Contents tagged with Donbas

  • Ukrainian Armed Forces: The situation in the Donbas continues to deteriorate

    The headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that the situation in the Donbas has deteriorated significantly over the last several days, Glavnoe reported.

    “Yesterday, pro-Russian gangs opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian defenders 15 times,” the headquarters wrote on Facebook.

    It was reported that Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka were attacked by separatists using rocket propelled grenades and small arms.

    According to the Ukrainian headquarters, separatists also …

  • Washington: The majority of ceasefire violations in the Donbas occur on the territory of separatists

    The OSCE confirms that the majority of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine occur on the territory that is under the separatists’ control, the Unites States Deputy Secretary of State, Antony Blinken stated.

    The U.S Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, quoted Blinken on Twitter as saying that the “OSCE confirms that the majority of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine occur on the territory that is under separatists’ control.”  The White House press service also quoted Blinken as saying …

  • Kuchma: There cannot be elections in the Donbas until the Minsk Agreements are implemented

    The second President of Ukraine and the representative of Ukraine in Trilateral Contact Group, Leonid Kuchma, reiterated that elections cannot be held in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics until the Minsk Agreements are implemented.

    During an interview with journalists in Kiev, Kuchma highlighted the need to come to a resolution on the issue of security, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    “I stated at the last meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group that the talks about some …

  • Ex-governor of the Luhansk region says there is a plan for the 'deoccupation of the Donbas'

    In an interview with Hromadske Radio, the Deputy Minister for the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the former head of administration for Luhansk, Georgiy Tuka, said that he has not ruled out the possibility of trade with the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic.  

    “There are two opposite points of view, of which the first is fencing off areas with barbed wire.  This however is absolutely destructive.  The population will mentally distance itself from …

  • Aksyonov: Crimea morally supports separatists in eastern Ukraine

    The head of Russian-Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, said the inhabitants of the occupied peninsula "morally support" the separatists in eastern Ukraine.

    Aksyonov stated the Crimea is ready to cooperate with the separatists in the Donbas, Glavnoe reported.

    "All of the unrecognized state formations of the former Soviet Union clearly gravitate towards Russia. Holding a referendum, collecting signatures, dreaming of joining the group. Transnistria, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, the Republic of Novy Rossiya, …

  • OSCE reiterates that military parades in the Donbas on May 9th will violate the Minsk Agreements

    The OSCE has once again stressed that the presence of heavy weapons during military parades in Donetsk and Luhansk on May 9th will be a violation of the Minsk Agreements, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    According to Alexander Hug, the Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, "historical heritage is important, but [the presence of] heavy weapons in the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk is a violation of Minsk and a threat to the people".

    As previously reported, on April …

  • Intelligence: Russian soldiers began to dismantle and transport metallurgical plant from the Donbas

    As reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, separatists have begun dismantling industrial facilities in the Donbas region."On May 3rd servicemen of the 4th Division Motorized Rifle Brigade (Alchevsk) and the 2nd Army Corps of  Russian Armed Forces (Luhansk)  started the dismantling and removal of equipment from the Alchevsk Metallurgical Plant,” the statement read.Earlier, intelligence reported that Russian Presidential Aide …

  • OSCE notes the success of the Orthodox Easter ceasefire in the Donbas

    In the last three days, attacks have been minimal in the Donbas

    As was stated during a briefing by OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, the ceasefire in the Donbas, as agreed before the May holidays, is being successfully maintained, Terra Espana reported.

    "During the celebration of Orthodox Easter, a ceasefire agreement was reached and it has been successful; the number of incidents in the last three days have been reduced,” Zannier noted.

    However, he also emphasized that there has been …

  • Intelligence: Putin's aide Surkov traveled to the Donbas and met with separatists

    Ukrainian intelligence has evidence that Russian presidential aide, Vladislav Surkov, has visited occupied Donbas to meet with separatists. This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

    “On the 29th of April, a closed meeting of the leaders of the so-called DPR and Russian representatives was held in Snizhne. It was attended by: presidential aide, Vladislav Surkov; the Deputy Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel- …

  • US accuses separatists of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine

    The State Department's Deputy Spokesperson, Mark Toner, stated that pro-Russian separatists are responsible high number of ceasefire violations in the Donbas.

    “We are certainly concerned at the level of violence in eastern Ukraine which has reached its highest level since the ceasefire agreements in September,” Toner said.

    He emphasized that about 30,000 ceasefire violations were registered in April; which he described as “a huge number.” At the same time, as Toner noted, “The OSCE reports …