack for the benefit of Ukrainian electronic media.
According to a news account in lb.ua, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five more were wounded in the fighting Sunday.
The Ukrainian KIAs died in a firefight in southern Donetsk. Although the exact location wasn't disclosed, Ukrainian media reports are that a firefight took place in Marinka between a Ukrainian fixed position and a rebel probe.
Rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions in the southern Donetsk region at Nikolaevka, while rebel mortars stuck Ukrainian positions at Slavnoye, Gnutovo, Pavlopol and Berezovoye.
Near Donetsk city, rebel mortars hit Ukrainian positions at Butovka mine, Luganskovo and Nevelskovo.
In Lugansk, rebel mortars were reported hitting Ukrainian positions at Ekaterinovka, Bolguslaskovo, Novoaleksievka and Popasnoye.
According to a report compilation, firefights and mortar attacks have been taking place at several points near Donetsk city including at the Donetsk airport, the Petroskiy district, Yasinovataya, Staromykailovka, Zaitsevo and Spartak. Heavy artillery fire and ground combat have been taking place at Marinka, Yelenovka and Dokuchaevsk.
Near the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian artillery hit several locales including at Novoazovskoye, Sakhanka and Kominternovo.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported that the March 4th seaborne attack by elements of the Ukrainian Navy aboard two small motor boats resulted in two Ukrainian dead and three wounded. One boat was heavily damaged in the attack and had to be towed back to Mariupol.
Correction
On a Sunday March 5th news article entitled "Donetsk water plant shuts down after only one day ", in the last paragraph I said that a Ukrainian navy boat detachment sailed off the coast of the Sea of Azov at Dokuchaevsk and began firing heavy machine guns on rebel forces.
The actual location was the village of Bezymennoye. Dokuchaevsk is close to 25 kilometers inland.
The error has been corrected.
The actual location was the village of Bezymennoye. Dokuchaevsk is close to 25 kilometers inland.
The error has been corrected.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Accusations exchanged over heavy weapon attack in Donetsk city
Ukrainian media leveled charges that Russian backed rebels fired heavy weapons into residential highrise buildings, shutting off power for the town, according to Russian language news reports.
According to a news account posted on korrespondent.net, rebel tanks fired their main guns hitting a high residential building in Avdievka Saturday. According to a separate rebel report report, observers with the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe were present at the site and witnessed the shelling. The korrespondent.net report does not mention the presence of the OSCE representatives at the site. The rebel report also said that Ukrainian journalists were present in Avdievka to do a report on rebel shelling of residential areas.
Advievka and points west have been a center of military activity from both sides. Once a gray zone, a Ukrainian attack moved forces into the area, effectively cutting off the main road between Donetsk city and Gorlovka to the north.
A rebel report said that Ukrainian tanks staged the incident for the benefit of reports on the scene, firing their main guns into the high rises at close range. As an aside, rebel artillery has hit buildings in Avidevka in the past, including the coke plant industrial facility in western Avdievka.
The artillery fire has cut off electrical power in Avdievka.
An lb.ua report said that rebel mortars and tank gunfire hit Ukrainian positions in Avdievka and Butovka mine in Donetsk city.
Near southern Donetsk, rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Nikolayevka. Rebel mortars were fired on Marinka.
Ukrainian media has reported that two Ukrainian military were killed and another 25 were wounded in the previous 24 hours.
Rebel media through the Donetsk ministry of defense website said that one civilian was wounded in overnight shelling in Gorlovka. Reports say that a total of five residential buildings were damaged in overnight shelling in the Petrovskiy district of Donetsk, Trudovskoye and Gromovsky, near Gorlovka.
Rebel media also said that Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at the Kievsky district of Donetsk city, Yasinovataya and at Aleksandrovka. Other locations rebel media are reporting hit by Ukrainian artillery are Zaitsevo, Yelenovka, which is southwest of Donetsk city, and Spartak, which is near the Donetsk airport.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery was reported pounding rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Kominterovo, Sakhanka, Bezymenoye and Oktyabr.
Reports in novorosinform.org said that direct fire combat took place at Novoazovsk, Dokuchaevsk, the Donetsk airport, Spartak and at the Yasinovatskiy checkpoint.
According to a news account posted on korrespondent.net, rebel tanks fired their main guns hitting a high residential building in Avdievka Saturday. According to a separate rebel report report, observers with the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe were present at the site and witnessed the shelling. The korrespondent.net report does not mention the presence of the OSCE representatives at the site. The rebel report also said that Ukrainian journalists were present in Avdievka to do a report on rebel shelling of residential areas.
Advievka and points west have been a center of military activity from both sides. Once a gray zone, a Ukrainian attack moved forces into the area, effectively cutting off the main road between Donetsk city and Gorlovka to the north.
A rebel report said that Ukrainian tanks staged the incident for the benefit of reports on the scene, firing their main guns into the high rises at close range. As an aside, rebel artillery has hit buildings in Avidevka in the past, including the coke plant industrial facility in western Avdievka.
The artillery fire has cut off electrical power in Avdievka.
An lb.ua report said that rebel mortars and tank gunfire hit Ukrainian positions in Avdievka and Butovka mine in Donetsk city.
Near southern Donetsk, rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Nikolayevka. Rebel mortars were fired on Marinka.
Ukrainian media has reported that two Ukrainian military were killed and another 25 were wounded in the previous 24 hours.
Rebel media through the Donetsk ministry of defense website said that one civilian was wounded in overnight shelling in Gorlovka. Reports say that a total of five residential buildings were damaged in overnight shelling in the Petrovskiy district of Donetsk, Trudovskoye and Gromovsky, near Gorlovka.
Rebel media also said that Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at the Kievsky district of Donetsk city, Yasinovataya and at Aleksandrovka. Other locations rebel media are reporting hit by Ukrainian artillery are Zaitsevo, Yelenovka, which is southwest of Donetsk city, and Spartak, which is near the Donetsk airport.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery was reported pounding rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Kominterovo, Sakhanka, Bezymenoye and Oktyabr.
Reports in novorosinform.org said that direct fire combat took place at Novoazovsk, Dokuchaevsk, the Donetsk airport, Spartak and at the Yasinovatskiy checkpoint.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Ukrainian investigators finger 2 for 2015 rocket artillery attack
Two men, one Russian and one Ukrainian have been identified by the Ukrainian internal security agency, the SBU for their role in a 2015 artillery on a bus in western Donetsk, according to several Russian languages news accounts.
The attack took place January 13th, 2015 in Volnovaha, where Ukrainian military say a Russian backed rebel rocket artillery unit struck a passenger bus, killing 12.
According to a news report which appeared in korrespondent.net, Russian army Colonel Anatoly Sinelnikov and Yuri Shpakov, combined to call a rocket artillery mission on top of a Ukrainian army checkpoint. The rocket artillery, said to be 122mm rockets from a BM-21 Grad rocket artillery launcher, commanded by Shpakov. A separate news report in vesti.ukr.ua said that Shakov is a Ukrainian national fighting in the service of the rebels. Col. Sinelnikov is identified as the commanding officer of the rebel 5th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, the unit to which the rocket unit was attached.
The reports say that the rocket artillery unit was based in Dokuchaevsk when the incident occurred.
Reports at the time of the incident, quoting rebel sources, were that the bus was struck by a Ukrainian directional mine, similar to a Claymore mine. A video of the location released by the Ukrainian side showed rocket artillery impacts in the area, but rebel media said the video was doctored, and that the impacts looked nothing like a BM-21 rocket artillery attack.
The SBU cannot bring charges against Col. Sinelnikov, nor Shpakov; they only can refer a criminal case to a prosecutor, likely the Ukrainian national prosecutor's office in Kiev. The reports do not indicate Col. Sinelnikov's location or current command, but they do say Shpakov is still in Dokuchaevsk.
Since the summer of 2015, BM-21 rocket launchers were removed by agreement from the line of contact by both sides. Before that time it was the most commonly used artillery by both sides. Despite the agreement by both sides not to use BM-21s, an occasional report filters out of both sides using the multiple rocket launcher system, to limited effect.
The BM-21 in its most common configuration has a range of about 20 kilometers, or about 12 miles. The distance between Dokuchaevsk and Volnovaha is close to 11 miles.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian media reports that five Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in ongoing artillery attacks along the line of contact in Donetsk and Lugansk.
According to a report which appeared in lb.ua, rebel mortar fire hit locations in southern Donetsk including at Novotroitskoye, Vodyanoye, Pavlopol and Bogdanovka. Near Donetsk city, rebel mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Avidievka. Rebel mortar fire also was reported in Lugansk at Novoaleksandrovka and Popasnaya.
Rebel media said the Ukrainian overnight shelling (Mar. 8th-Mar. 9th) hit several locations in Donetsk, for a total of 388 shells. The locations hit by Ukrainian artillery include near Donetsk city at Gorlovka, Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, Aleksandrovka, Trudovskoye and western outskirts of Donetsk city. In the south locations hit by Ukrainian overnight shelling include Yelenovka, Kominternovo and Oktyabrskoye.
According to a news release posted by the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian shelling struck several residential buildings at Yelenovka and Yasinovataya, damaging two buildings. Three more buildings were destroyed by Ukrainian artillery in Gorlovka and Zaitsevo.
Gas lines in southern Donetsk were damaged by early morning (March 9th) Ukrainian shelling in Kominternovo and Sahanka.
The attack took place January 13th, 2015 in Volnovaha, where Ukrainian military say a Russian backed rebel rocket artillery unit struck a passenger bus, killing 12.
According to a news report which appeared in korrespondent.net, Russian army Colonel Anatoly Sinelnikov and Yuri Shpakov, combined to call a rocket artillery mission on top of a Ukrainian army checkpoint. The rocket artillery, said to be 122mm rockets from a BM-21 Grad rocket artillery launcher, commanded by Shpakov. A separate news report in vesti.ukr.ua said that Shakov is a Ukrainian national fighting in the service of the rebels. Col. Sinelnikov is identified as the commanding officer of the rebel 5th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, the unit to which the rocket unit was attached.
The reports say that the rocket artillery unit was based in Dokuchaevsk when the incident occurred.
Reports at the time of the incident, quoting rebel sources, were that the bus was struck by a Ukrainian directional mine, similar to a Claymore mine. A video of the location released by the Ukrainian side showed rocket artillery impacts in the area, but rebel media said the video was doctored, and that the impacts looked nothing like a BM-21 rocket artillery attack.
The SBU cannot bring charges against Col. Sinelnikov, nor Shpakov; they only can refer a criminal case to a prosecutor, likely the Ukrainian national prosecutor's office in Kiev. The reports do not indicate Col. Sinelnikov's location or current command, but they do say Shpakov is still in Dokuchaevsk.
Since the summer of 2015, BM-21 rocket launchers were removed by agreement from the line of contact by both sides. Before that time it was the most commonly used artillery by both sides. Despite the agreement by both sides not to use BM-21s, an occasional report filters out of both sides using the multiple rocket launcher system, to limited effect.
The BM-21 in its most common configuration has a range of about 20 kilometers, or about 12 miles. The distance between Dokuchaevsk and Volnovaha is close to 11 miles.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian media reports that five Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in ongoing artillery attacks along the line of contact in Donetsk and Lugansk.
According to a report which appeared in lb.ua, rebel mortar fire hit locations in southern Donetsk including at Novotroitskoye, Vodyanoye, Pavlopol and Bogdanovka. Near Donetsk city, rebel mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Avidievka. Rebel mortar fire also was reported in Lugansk at Novoaleksandrovka and Popasnaya.
Rebel media said the Ukrainian overnight shelling (Mar. 8th-Mar. 9th) hit several locations in Donetsk, for a total of 388 shells. The locations hit by Ukrainian artillery include near Donetsk city at Gorlovka, Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, Aleksandrovka, Trudovskoye and western outskirts of Donetsk city. In the south locations hit by Ukrainian overnight shelling include Yelenovka, Kominternovo and Oktyabrskoye.
According to a news release posted by the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian shelling struck several residential buildings at Yelenovka and Yasinovataya, damaging two buildings. Three more buildings were destroyed by Ukrainian artillery in Gorlovka and Zaitsevo.
Gas lines in southern Donetsk were damaged by early morning (March 9th) Ukrainian shelling in Kominternovo and Sahanka.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Ukrainian foreign affairs minister says 4K Russian troops in Donbas
According to a news report in lb.ua, Klimkin gave his remarks to a subcommittee on State Department funding.
According to Klimkin, 400 Russian tanks, 800 armored vehicles and 200 rocket artillery launchers are part of the inventories of the two rebel republics.
It is generally known in Russian media that 40,000 rebel troops are under arms in the Donetsk republic, so the 4,200 Russian regulars represent about 10 percent of the total, and most of those probably rear echelon troops there to oversee maintenance and repair of the Russian equipment.
In a separate report in korrespondent.net, the Ukrainian internal security agency, the SBU provided data to investigators at The Hague that many of the shells used by rebel troops in Lugansk and Donetsk are Russian manufactured. In the early going, rebel media tried to put forward the idea that all the heavy equipment such as tanks and infantry fighting vehicles were battlefield salvage, and not shipped across the Russian border. The same applied to heavy ammunition such as mortar shells, and artillery and rocket shells.
In the meantime, artillery fire from both sides continued.
According to a report in lb.ua, rebel mortar fire his locations near Donetsk city, including at Severnoye, Avdievka, Zaitsevo and Verkhnetoretskye.
In the south near Mariupol rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Talakovka and Taramchuk. Rebel mortar fire was reported at Vodyanoye, Marinka and Talakovka.
In Lugansk, rebel artillery fire was recorded at Krimenskoye, while rebel mortar fire struck Ukrainian positions at Novotoshkovskoye and Krimenskoye.
The Ukrainian ministry of defense said that four Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in the artillery shelling.
On the night of March 6th to March 7th, Ukrainian artillery hit several locations in Donetsk. The locations hit included Trudovskoye, Aleksandrovka, Luganskoye, Yelenovka, Zaitsevo, Gorlovka Spartak and Yasinovataya.
Near Mariupol, Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions at Sahanka, Kominternovo, Leninskoye Oktyabrskoye and Novoazovskoye.
Rebel media claimed that Ukrainians fired on their troops almost 4,000 times over the previous 24 hours, including small arms fire.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Donetsk water plant shuts down after only one day
The Avdievka water plant, repaired only hours before after nearly 10 days of being offline, is once against offline due to artillery shelling, according to Russian language news accounts.
According to several Ukrainian news accounts, shelling from Russian backed rebels damaged power transmission lines to the plant. However, rebel media claim it was shelling by Ukrainian forces which forced the shutdown of the plant.
In the time between repair of the plant and the latest shutdown, the town of Avdievka managed to increase their water reserves which were low after being shut down after several days of shelling. None of the other nearby towns on both sides of the line of contact have released information about the conditions of their supplies.
Rebel media reports say that Ukrainian forces started shelling the plant at around 0830 hours March 5th, forcing workers at the plant to seek shelter. But according to a news account in korrespondent.net, rebel shelling commenced at 1610 on March 5th, and caused damage to the power lines servicing the plant.
According to a news report in lb.ua, Ukrainian forces lost one killed and 12 wounded in ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk, with Ukrainian forces suffering hits by rebel artillery in most of the same places suffered over the last two days. near the Mariupol region, near the Sea of Azov.
According to a news account in censor.net.ua, rebel forces hit Ukrainian positions with mortar and tank gun fire at Avdievka, Butova Mine, Peski, Opytnoye, Verkhnetoretskoye, Zaitsevo and Kamenka.
In Lugansk, rebel 152mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Kalinovo, Popasnaya, Novozvanovka and Troitskoye.
According to rebel media, a total of 19 residential buildings were damaged in Ukrainian shelling over the previous 24 hours. One news release from the Donetsk ministry of defense said that Ukrainian forces fired on rebel positions on the line of contact in Donetsk more than 2,400 times, which is a nearly 50 percent increase from the previous day. That number includes small arms fire as well as artillery shelling.
Of the total of residential buildings damaged, four were in the Petrovskiy district of western Donetsk city, 11 were in Gorlovka, which is directly north of Donetsk city, three in Yasinovataya and one in Dokuchaevsk.
Among the 13 towns and villages hit by Ukrainian artillery were Staromikailovka, Trudovskoye, Yrlrnovka, in western Donetsk city, Yasinovataya, Spartak, Zaitsevo and Gorlovka.
Four villages near Mariupol were hit by Ukrainian artillery including Dokuchaevsk, Bezimya, Sahanka and Kominternovo.
A separate rebel news release said that two rebel soldiers were killed and one was wounded in the shelling.
A separate account which appeared in novorosinform.org, quoting militiamen near the Mariupol region, a two small Ukrainian Navy boats, said to be moored in Mariupol went to a position about one kilometer offshore of Bezymennoye and started firing heavy machine guns at rebel troops stationed there. Rebel troops returned fire. The gun battle last 30 minutes before the boats returned to base.
According to several Ukrainian news accounts, shelling from Russian backed rebels damaged power transmission lines to the plant. However, rebel media claim it was shelling by Ukrainian forces which forced the shutdown of the plant.
In the time between repair of the plant and the latest shutdown, the town of Avdievka managed to increase their water reserves which were low after being shut down after several days of shelling. None of the other nearby towns on both sides of the line of contact have released information about the conditions of their supplies.
Rebel media reports say that Ukrainian forces started shelling the plant at around 0830 hours March 5th, forcing workers at the plant to seek shelter. But according to a news account in korrespondent.net, rebel shelling commenced at 1610 on March 5th, and caused damage to the power lines servicing the plant.
According to a news report in lb.ua, Ukrainian forces lost one killed and 12 wounded in ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk, with Ukrainian forces suffering hits by rebel artillery in most of the same places suffered over the last two days. near the Mariupol region, near the Sea of Azov.
According to a news account in censor.net.ua, rebel forces hit Ukrainian positions with mortar and tank gun fire at Avdievka, Butova Mine, Peski, Opytnoye, Verkhnetoretskoye, Zaitsevo and Kamenka.
In Lugansk, rebel 152mm artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Kalinovo, Popasnaya, Novozvanovka and Troitskoye.
According to rebel media, a total of 19 residential buildings were damaged in Ukrainian shelling over the previous 24 hours. One news release from the Donetsk ministry of defense said that Ukrainian forces fired on rebel positions on the line of contact in Donetsk more than 2,400 times, which is a nearly 50 percent increase from the previous day. That number includes small arms fire as well as artillery shelling.
Of the total of residential buildings damaged, four were in the Petrovskiy district of western Donetsk city, 11 were in Gorlovka, which is directly north of Donetsk city, three in Yasinovataya and one in Dokuchaevsk.
Among the 13 towns and villages hit by Ukrainian artillery were Staromikailovka, Trudovskoye, Yrlrnovka, in western Donetsk city, Yasinovataya, Spartak, Zaitsevo and Gorlovka.
Four villages near Mariupol were hit by Ukrainian artillery including Dokuchaevsk, Bezimya, Sahanka and Kominternovo.
A separate rebel news release said that two rebel soldiers were killed and one was wounded in the shelling.
A separate account which appeared in novorosinform.org, quoting militiamen near the Mariupol region, a two small Ukrainian Navy boats, said to be moored in Mariupol went to a position about one kilometer offshore of Bezymennoye and started firing heavy machine guns at rebel troops stationed there. Rebel troops returned fire. The gun battle last 30 minutes before the boats returned to base.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Donetsk water plant resumes operation
After another brief delay due to nearby fighting the water plant in Avidevka began operations on Saturday, according to Russian language news accounts.
The water plant, set in a no mans land in Advievka stopped working twice, the first time due to shelling and the second time because of plant workers refusing to show up. The refusal was in part because of mines both sides were firing from mortars into the area.
Ukrainian sappers cleared mines on Thursday, but a further delay was encountered due to fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian backed separatists.
Rebel media claimed that Ukrainian artillery fire resumed in the vicinity of the water plant on Friday, but so far no reports have emerged that the water plant has stopped work.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the region, a total of six Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in fighting and shelling in Donetsk and Lugansk.
Friday evening two unidentified Ukrainian border guards in Marinka were wounded in small arms fire and mortar directed against their checkpoint. According to the lb.ua news report, the gunfight lasted 30 minutes.
Elsewhere, rebel artillery fire hit Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk near Mariupol Friday. According to a separate lb.ua news report, rebel 122mm artillery fire hit Novogrigoevka, Novomikailovka and Lebedinskoye. Rebel mortar fire fell on Vodyanoye, Marinka, Krasnogorovka, Novotroiskoye and Shirokino.
Also on Friday, rebel 152mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Krimenskoye and Troitskoye. Rebel forces also fired mortars in Lugansk at Katerinovka, Troitskoye, Popasnaya and Novoaleksadrovka.
Two Ukrainian soldiers were reported wounded on Friday.
On Saturday, according to yet another lb.ua news report, rebel 122mm artillery fire hit Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Bogdanovka, Novotroitskiye and Vodyanoye.
In Lugansk on Saturday, rebel 152mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Popasnoaya and Kalinovka. Rebel 122mm artillery and 82mm mortar fire was reported at Novoaleksandrovka, Krimenskoye, Popasnaya and Katerinovka.
Ukrainian reports were that three Ukrainian military were wounded on Saturday,
According to rebel me3dia, Ukrainian artillery fire hit 11 residential buildings in Gorlovka, Zaitsevo and Donetsk on the night of March 3rd to March 4th. The artillery fire knocked out electrical power in the Petrovskiy district of Donetsk city.
On Saturday rebel media said that Ukrainian forces fired on their positions a total of 2,000 times, a number which includes small arms fire. Among the locales hit was the Donetsk airport, Spartak and Yasinovataya.
The water plant, set in a no mans land in Advievka stopped working twice, the first time due to shelling and the second time because of plant workers refusing to show up. The refusal was in part because of mines both sides were firing from mortars into the area.
Ukrainian sappers cleared mines on Thursday, but a further delay was encountered due to fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian backed separatists.
Rebel media claimed that Ukrainian artillery fire resumed in the vicinity of the water plant on Friday, but so far no reports have emerged that the water plant has stopped work.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the region, a total of six Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in fighting and shelling in Donetsk and Lugansk.
Friday evening two unidentified Ukrainian border guards in Marinka were wounded in small arms fire and mortar directed against their checkpoint. According to the lb.ua news report, the gunfight lasted 30 minutes.
Elsewhere, rebel artillery fire hit Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk near Mariupol Friday. According to a separate lb.ua news report, rebel 122mm artillery fire hit Novogrigoevka, Novomikailovka and Lebedinskoye. Rebel mortar fire fell on Vodyanoye, Marinka, Krasnogorovka, Novotroiskoye and Shirokino.
Also on Friday, rebel 152mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Krimenskoye and Troitskoye. Rebel forces also fired mortars in Lugansk at Katerinovka, Troitskoye, Popasnaya and Novoaleksadrovka.
Two Ukrainian soldiers were reported wounded on Friday.
On Saturday, according to yet another lb.ua news report, rebel 122mm artillery fire hit Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Bogdanovka, Novotroitskiye and Vodyanoye.
In Lugansk on Saturday, rebel 152mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Popasnoaya and Kalinovka. Rebel 122mm artillery and 82mm mortar fire was reported at Novoaleksandrovka, Krimenskoye, Popasnaya and Katerinovka.
Ukrainian reports were that three Ukrainian military were wounded on Saturday,
According to rebel me3dia, Ukrainian artillery fire hit 11 residential buildings in Gorlovka, Zaitsevo and Donetsk on the night of March 3rd to March 4th. The artillery fire knocked out electrical power in the Petrovskiy district of Donetsk city.
On Saturday rebel media said that Ukrainian forces fired on their positions a total of 2,000 times, a number which includes small arms fire. Among the locales hit was the Donetsk airport, Spartak and Yasinovataya.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Suspect in bombing attack on Lugansk president dies in interrogation
Former militant commander and Lugansk political deputy Vitaly Kiselev, was killed in Lugansk police custody Thursday, according to a Russian language news account.
The korrespondent.net news account said that Kiselev was a prime suspect in the bombing attack on Lugansk president Igor Plotnitskiy in August, 2016.
Quoting a BBC report, Lugansk prosecutors conducted an interrogation that the source said was "overdone," which led to Vitaly Kiselev's death.
Despite early denials that the attack was by Ukrainian operatives, Kiselev's death represents a long line of deaths of Lugansk separatist commanders beginning in January of 2015. At that time, a deputy commander of a separatist military unit Aleksandr Bednov and six others were killed in an attack by police In Georgievka, which is a suburb south of Lugansk city. Reports at the time said police used a thermobaric rocket to hit the vehicle Bednov was traveling. At the time of the attack Bednov was chief of staff of the Lugansk 4th Separate Rifle Brigade. He was said to be under suspicion for murder, rape and robbery.
Vitaly Kiselev was said to be a communist, and was one of several commanders, including most of the Cossack military formation commanders said to be Stalinists. Those commanders expected the political changes after the takeover by Russian speaking militants would include communization of agriculture. Nearly every one of those commanders died in violent attacks. Several other minor Cossack formation commanders also died in Donetsk as well. Separatists in both Lugansk and Donetsk say that those deaths can be traced to Plotnitskiy.
The korrespondent.net news account said that Kiselev was a prime suspect in the bombing attack on Lugansk president Igor Plotnitskiy in August, 2016.
Quoting a BBC report, Lugansk prosecutors conducted an interrogation that the source said was "overdone," which led to Vitaly Kiselev's death.
Despite early denials that the attack was by Ukrainian operatives, Kiselev's death represents a long line of deaths of Lugansk separatist commanders beginning in January of 2015. At that time, a deputy commander of a separatist military unit Aleksandr Bednov and six others were killed in an attack by police In Georgievka, which is a suburb south of Lugansk city. Reports at the time said police used a thermobaric rocket to hit the vehicle Bednov was traveling. At the time of the attack Bednov was chief of staff of the Lugansk 4th Separate Rifle Brigade. He was said to be under suspicion for murder, rape and robbery.
Vitaly Kiselev was said to be a communist, and was one of several commanders, including most of the Cossack military formation commanders said to be Stalinists. Those commanders expected the political changes after the takeover by Russian speaking militants would include communization of agriculture. Nearly every one of those commanders died in violent attacks. Several other minor Cossack formation commanders also died in Donetsk as well. Separatists in both Lugansk and Donetsk say that those deaths can be traced to Plotnitskiy.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Ukrainian sappers clear area around Avdievka water plant as fighting continues
Ukrainian officials said Thursday that the area around the Avdievka water filtration plant has been cleared of mines, according to Russian languages news reports.
Until Thursday, the issue with restoring water service concerned the mortar delivered mines, shot there by Ukrainian and Russian backed rebel forces. The minefield was but one obstacle in getting the plant back on line.
The other issue has been the ongoing fighting between the two warring parties, which have been exchanging artillery fire since the beginning of the war 30 months ago, but only in the last 18 months contesting the area in Avdievka. It is unclear at the moment just how the issue will be resolved.
Earlier reports by Ukrainian media said that Avidevka and nearby towns were running a severe water shortage due to the plant shutdown. The water plant previously had been declared a gray zone by Ukrainian and Russian ceasefire observers, where neither side would be allowed to contest.
Last year Ukrainian forces moved their front line into the gray zone that included the water plant. Stray artillery rounds, albeit not very many, had hit the plant, forcing the workers, most of them women, to stop work at the plant.
Recent attacks by Ukrainian forces coupled with counterattacks by rebel forces have shifted the fighting to the water plant, but it wasn't until an armed group belonging to the Ukrainian volunteer forces "Azov" moved a fire team including a mortar team into the plant itself -- after it was hit by artillery fire and abandoned -- that fighting ceased, and help in restoring the plant began.
Meanwhile, elsewhere along the line of contact, fighting continued.
Ukrainian media reported that rebel mortar fire hit the southern Donetsk towns of Vodyanoye and Gnutovo, while 122mm rocket artillery rounds hit Vodyanoye, according to a news report in lb.ua.
Near Donetsk city, rebel 120mm and 82mm mortar fire hit Avdievka and Butovka mine.
A separate lb.ua news report said that rebel forces used tank gunfire on Ukrainian positions in Avdievka. The report said that the tank rounds destroyed several residential buildings, but did not elaborate on how many.
A news account published on the website of korrespondent.net said that armed men, presumably Russian backed separatists seized control of a football stadium on Thursday. The report notes that the seizing was likely part of the rebel nationalization of property in Donetsk and Lugansk in the wake of an economic blockade imposed by the Ukrainian government.
Rebel media reported that on the night of June 1st and June 2nd, Ukrainian artillery hit targets in southern Donetsk as well as in and around Donetsk city. The night time attacks included in Petrovskiy district of Donetsk city, where rebel media claimed residential buildings were damaged. Damage was reported in Trudovskoye. An early morning Ukrainian artillery attack which lasted three hours, struck rebel positions at Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy near the Sea of Azov coastal city of Mariupol.
Rebel media said that on Thursday, artillery attacks were recorded in western areas of Donetsk and in Yasinovataya. Artillery attacks were also noted by rebel media at Dokuchaevsk.
In the website novorosinform.org, artillery fire, and presumably direct fire exchanges was noted in Lugansk in Pervomaisk and Stakhanov. Direct fire combat and mortar fire was reported in the same website at the Donetsk airport, Spartak, Peski and the Oktyabrskiy district of Donetsk. The report said that rebel forces returned mortar fire. Fighting was reported at the industrial area of Avdievka and in Yasinovataya, including the use of heavy artillery, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2).
Until Thursday, the issue with restoring water service concerned the mortar delivered mines, shot there by Ukrainian and Russian backed rebel forces. The minefield was but one obstacle in getting the plant back on line.
The other issue has been the ongoing fighting between the two warring parties, which have been exchanging artillery fire since the beginning of the war 30 months ago, but only in the last 18 months contesting the area in Avdievka. It is unclear at the moment just how the issue will be resolved.
Earlier reports by Ukrainian media said that Avidevka and nearby towns were running a severe water shortage due to the plant shutdown. The water plant previously had been declared a gray zone by Ukrainian and Russian ceasefire observers, where neither side would be allowed to contest.
Last year Ukrainian forces moved their front line into the gray zone that included the water plant. Stray artillery rounds, albeit not very many, had hit the plant, forcing the workers, most of them women, to stop work at the plant.
Recent attacks by Ukrainian forces coupled with counterattacks by rebel forces have shifted the fighting to the water plant, but it wasn't until an armed group belonging to the Ukrainian volunteer forces "Azov" moved a fire team including a mortar team into the plant itself -- after it was hit by artillery fire and abandoned -- that fighting ceased, and help in restoring the plant began.
Meanwhile, elsewhere along the line of contact, fighting continued.
Ukrainian media reported that rebel mortar fire hit the southern Donetsk towns of Vodyanoye and Gnutovo, while 122mm rocket artillery rounds hit Vodyanoye, according to a news report in lb.ua.
Near Donetsk city, rebel 120mm and 82mm mortar fire hit Avdievka and Butovka mine.
A separate lb.ua news report said that rebel forces used tank gunfire on Ukrainian positions in Avdievka. The report said that the tank rounds destroyed several residential buildings, but did not elaborate on how many.
A news account published on the website of korrespondent.net said that armed men, presumably Russian backed separatists seized control of a football stadium on Thursday. The report notes that the seizing was likely part of the rebel nationalization of property in Donetsk and Lugansk in the wake of an economic blockade imposed by the Ukrainian government.
Rebel media reported that on the night of June 1st and June 2nd, Ukrainian artillery hit targets in southern Donetsk as well as in and around Donetsk city. The night time attacks included in Petrovskiy district of Donetsk city, where rebel media claimed residential buildings were damaged. Damage was reported in Trudovskoye. An early morning Ukrainian artillery attack which lasted three hours, struck rebel positions at Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy near the Sea of Azov coastal city of Mariupol.
Rebel media said that on Thursday, artillery attacks were recorded in western areas of Donetsk and in Yasinovataya. Artillery attacks were also noted by rebel media at Dokuchaevsk.
In the website novorosinform.org, artillery fire, and presumably direct fire exchanges was noted in Lugansk in Pervomaisk and Stakhanov. Direct fire combat and mortar fire was reported in the same website at the Donetsk airport, Spartak, Peski and the Oktyabrskiy district of Donetsk. The report said that rebel forces returned mortar fire. Fighting was reported at the industrial area of Avdievka and in Yasinovataya, including the use of heavy artillery, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2).
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Security guarantees, land mines delay repairs on Donetsk water plant
The Ukrainian held town of Avdievka reports that its water supply is reaching critical levels, as Ukrainian and Russian backed rebels negotiate repairs on the Avdievka water filtrations,plant according to Russian language news accounts.
The Avdievka water filtration plant has been out of operation since February 24th when worker left the facility following artillery attacks, according to rebel charges, by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainians have countered with charges that rebel artillery has hit critical electrical infrastructure used to deliver water to the Ukrainian side of the line.
Both sides are under threat of water shortages, although the rebel side has yet to remark on the crisis.
At the moment negotiations have stalled between the two warring factions over security guarantees. Ukrainian say that rebels have fired mortar launched land mines near the water plant. Ukrainians also has mines in the area and have offered to remove those explosives, just as long as rebels do not fire onto the area.
This 30 month war has built up a surplus of distrust between the two sides, especially now in the wake of the Ukrainian national government imposition of an economic blockade on both Donetsk and Lugansk. The governments of Donetsk and Lugansk have responded that they will seize heavy industrial assets, effectively "nationalizing" those businesses.
Rebel forces have been firing artillery and mortars on Ukrainian positions over the last 24 hours. Mortar fire has been reported on Ukrainian positions near the coastal city of Mariupol, including at Gnutovo, Shirokino, Pavlopovo and Vodyanoye. Ukrainians reported that 122mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Vodyanoye.
Rebel 152mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions near Donetsk city, including at Luganskoye and Troitskoye. Both 120mm and 82mm mortar fire was reported in the Donetsk city area including at Peski, Zaitsevo, Troitskoye, Novoluganskoye, Kamenka, Avdievka and Opytnoye.
Ukrainian news accounts also report that one unidentified Ukrainian soldier was killed and seven more were wounded, five of them in the shelling at Butovka mine.
The rebel ministry of defense in Donetsk reported that Ukrainian artillery pounded Yasinovataya, Vasilevka and Mineralevka for four hours on Wednesday, knocking out power in Vasilevka. The report does not specify what kind of artillery was used in the attack. Yasinovataya and surrounding areas sit astride the main road between Donetsk and Gorlovka, to the north, and has been in contest between the two sides for nearly 18 months.
Rebels also claim that Ukrainian forces have fired on their positions more than 1,700 times, but that total includes small arms fire.
In Dokuchaevsk, near The Russian border on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian artillery damaged two residential buildings. Two more residential buildings were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in the northern Donetsk town of Gorlovka.
Ukrainian artillery fire also hit targets in western Donetsk city, and in Zhelznaya Balka, Mikailovka, Zaitsevo, Ozeryanovka and Verkhnetoretskoye.
In the south, near the Mariupol region, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel held locations at Sakhanka, Oktyabr, Leninskoye and Kominternovo.
Rebels are reporting one dead and one wounded soldier, both unidentified.
The Avdievka water filtration plant has been out of operation since February 24th when worker left the facility following artillery attacks, according to rebel charges, by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainians have countered with charges that rebel artillery has hit critical electrical infrastructure used to deliver water to the Ukrainian side of the line.
Both sides are under threat of water shortages, although the rebel side has yet to remark on the crisis.
At the moment negotiations have stalled between the two warring factions over security guarantees. Ukrainian say that rebels have fired mortar launched land mines near the water plant. Ukrainians also has mines in the area and have offered to remove those explosives, just as long as rebels do not fire onto the area.
This 30 month war has built up a surplus of distrust between the two sides, especially now in the wake of the Ukrainian national government imposition of an economic blockade on both Donetsk and Lugansk. The governments of Donetsk and Lugansk have responded that they will seize heavy industrial assets, effectively "nationalizing" those businesses.
Rebel forces have been firing artillery and mortars on Ukrainian positions over the last 24 hours. Mortar fire has been reported on Ukrainian positions near the coastal city of Mariupol, including at Gnutovo, Shirokino, Pavlopovo and Vodyanoye. Ukrainians reported that 122mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Vodyanoye.
Rebel 152mm artillery hit Ukrainian positions near Donetsk city, including at Luganskoye and Troitskoye. Both 120mm and 82mm mortar fire was reported in the Donetsk city area including at Peski, Zaitsevo, Troitskoye, Novoluganskoye, Kamenka, Avdievka and Opytnoye.
Ukrainian news accounts also report that one unidentified Ukrainian soldier was killed and seven more were wounded, five of them in the shelling at Butovka mine.
The rebel ministry of defense in Donetsk reported that Ukrainian artillery pounded Yasinovataya, Vasilevka and Mineralevka for four hours on Wednesday, knocking out power in Vasilevka. The report does not specify what kind of artillery was used in the attack. Yasinovataya and surrounding areas sit astride the main road between Donetsk and Gorlovka, to the north, and has been in contest between the two sides for nearly 18 months.
Rebels also claim that Ukrainian forces have fired on their positions more than 1,700 times, but that total includes small arms fire.
In Dokuchaevsk, near The Russian border on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian artillery damaged two residential buildings. Two more residential buildings were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in the northern Donetsk town of Gorlovka.
Ukrainian artillery fire also hit targets in western Donetsk city, and in Zhelznaya Balka, Mikailovka, Zaitsevo, Ozeryanovka and Verkhnetoretskoye.
In the south, near the Mariupol region, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel held locations at Sakhanka, Oktyabr, Leninskoye and Kominternovo.
Rebels are reporting one dead and one wounded soldier, both unidentified.
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