Civil war in Ukraine: News & discussion

[Hindustani78]

www.unian.info/war/1793702-one-kia-two-wias-amid-83-attacks-on-ukraine-in-donbas-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 83 times in the past 24 hours with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and two wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"In the Donetsk sector, an enemy tank repeatedly attacked the town of Avdiyivka. Mortars of different calibers were used to shell the villages of Pisky, Zaitseve, Troyitske, and Kamianka. The occupiers also used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to fire on Avdiyivka, and the villages of Novhorodske, Pisky, Verkhniotoretske, Novoselivka, Luhanske, and Zaitseve. Moreover, our positions near Novhorodske were under sniper fire," the headquarters said.

The town of Popasna and the village of Novozvanivka in the Luhansk sector came under mortar fire. What is more, the Russian occupation forces opened fire from rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns on the villages of Troyitske, Krymske, and Novo-Oleksandrivka. Furthermore, enemy infantry fighting vehicles attacked Novozvanivka, while anti-aircraft shells were lobbed into Troyitske.

"In the Mariupol sector, mortars of various calibers were fired on the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Novotroyitske and Taramchuk, while rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and small arms were used to attack the villages of Vodiane, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Shyrokyne, and Novotroyitske. Additionally, a sniper was active in Shyrokyne," the report says.

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https://www.unian.info/war/1793967-...water-as-filtration-station-hit-by-shell.html
Deputy Prime Minister Hennadiy Zubko says the water supply in the Ukrainian-controlled town of Avdiyivka has been disrupted after the Russian occupation forces have once again shelled a local filtration station.

"A direct hit of a shell on the filtration station. Work has been halted. People are hiding in a bomb shelter. The town has once again been left without water," he wrote on Twitter on Friday morning.

"Amid the Dutch support of the ratification of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, the occupiers cannot put up with this and are lobbing shells on our land," Zubko tweeted. As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian troops and Russian-controlled militants in Donbas on January 29 launched a massive bombardment of Avdiyivka, using heavy artillery and Grad MRL systems, as well as tanks.

This marked the beginning of another stage of escalation in the east of Ukraine.


A new attack on Avdiyivka late on January 30 left nearly 34,000 residents cut off the power grids. Heat and water supplies were also halted amid weather forecasts of about 20 degrees Celsius below zero overnight. On February 10, Defense Ministry speaker for Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) issues Oleksandr Motuzianyk said the situation in Avdiyivka was tense, but it was under control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the local authorities.

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https://www.unian.info/war/1795127-...ater-filtration-station-halts-operations.html

As UNIAN reported earlier, Voda Donbasa utility company reported the decision to suspend operations of the Donetsk water filtration station as a result of continued shellings.

The station supplies water to settlements on both sides of the contact line: Avdiyivka, Krasnohorivka, and Verknetoretske, as well as the temporarily-occupied Donetsk, Yasynuvata, and the villages of Vasylievka and Spartak.

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https://www.unian.info/society/1794...firms-death-of-officer-wounded-in-donbas.html

"An officer of the Ukrainian airmobile forces, who was seriously wounded in Opytne two days ago, died in a hospital in the city of Dnipro yesterday," Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman for Anti-Terrorist Operation issues Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday, February 24.


He also recalled that one Ukrainian soldier was killed and two others were wounded in fighting in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, February 23. "One was killed in action and another two were wounded in action," he said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 83 times in the past 24 hours.

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Rally outside Russia's embassy in Kyiv in support of missing Crimean residents фото: UNIAN

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/405542.html

Militants shelled the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone 47 times as of 18:00 on Friday, five Ukrainian soldiers were wounded, the ATO headquarters reported.

"In the Mariupol sector, Russian occupation forces fired at Vodiane using 82-millimeter mortars. They used grenade launcher and small arms to shell Novotroyitske, Pavlopil, Vodiane, Hnutove, and Shyrokyne. Shyrokyne was fired at from the enemy's infantry combat vehicles," the ATO headquarters reported on the official Facebook page on Friday evening.

In the Donetsk sector, militants repeatedly fired from mortars of various calibers at Troyitske, Dacha, Zaitseve, Avdiyivka. Rocket-propelled grenades were used to shell Avdiyivla, Mayorske, Zaitseve, Pisky and Luhansk.

In the Luhansk sector, militants fired using rocket-propelled grenades and small arms at Novooleksandrivka, Troitskr and Novozvanivka, according to the ATO headquarters.

"All in all, 47 attacks have been registered. Five of our military have been wounded," the ATO headquarters said.

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18:31
LPR records 65 instances of shelling by Ukrainian forces in past week

17:22
Savchenko arrives in Donetsk to see Ukrainian prisoners of war - DPR defense ministry

14:19
Kyiv intends to continue negotiations with Moscow on prisoners handover - Ukrainian justice minister

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http://tass.com/world/932645
DONETSK, February 24. /TASS/. Member of the Ukrainian parliament Nadezhda (Nadiya) Savchenko has arrived in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) to visit Ukrainian prisoners, a source with the DPR State Security Ministry said on Friday.

Savchenko was accompanied by Vladimir Ruban, head of the Ukrainian center for prisoner releases of the Officer Corps public movement.

"Ruban and Savchenko came to visit Ukrainian prisoners," the source was quoted by the Donetsk news agency.

Earlier, Savchenko released the lists of prisoners of both the Kiev side and militias of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Most Ukrainian politicians came up with sharp criticism of Savchenko and the Security Service said the MP had violated law by publishing the prisoners’ personal data without their relatives’ consent.

Prisoner exchanges in the all-for-all format is one of the key provisions of the Package of Measures on the implementation of the Minsk agreements that was signed in the Belarusian capital Minsk on February 12 after marathon talks between the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine.

Nadezhda Savchenko, one of the most colorful personalities in the Ukrainian political scene today, was accused in Russia of involvement in the killing of Russian televisions reporters Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin in much-troubled eastern Ukraine in the summer of 2014 and an illegal crossing of the Ukrainian.

On March 22, 2016, a court in Russia’s southern Rostov region sentenced her to 22 years in a general penal colony. On May 25, President Vladimir Putin answered a request from the reporters’ relatives and signed a decree on pardoning her, after which she took a flight from Russia to Kiev.

During Savchenko’s stay in a pretrial ward and in a penitentiary in Russia, Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party led by former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko propelled her to the Rada on its party ticket and made her a representative of the Rada in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe afterwards.

At the end of last October, Savchenko tendered a request for quitting the party and was dismissed from it on December 15. On December 22, the Rada also crossed her out of the list of members of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE.

Savchenko fell into disfavor with Ukraine’s ruling milieus after her trips to the self-proclaimed unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk republics where she made public the new civil platform called the Runa.

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1795972-ato-hq-update-2-wias-32-militant-attacks-feb-25.html

The combined Russian-separatist forces violated the ceasefire 32 times from 00:00 to 18:00 local time on Saturday, February 25, resulting in two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

In the Mariupol sector, the occupiers fired 120mm mortars on the village of Lebedynske, as well as rocket-propelled grenades and small arms on the villages of Pavlopil, Chermalyk, Shyrokyne, Vodiane and Hnutove.

In the Donetsk sector, an enemy tank shelled the Ukrainian positions near the villages of Pisky and Kamianka, and Butivka coal mine. The militants also used mortars of various calibers on the town of Avdiyivka and the villages of Zaitseve, Luhanske, Troyitske and Butivka coal mine. Furthermore, the villages of Novhorodske, Kirove and Zaitseve came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.

In the Luhansk sector, the Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm mortars on the village of Troyitske.

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https://www.unian.info/politics/1795192-dpr-militants-shoot-at-osce-monitors-seize-uav.html

"The incident occurred at around 14:30 on 24 February in ‘DPR’-controlled Yasynuvata, north of Donetsk city. An SMM patrol was attempting to launch a UAV, intending to monitor the alleged shelling of the Donetsk water filtration station, when armed men pointed their weapons at them, advanced towards them and seized the UAV, after which one of the men opened fire which impacted close to the SMM patrol," reads the report.

"Firing at unarmed civilian monitors is not only a direct threat to the lives of brave men and women doing their best to bring peace to Ukraine," Apakan said, "it is a direct challenge to the collective will of the 57 OSCE participating States, and to the Minsk agreements."

Apakan insisted that those responsible be held accountable and that there should be no impunity for these acts.

"Threatening SMM monitors and otherwise impeding the work of the SMM serves only to delay resolution of the conflict," he said.

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https://www.unian.info/war/1795907-...ose-to-osce-smm-in-yasynuvata-and-pikuzy.html

At 13:27 on February 24, 2017, the SMM heard a burst of small-arms fire (three to five shots) at close range while preparing to launch a mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the north-western edge of non-government-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), about 130m south-east of the M-04 highway.

"The SMM patrol members took cover behind one of their vehicles and saw four men in military-style camouflage clothing carrying AK-variant automatic assault rifles about 30m to the south. The men shouted "Stand still!" in Russian and then approached, with two of the men kneeling and aiming their weapons at the SMM while the two others advanced in short movements. One of them seized the mini-UAV from the ground. The SMM members loudly identified themselves as OSCE in Russian and English. The four men withdrew with the mini-UAV. When 15-20m away, one of them fired a burst of small-arms fire (three to five shots) that impacted on the snow about five meters from the SMM vehicle, behind which the patrol was taking cover. The patrol got into their vehicles and left the scene," the OSCE said in a spot report.

Earlier in the day, around 12:15, two men carrying AK-47s and wearing military-style camouflage clothing typical of "DPR" members engaged in conversation with an SMM patrol member in the center of non-government-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol). One of them, apparently intending to demonstrate that his firearm was functional, pointed the weapon into the air and fired a round.

The SMM left the area, the report says. "No SMM members were hurt or vehicles damaged. The SMM informed the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination about both incidents and asked it to assist in recovery of the UAV," the OSCE added.

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https://www.unian.info/society/1795...t-of-pows-she-visited-in-occupied-donbas.html

Ukrainian MP Nadiia Savchenko has published a list of prisoners of war (POW), whom she visited in the occupied territory of Donetsk region.

"I managed to see our prisoners. The guys are feeling well. The conditions are ordinary, like in prison. They say the attitude to them is normal. There are three people in a prison cell, the walk is one hour a day, they are taken out to watch TV, mainly Russian channels," Savchenko said.


As UNIAN reported earlier, one of the pro-militant websites reported Friday, citing the breakaway area's security forces, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament Nadia Savchenko and Head of Ukrainian center for hostage release "Officer Corps" Volodymyr Ruban had reportedly come to the "DPR"-controlled territory "to visit Ukrainian hostages."

MP Tetiana Rychkova (BPP) on Friday said that Savchenko had incited Ukrainian troops to leave their positions in the ATO zone and head toward Kyiv "to overthrow the criminal government."

According to SBU spox Olena Hitlyanska, the Security Service of Ukraine will verify the reports on MP Nadia Savchenko's alleged instigation of the Ukrainian military to leave their defensive positions in Donbas in favor of taking part in a coup in Kyiv.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/405567.html

The SBU Ukrainian Security Service plans to meet with Ukrainian Member of Parliament Nadia Savchenko regarding her recent visit to occupied Donetsk where she has met with Ukrainian prisoners of war and will check information from Ukrainian MP Tetiana Rychkova who claims that Savchenko has allegedly incited Ukrainian soldiers to topple the Ukrainian government.

"We don't monitor parliamentarians purposefully. But, having been informed by MP Rychkova, we'll of course verify the information without waiting for an official request from Mrs. Rychkova," head of the SBU chief's staff Oleksandr Tkachuk told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

"These charges are too serious to be ignored," he added.

In that regard, Tkachuk said that SBU head Vasyl Hrytsak has already ordered military counterintelligence service to carry out the relevant work and question servicemen that deputy Rychkova had mentioned. "Consequently, we will inform the public following this check," he said.

At the same time, he said, no criminal case is opened at present on the grounds of the provided information, only preliminary check is under way.

If the grounds to open a criminal case are obtained, it will happen, Tkachuk said.

Replying to a question, whether the SBU is aware that Savchenko had gone to Donetsk together with Volodymyr Ruban, head of the Officer Corps center for release of prisoners of war, to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war, Tkachuk said that "it's a separate situation, which will also be subjected to a check."

"We will also verify this information, it's not the first thing that Ms. Savchenko does together with Ruban," he said.

Tkachuk said that, as a deputy, Savchenko is under no obligation to inform about her travels, "but we all probably need to remember the way Savchenko was taken prisoner first, then got into Russia. And now her visits to the occupied territories are causing certain confusion."

In this context, he said, it would be appropriate if Savchenko informs SBU officials for what purposes she visits Donbas.

Zorian Shkiriak, an advisor to the Ukrainian interior minister, in turn, said on Facebook that he believes that there is every reason to open a criminal case against Savchenko under the article 109 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code (actions aimed at violent change or overthrowing the constitutional system or at a takeover).

Earlier, Rychkova, a deputy from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction, said that Savchenko had "incited servicemen to overthrow the authorities in Ukraine" and called on the Prosecutor General's Office and the SBU to investigate her actions.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/405590.html
The Ukrainian Vekhrovna Rada's non-affiliated deputy Nadia Savchenko has published a list of Ukrainian prisoners she visited in Donetsk prisons.

There are 34 surnames in the list that Savchenko posted on her account in Facebook.

"I was able to visit our captives. The guys feel aright. The conditions are ordinary, the prison ones. They said that the attitude towards them is normal. There are three of them in each cell, they are allowed to have an hour of yard time and watch television, the majority of channels are the Russian ones, but the Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel is available. They believe they will be released soon and don't lose hope! Let us fight for our brothers," she said.

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22:35
DPR expects Kyiv's reciprocal steps for access of their representatives to captured militiamen

16:47
Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas holding videoconference

15:59
Ukrainian MP Savchenko reports on her trip to Donetsk where she visited Ukrainian prisoners (Part 2)

14:27
Self-proclaimed DPR accuses Ukrainian troops of seizing Donetsk water purification plant (Part 2)

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1796221-ato-daily-report-almost-50-enemy-attacks-4-wia.html
On February 25, the Anti-Terrorist Operation forces recorded 49 enemy attacks, according to the ATO Headquarters.

On the Mariupol line, occupation forces mortared Lebedynske, Chermalyk, and fired on Pavlopil, Chermalyk, Shyrokine, Vodiane, and Hnutove from grenade launchers and small arms, ATO HQ reported on Facebook. On the Donetsk line, an enemy tank fired at the Ukrainian positions outside Pisky, Butivka mine, and Kamenka. T

The enemy fired mortars of various calibers on Avdiyivka, Zaitseve, Luhanske, Troitske, and Butivka mine. Grenade launchers and small arms were fired at Novhorodske, Pisky, Novoluhanske, Verhnetoretske, Kirove, and Zaitseve.

n turn, on the Luhansk line, the occupiers fired 120 mm mortars on Troitske, Novotoshkovske and small arms – on Stanytsia Luhanska.

A total of 49 attacks was recorded in the last day, which resulted in four of Ukrainian soldiers being wounded in action and another one injured, according to ATO HQ
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https://www.unian.info/politics/179...toward-their-legitimization-gerashchenko.html

Various forces have been pushing Ukraine toward legitimization of Donbas militants and holding direct negotiations with representatives of the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada and Ukraine's humanitarian envoy to the Trilateral contact group on Donbas settlement Iryna Gerashchenko.

"Ukraine is being pushed by various forces to legitimize militants and hold direct talks with the representatives of the certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, thus trying to create scenarios of direct negotiations going in parallel lines to the Minsk process, without the Russian Federation and OSCE," Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook.

She added that these efforts "seriously complicate the already difficult work of the Ukrainian delegation in Minsk."

"But there will be no direct negotiations and no legitimization of militants," Gerashchenko wrote, "whatever dirty scenarios Kremlin plays in this hybrid war against Ukraine." The official also said that the position regarding the impossibility of direct talks with the militants is "the position of the president, government, and all healthy forces in parliament, as well as pro-Ukrainian politicians." "This is the position that unites us all," said Gerashchenko.

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https://www.unian.info/politics/179...s-to-cease-attacks-in-donbas-immediately.html

"The United States is closely monitoring the growing violence in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks and the continuing failure of the combined-Russian separatist forces to honor the cease-fire called for under the Minsk agreements," reads the statement published on the State Department website.

Washington condemned Friday’s targeting of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) monitors and the seizure of an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle by combined-Russian separatist forces.

"It is imperative that these forces halt their attacks on civilian infrastructure, including the Donetsk water filtration station," Toner said. The United States called on Russia and the separatist forces it backs "to immediately observe the cease-fire, withdraw all heavy weapons, and allow full and unfettered access to the OSCE monitors."

The United States called on Russia and the separatist forces it backs "to immediately observe the cease-fire, withdraw all heavy weapons, and allow full and unfettered access to the OSCE monitors."

As UNIAN reported earlier, late Friday, February 24, a high voltage line was damaged as a result of enemy shelling, which led to a halt in power supplies to Avdiyivka and a local coking plant.

The Russian side to the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control has refused to provide written guarantees of a ceasefire. Earlier on February 24, "DPR" militants opened fire at OSCE SMM patrol and seized their unmanned aerial vehicle.

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http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=737279

DONETSK/LUHANSK/KYIV. Feb 26 (Interfax) - The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) recorded over 760 instances of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the past 24 hours; a civilian woman was injured, Eduard Basurin of the DPR Defense Ministry said.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled the territory of the republic 761 times in the past 24 hours. Of this number: heavy artillery guns were used 17 times, mortars of different calibers - 282 times (of which 91 120mm mines), infantry combat vehicles - 47 times, anti-aircraft launchers, grenade launchers and small arms - 415 times," Basurin said at a briefing on Sunday.

Nineteen DPR populated areas were shelled, he said.

"Yesterday, on February 25, a woman from the Krasnyi Partyzan populated locality, Yasynuvata district, suffered a mine-blast injury of medium severity and a head fragmentation injury in the shelling from a 120mm mortar," he said.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces fired over 320 mines and grenades against the territory of the self-proclaimed DPR in the past 24 hours, the LuhanskInformCenter reported referencing to self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) People's Militia spokesman Andriy Marochko.

Fifteen instances of shelling from the Ukrainian side were recorded in the past 24 hours, the militia spokesman said. The Sokolniki, Kirovsk, Zolote, Lohvynove, Kalynivka, Kalynove, Nyzhnje Lozove populated localities were shelled.

"120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and small arms were fired. In all, 322 mines and grenades were fired against the territory of the Republic," he said.

"The Ukrainian side continues to provoke the People's Militia units to open fire in order to blame them for the disruption of the Minsk Agreements," the LPR militia spokesman said.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces 24th brigade units have waged the gunfire with provocative goals from the Zolote populated area under control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces against the Molodizhne populated area on February 24. It is reported that at the time the Ukrainian Channel Five filming crew was staying on the Ukrainian Armed Forces positions in order to make a video record of the retaliatory fire. But People's Militia servicemen did not react to a provocation and did not open the retaliatory fire," Marochko said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Ministry's spokesman for the military operation in the east of the country Andriy Lysenko said that four Ukrainian servicemen were injured; no one was killed in Donbas in the past 24 hours.

"No Ukrainian servicemen were killed, four of our combatants were injured in the hostilities in the past 24 hours," Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Sunday.

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http://aa.com.tr/en/europe/crimea-will-not-be-forsaken-ukrainian-president/759703

KIEV, Ukraine

Ukraine’s president said Sunday that the people of the illegally annexed peninsula of Crimea will not be forsaken.

“Russia resorted to open aggression and seized the peninsula, enslaving millions of people. We will not leave our citizens in Crimea without support under the temporary Russian occupation,” Petro Poroshenko said in a statement posted on social media, marking the third anniversary of the seizure of Crimea's regional parliament by gunmen, believed to be Russian Special Forces, followed by Moscow's unilateral annexation of the peninsula.

“The whole civilized world knows that Crimea is Ukraine. We will continue to struggle,” he said, adding that the United Nations also recognizes Russia as an occupying force violating human rights in Crimea.

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote. This had followed violent anti-government protests which led to the overthrow of the then-President Victor Yanukovich.

That month the UN General Assembly voted to proclaim the Russian annexation illegal. Along with many UN countries, the U.S., the EU, and Turkey also do not recognize Crimea as Russian territory.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/405727.html

Ukraine's SBU Security Service together with Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office and police in Sumy region have liquidated a channel of international telecommunications controlled from Russia.

According to the SBU's press service, four Sumy region residents via Internet using IP-telephone technology received Russian traffic obviating international communications centers.

"The traffic was processed using special software programs by the telecommunications complex and under the guise of local telephone conversations sent to networks of Ukrainian mobile operators. Telephone communications were thus established, including with users located in temporarily occupied areas of eastern Ukraine," the press release says.

Means for renting the office, as well as payments for this illegal activity, were received by the perpetrators by wire transfer from a Russian firm, the press release says.

During a search of offices and residences of the suspects law-enforcement officers seized computer equipment, "a bank of SIM cards," wifi modems and 150 cards of Ukrainian mobile telephone communications.


The total value of seized equipment comprised more than UAH 500,000.

A criminal case has been opened pursuant to Part 2 of Article 361 (unsanctioned intereference in electronic communications) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Investigative work continues to establish all individuals involved in the illegal activity, as well as to learn whether the activities were connected with Russian special services.

Sums'ka oblast, Ukraine

http://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2017/...using-weapons-prohibited-by-minsk-agreements/

According to the Ukrainian party of JCCC, as of 16.30, February 26, pro-Russian armed groups continue attacks of Ukrainian Armed Forces positions, peaceful settlements and key infrastructure along the front line. The situation in the area of Avdiyivka is especially hard.

During this period, the enemy shelled Avdiyivka with 20 125-mm tank shells, 20 120-mm mines and 37 82-mm mines flagrantly violating the Minsk agreements. As a result, on February 24, the Makiyivka-Avdiyivka Coke Plant power line was damaged and the city was left without electricity.

In addition, the Donetsk filtration plant stopped to work because of occupants’ shelling that damaged the chlorine pipe and other main elements of the facility, which provides drinking water to more than 600 thousand civilians in Avdiyivka, Yasynuvata and Donetsk.

Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as military and civilian administrations took all measures to fulfill repair works. However, the works could not be carried out for the past 48 hours due to the occupants’ refusal to provide security. The Russian party of JCCC did not ensure implementation of emergency repair works to restore electricity and water supply to Avdiyivka.

These actions of pro-Russian militants once again flagrantly violate international law, openly ignore provisions of the Minsk agreements and deliberately set the stage for the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Avdiyivka.

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09:09
LPR sees 17 attacks by Ukrainian army in past 24 hours, no casualties

11:02
DPR accuses Kyiv of shelling village of Kominternove

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1799066-ukraine-reports-84-enemy-attacks-in-donbas-1-wia-in-last-day.html
Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 84 times in the past 24 hours with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"In the Mariupol sector, the invaders fired 122mm artillery systems on the village of Shyrokyne, as well as 120mm and 82mm mortars on the villages of Vodiane, Hnutove, Novotroyitske and Pavlopil. Grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms were also used to shell the villages of Talakіvka, Pavlopil, Vodiane, Novotroyitske, Shyrokyne and Hnutove. Additionally, the occupiers opened fire from infantry fighting vehicles on the villages of Shyrokyne, Vodiane and Lebedynske. A sniper was active in Talakivka. Moreover, in the Donetsk sector, an enemy tank repeatedly fired on the town of Avdiyivka," the headquarters said.


The Russian occupation forces also fired 120mm and 82mm mortar shells on Avdiyivka and the villages of Troyitske, Novoluhanske, Luhanske, Verkhniotoretske, Opytne, Vodiane and Butivka coal mine. In addition, they fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms on the villages of Pisky, Zaitseve, Luhanske, Kamianka and Troyitske.

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https://www.unian.info/war/1800072-...-losses-at-svitlodarska-duha-bulge-media.html
Two soldiers of the 54th separate mechanized brigade were killed at the Svitlodarska Duha bulge in the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone in Donbas on Tuesday, Tyzhden.ua reported, citing its sources.

No other details have been reported so far.


On Monday, February 27, Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) press officer Leonid Matiukhin said that Russia-backed militants shelled the Ukrainian positions near Butivka coal mine in Donbas. "A symbolic construction of the mine fell down – a place where the elevator is located. Our flag was there and the militants were very nervous about that fact. They opened fire from a tank and now this construction collapsed. There were no casualties among our troops. The flag is also undamaged. The guys said they would fly this flag in Donetsk one day," he said.

In the Luhansk sector, the enemy used grenade launchers and heavy machine guns firing at the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka, Stanytsia Luhanska and Valuiske. Furthermore, a sniper was working in the village of Lobacheve.

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https://www.unian.info/economics/17...ize-ruble-official-currency-from-march-1.html

The self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic will adopt the Russian ruble as its official currency on March 1, according to The Moscow Times.


The so-called Luhansk government, which currently uses rubles unofficially alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia, claimed that the change would help stabilize the occupied territory's volatile economy, MT reported. The "LPR" central bank will make daily announcements on the rate of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, euro, and hryvnia as part of the deal.


As UNIAN reported earlier, February 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the recognition by the Russian Federation of "travel documents," "issued to Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons who reside in the territory of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, until the political settlement of the situation in these areas."

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/405908.html

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said he categorically rejects the idea of renunciation of Donbas, noting that the Ukrainians will themselves decide how to ensure reintegration of the region.

"Both I as president and most Ukrainian people want one thing - peace, no war, the Russian aggressor out of our occupied lands, to remove its troops and weapons, and we the Ukrainians ourselves will sort out how to ensure reintegration of Donbas into civilian life in Ukraine," the president said during a working trip to the city of Dnipro.

He criticized once again politicians who are using various political rallies to promote the idea of giving up Donbas.

"I ask them: was it you who put these territories together to scatter them around in this way? Do you realize that we have Ukrainians living there?" Poroshenko said.

********
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/406170.html
Non-aligned deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Nadiya Savchenko says she crossed the line of demarcation [between Ukrainian troops and combined Russian-separatist forces] in eastern Ukraine using foot paths used by contraband traders.

"I crossed the line on foot paths used by contraband traders," she said during a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday. She added Ukraine's SBU Security Service knows the routes, which she said are used by some 6,000 inhabitants of eastern Ukraine daily.

Savchenko said she offered to work with the SBU on ways to release Ukrainian soldiers held in captivity by militants in eastern Ukraine, but was rebuffed.

The deputy said she did not cross over into occupied areas of Donbas with the head of the Prisoner Release Center Volodymyr Ruban.

"I did not make the crossing with Ruban," she said, adding that they [Ukrainian authorities] are doing everything in their power to complicate his efforts to win the release of prisoners.

Savchenko said she does not consider her trip to occupied Donbas to be criminal, because the area is Ukrainian territory.

She said it is necessary to visit all prisons in occupied eastern Ukraine to find citizens of Ukraine, whom the militants are hiding.

"It is necessary also for observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe or the Red Cross to visit [these prisons], in order to determine how many people are being held," Savchenko said, adding that one person in her list [of prisoners] said he would refuse to return to Ukraine.

**************

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/406056.html

Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada deputy Nadia Savchenko has published an updated list of Ukrainian citizens held in the Makiyivka penitentiary in the Donetsk region as of February 25, 2017.

"Here is the result of my trip to Makiyivka penitentiary No. 22. Six Ukrainian soldiers and civilians believed missing have been found," Savchenko said on Facebook on Tuesday.


There are 34 names, including six absent from the Minsk lists on the scanned copy of the document published by the deputy.


Savchenko said that one person had refused to be exchanged.


There are 13 names on another list compiled by Savchenko. In all, she has published the names of 47 Ukrainian POWs.

************

President Petro Poroshenko noted that a powerful hospital base was created due to the joint efforts of volunteers, community and government in Dnipro. All this allowed to create proper conditions for the treatment of Ukrainian wounded servicemen.

The Head of State reminded that in 2006 the Military Hospital of Dnipro was transferred to the commercial structure and later on it was put in pledge to Russian VTB bank. The President noted firm position of Ukrainian medics who didn’t leave the medical institution at that difficult time. “In 2014, when Ukrainian servicemen were in hospital, officers of justice came requiring to vacate the premises. Everyone remembers that. And everyone must clearly know that there must be responsibility for such anti-state actions,” Petro Poroshenko emphasized.

The President informed that the courts abolished that criminal decision and the Military Hospital of Dnipro is registered as state property by the State Property Fund.

Petro Poroshenko instructed Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak to allocate necessary funds to improve treatment conditions in the hospital

The President also paid special attention to the need for establishing new equipment in the medical institution. The Head of State noted that thousands of military have undergone treatment in the hospital in 2.5 years and the doctors demonstrated true heroism saving lives of our servicemen.

*********************

President Petro Poroshenko met with the staff of I.I. Mechnikov regional clinical hospital of Dnipro to award doctors and military doctors who help Ukrainian warriors.

“Your heroic round the clock work on saving lives of warriors is well-known in the entire Ukraine. I personally heard words of gratitude on the frontline. I have never seen such an atmosphere of care and responsibility you are creating to save Ukrainian heroes,” Petro Poroshenko thanked doctors.

In the course of the visit to I.I. Mechnikov regional clinical hospital of Dnipro, President Petro Poroshenko met with warriors of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who undergo treatment and awarded them. Particularly, the Head of State had a conversation with warriors who took part in hostilities in the area of Avdiivka during the escalation in January-February 2017.

The Head of State wished the defenders a fast recovery. “I would like to thank each of you for a flawless performance of the military duty and a firm patriotic position. I am confident that the main thing we must have is faith in our victory. FOr the truth is with Ukraine, for the people of Ukraine is with us,” the President noted. He added that the experience of servicemen who will decide to continue military service after rehabilitation is very important for the future protection from the aggression.

The President presented valuable gifts to the wounded servicemen.

The Head of State also visited the volunteer headquarters that helps the wounded servicemen. It was established in May 2014 and was one of the first to receive wounded military from the ATO area. Over the period of its functioning, 14 thousand warriors got help in this center and 99.4% of them were saved.

Over this time, efficient evacuation of the wounded servicemen from all sectors of the ATO area has been established. THe President instructed Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak to take necessary measures to equip another medical aircraft for transportation of the wounded soldiers.

 

[Hindustani78]

Yavoriv Ukraine

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1801212-...17-enemy-attacks-2-kia-2-wia-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 117 times in the past 24 hours with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA) and two as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

In the Mariupol sector, the occupiers fired 122mm artillery systems on the village of Vodiane and mortared the villages of Hnutove, Shyrokyne, Pavlopil, and Vodiane. They also used rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and small arms firing on the town of Krasnohorivka and the villages of Talakivka, Pavlopil and Hnutove. A sniper was active near the villages of Shyrokyne and Novotroyitske. Enemy infantry fighting vehicles were used to shell the town of Maryinka.

"In the Donetsk sector, the Russian occupation forces opened fire from tanks on Butivka coal mine, and the villages of Verkhniotoretske and Novhorodske. The militants also fired 152mm artillery systems on the villages of Luhanske and Troyitske, as well as 120mm and 82mm mortars on the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Pisky, Zaitseve, Troyitske, Novoluhanske, Kamianka, Opytne, Novotoshkivske and Luhanske. Furthermore, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms were used to fire on Avdiyivka and the villages of Zaitseve, Verkhniotoretske, Nevelske, Bohdanivka and Luhanske. Moreover, Luhanske was repeatedly attacked with infantry fighting vehicles," the report says.

In the Luhansk sector, the enemy shelled the village of Krymske from 152mm artillery systems and fired mortar shells of various calibers on the town of Popasna and the villages of Orikhove, Novozvanivka, Novo-Oleksandrivka and Krymske. The villages of Stanytsia Luhanska and Novo-Oleksandrivka came under fire from small arms. A sniper was active near the village of Zhovte. Enemy infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers were used to fire on Novozvanivka.

**************
https://www.unian.info/war/1801281-russia-needs-war-in-donbas-mfa-ukraine.html

The number of attacks on the Ukrainian positions by the Russian-backed militants in Donbas has sharply increased over the past day, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa wrote on Twitter.

117 attacks by Russian militants, 2 UA servicemen KIA, 2 WIA, heavy weaponry used," she tweeted.


**************

https://www.unian.info/war/1801737-...ukrainian-enterprises-in-occupied-donbas.html
Pro-Russian militants of the so-called "LPR"/"DPR," who are now claiming they will "nationalize" Ukrainian companies, had already had their watchdogs in these businesses monitoring commercial activity and receiving kickbacks, said former head of the main investigation department of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine Major-General Vasyl Vovk.

************************
https://www.unian.info/war/1801936-militants-return-seized-uav-to-osce-delete-surveillance-data.html
Russian-backed militants of the so-called "DPR" (self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic) have returned to the OSCE observers a drone they had earlier seized, according to LIGA.net.

All surveillance data have been deleted, LIGA.net reports citing the OSCE SMM press service.

The terrorists told the OSCE that they would supposedly conduct an "investigation" into targeting the monitors.

The militants have not named those involved in the incident and neither have they informed when the investigation will be completed, according to the OSCE SMM press service.

As UNIAN reported earlier, February 24 militants of the "DPR" opened fire on the OSCE observers and seized an OSCE SMM UAV. The Trilateral Contact Group urged the militants to investigate into the incidents.
*************
https://www.unian.info/war/1802156-...s-three-reasons-for-escalation-in-donbas.html

According to our intelligence, the ranks of the militants have recently been reinforced by the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, which were deployed to join the militants' units," he told a briefing in Kyiv.

Also, according to Lysenko, the escalation of hostilities can be connected with the fact that the so-called 61st "humanitarian convoy" entered from Russia into Ukraine yesterday. In addition, Lysenko believes that the escalation of hostilities could also be a result of the announcement by the so-called authorities of the "DPR"/"LPR" of an ultimatum in connection with the blockade the uncontrolled territory of Donbas.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 117 times in the past 24 hours with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA) and two as wounded in action (WIA).

On February 27, the leaders of terrorist organizations "DPR" and "LPR" stated their demand to the official Kyiv to ensure the lifting of a trade blockade of the occupied territories before March 1, threatening to introduce "external management" at Ukrainian enterprises operating in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
**************

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/406389.html
A meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine began in Minsk on Wednesday afternoon.

"A meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group has begun in Minsk," Darka Olifer, press officer for Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's representative in the trilateral contact group and former president of Ukraine, said on Facebook.

*********************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/406431.html
The blocking of humanitarian assistance contradicts the norms of international law and may lead to a humanitarian catastrophe the scale of which will be unprecedented, the Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Headquarters said in a statement regarding the blocking of its operation on the Donbas territories temporary outside of Ukrainian government control.

"The obstruction of the work of the Humanitarian Headquarters poses a threat to the life of Donbas civilians, who have become pawns in the military conflict and found themselves fighting for survival in central Europe in the 21st century. For many of them, food packages from the Humanitarian Headquarters are one of the primary, and sometimes the only source of subsistence. The assistance of the Rinat Akhmetov Headquarters is among the largest in the region and it has saved the lives of over one million people in 2.5 years," the statement, which was released on Wednesday morning, said.

The Headquarters has no access to its premises, inventory and humanitarian assistance as a result of the blocking by armed people of the work of the distribution center in Donbas Arena in Donetsk and all its distribution points on the territory temporarily uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government, the statement said.

The Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Headquarters said it intends to continue working on the territory controlled by Ukraine and along the contact line, in the so-called gray area, to help Donbas civilians survive, and also said it is ready to resume work in the uncontrolled territories as soon as the distribution center and the distribution points are unblocked.

 

[ultron]

more than 3340 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donbas so far

http://memorybook.org.ua/

 

[ultron]

2 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in Donbas yesterday.

https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/two-ukrainian-soldiers-killed-donbas.html

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/economics/18...rainian-enterprises-including-ukrtelecom.html

The self-proclaimed leader of the Moscow puppet "Donetsk People's Republic," Alexander Zakharchenko, has said the militants seized some 40 enterprises in the occupied territory of Donbas.

"Some 40 companies are under external management," one of the militants' websites quoted Zakharchenko as saying.

Zakharchenko also said that none of the owners of Ukrainian enterprises had contacted the "DPR."

At the same time, Communication Director of Ukrtelecom Mikhail Shuranov reported that the company had to disable services in the occupied part of Donetsk region, since the company's office and equipment in Donetsk had been seized.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on February 27, the leaders of terrorist organizations "DPR" and "LPR" stated their demand to the official Kyiv to ensure the lifting of a trade blockade of the occupied territories before March 1, threatening to introduce "external management" at Ukrainian enterprises operating in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The pro-Kremlin militants have announced that they would re-orient all production processes to fit Russian markets and those of the other countries.

On March 1, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk "people's republics" introduced the so-called external control at all Ukrainian enterprises operating in the temporarily occupied areas of Donbas as a response to the trading blockade of the militant-held territory.

***********
Militants continue shelling of the Ukrainian positions in the town of Avdiyivka, near Butivka coal mine.

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1803412-...-fire-in-donbas-another-9-wounded-ato-hq.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 118 times in the past 24 hours with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and nine as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

In the Donetsk sector, the Russian occupation forces opened fire from tanks, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) on the town of Avdiyivka, as well as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades on the villages of Nevelske, Luhanske, Novoselivka Druha, Zaitseve, Novhorodske, Pisky and Kamianka. Luhanske came under fire from IFVs, as well as a sniper fire. Additionally, anti-tank missile systems were used to shell the village of Troyitske.

In the Mariupol sector, the enemy used tank shells, artillery systems and mortars in the town of Krasnohorivka. The militants also fired 122mm artillery systems on the villages of Shyrokyne and Vodiane, as well as mortars on the villages of Novotroyitske, Bohdanivka, Pavlopil and Chermalyk. Moreover, they used grenade launchers and small arms to fire on the villages of Pavlopil, Talakivka, Lebedynske, Vodiane and Shyrokyne. Shyrokyne, Novotroyitske and Vodiane, and the town of Maryinka came under fire from IFVs," the report says.

In the Luhansk sector, the occupiers fired 152mm artillery systems and tank shells on the village of Troyitske, as well as 122mm artillery systems of the village of Krymske.

***********
https://www.unian.info/economics/18...on-cost-ukraine-nearly-1-bln-trade-envoy.html

Direct financial losses Ukraine has suffered as a result of Russian trade aggression amounted to about $1 billion, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade and Ukraine’s Trade Representative Natalia Mykolska said in an interview with ZN.ua.


"The greatest losses are related to exports to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - more than 40% of exports have been lost," Mykolska told ZN.ua. "However, the [exports to the] rest of the countries have been affected, too. If we sum it up, we will see a figure of around $1 billion in direct losses. I draw your attention to the fact that these are direct losses, that is, only from the sale of goods.

At the same time, we also suffer losses in the market of related services, in transport and logistics sectors. And this happens against the background of the decline in industrial output in Ukraine and the drop of its exports to the Russian Federation," said the deputy minister. Mykolska believes, the Russian trading aggression pursues several goals.

**************************
https://www.unian.info/politics/180...ussia-from-financing-terrorism-in-donbas.html

Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko has said Ukraine expects the International Court of Justice will prohibit Russia from financing terrorism in eastern Ukraine, according to an UNIAN correspondent.


"It will be interesting and challenging hearing. But I am sure that we have a very strong position, the truth will see triumph and we will win," he told journalists after a cabinet meeting. "Ukraine will be represented by a group of experts, and we will discuss the violations of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; it is about the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian citizens in Crimea and Donbas and banning the financing of terrorism," he added.

****************

12:41
Russian Investigative Committee handling over 100 cases into crimes committed by Ukrainian military in Donbas - chief

12:33
Repair work on Donetsk filtration station to take 2-3 days - authorities

10:47
DPR says Sakhanka, Kominternove under fire, Kyiv says Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka attacked

10:00
Savchenko says she crossed into DPR territory as result of special operation

 

[ultron]

More than 3350 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donbas so far

http://memorybook.org.ua/

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1805817-ukraine-reports-116-enemy-attacks-1-kia-15-wia-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 116 times in the past 24 hours with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and 15 as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters

In the Mariupol sector, the Russian occupation forces fired Grad MLR systems toward the Ukrainian positions near the village of Vodiane. They also opened fire from a tank near the village of Hnutove, as well as mortars in the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Novotroyitske, Vodiane and Hnutove. Rocket-propelled grenades and small arms were used to shell the town of Maryinka, and the villages of Shyrokyne, Starohnativka, Lebedynske and Talakivka. A sniper was active in Shyrokyne, Lebedynske and Maryinka. Additionally, the enemy used infantry fighting vehicles firing at the villages of Novohryhorivka and Hnutove.

In the Luhansk sector, the occupiers fired 152mm artillery systems on the village of Novozvanivka and the town of Lysychansk, as well as mortars of various calibers, on the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka, Novotoshkivske, Novozvanivka, Katerynivka, Krymske and Malynove.

"In the Donetsk sector, the invaders opened fire from a tank, 120mm and 82mm mortars on the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Novoluhanske, Zaitseve, Pisky and Butivka coal mine. Grenade launchers were used to shell the villages of Opytne, Pisky and Kamianka.The village of Luhanske came under fire from infantry fighting vehicles, and the villages of Maiorsk and Nevelske came under fire from small arms. Moreover, a sniper was active in the villages of Kamianka, Novotroyitske and Novhorodske. Furthermore, the enemy fired anti-aircraft guns on Avdiyivka and the village of Troyitske," the report says.

********
https://www.unian.info/economics/18...-trade-blockade-of-govt-controlled-areas.html

The leader of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") Alexander Zakharchenko on Friday said that the so-called "DPR" was declaring a blockade of the government-controlled areas of Ukraine.

"We're cutting all ties with Ukraine, with which we are at war. Indeed, we used to sell coal to get money and pay salaries here. But due to the fact that we have learned to survive under a blockade, we are announcing the blockade of [government-controlled areas of] Ukraine," RIA Novosti quoted Zakharchenko as saying.


Earlier, Zakharchenko said the militants had seized some 40 Ukrainian enterprises in the occupied territory of Donbas.
***********
https://www.unian.info/war/1806171-militants-down-osce-smms-drone-near-donetsk-filtration-plant.html

OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine has reported on the downing of the organization’s unmanned aerial vehicle in close proximity to the Donetsk filtration plant.

"OSCE SMM UAV went down near Donetsk Filtration Station after SMM heard small-arms fire, despite sec guarantees. Unacceptable," the OSCE SMM tweeted.

As UNIAN reported earlier, “DPR” militants targeted fire at OSCE patrol and seized their UAV. The Trilateral Contact Group urged the militants to investigate into the incident.

***********

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/407032.html

Ukrainian army casualties in Donbas over the past 24 hours have amounted to one serviceman killed and 22 injured, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

"Over the past 24 hours, as result of fighting, one Ukrainian military serviceman has been killed, 22 sustained wounds and injuries," Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

In the Luhansk sector, 27 shell attacks on the Ukrainian positions, including 18 with heavy weapons, have been registered over the period, he said.

In the Donetsk sector, 30 enemy attacks were registered, including 13 with heavy weapons, Lysenko said.

In the Avdiyivka sector, the enemy launched over 200 mortar rounds and over 80 tank shells in the past 24 hours. A sniper was active in Kamianka.

Near the Donetsk airport, low-intensity hostilities continued, Lysenko said.

In the Mariupol sector, there were 59 shell attacks, including 12 with heavy weapons. Thus, in Krasnohorivka, a 70-year-old woman was injured, Lysenko said.

************************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/407054.html

The issue of a Donbas conflict settlement is not the format of negotiations, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

"The issue is not the format. We can have any number of formats," Poroshenko said in Kharkiv on Friday, in commenting to Interfax-Ukraine on proposals made by Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski on an alternative option of negotiations on the settlement of the Donbas conflict.

"The problem is that the Russian Federation, the aggressor country, should be compelled to remove its troops from Ukrainian territory, give us back control over the uncontrolled part of the Ukrainian-Russian border and allow for the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty," the president said.

Other formats should not destroy the Minsk Agreements, Poroshenko said. "The format can be of any kind, but it should not destroy the Minsk Agreements," he said.

****************

20:45
Donetsk hopes UN to help obtain info about prisoners from DPR who wish to stay in Ukraine

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?pg=2&id=738796
March 03, 2017 19:36

DPR television channels can now be watched in Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv and Kherson regions of Ukraine - Donetsk
DONETSK. March 3 (Interfax) - The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has launched the broadcasting of its television channels to the territory of Ukraine.

"Today we have gathered for a televised linkup that the Communications Ministry will show in a live broadcast. It has provided a stable and confident signal [of DPR television channels and some Russian television channels] on the temporarily occupied territory, plus the Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. We are launching the process," DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko said.

Starting from today, the DPR television broadcasting signal will reach Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson, he said.

The installed tower is 340 meters high, Zakharchenko said. "We are now transitioning to the format of broadcasting to the territory of Ukraine," he said.

***************
18:45
DPR leader reports isolated instances of sabotage in Ukrainian enterprises where external management introduced

18:32
Putin's decree on recognizing Donbas residents' IDs prompts Kyiv to implement Minsk Agreements - Russia's envoy to OSCE (Part 2)

18:28
Eight DPR militiamen killed in past week - ombudsman office

18:23
Format of negotiations on Donbas can be varied, but should not destroy Minsk Agreements - Poroshenko




17:25
Ukraine launches almost 2,000 shell attacks in past 24 hours, one militiaman killed in past week - DPR

13:28
SOME UKRAINE-RUN ENTERPRISES SEE INSTANCES OF SABOTAGE AFTER EXTERNAL MANAGEMENT WAS INTRODUCED, BUT THESE INSTANCES ARE NOT LARGE-SCALE - DPR HEAD

13:27
THERE WILL BE NO MORE ENTERPRISES UNDER UKRAINIAN JURISDICTION IN DPR - ZAKHARCHENKO

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1808032-ukraine-reports-115-enemy-attacks-2-wia-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 115 times in the past 24 hours with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

In the Mariupol sector, the Russian occupation forces fired 122mm artillery systems on the villages of Novohryhorivka, Novomykolaivka, Lebedynske, as well as mortars on the villages of Vodiane, Novotroyitske, Shyrokyne and the towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, the ATO press service posted on Facebook.

In addition, the enemy repeatedly used infantry fighting vehicles to attack the villages of Shyrokyne and Vodiane.

The invaders opened fire from heavy machine guns and small arms on Vodiane, Novotroyitske, Shyrokyne, Talakivka, and Novohryhorivka. "A sniper was active in Vodiane and Novotroyitske," the report says.

In Lugansk sector, the enemy opened fire from 152mm artillery systems and a tank on the villages of Krymske and Troyitske. They fired mortars on the villages of Katerynivka, Troyitske, Novo-Oleksandrivka and the town of Popasna. The militants also opened fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and anti-tank missiles on Krymske.

"In the Donetsk sector, the invaders opened fire from a tank on the town of Avdiyivka, while 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, and small arms were used to shell on Avdiyivka, Butivka coal mine, and the villages of Troyitske, Pisky, Verkhnyotoretske, Nevelske, Opytne, Zaitseve, and Luhanske," the headquarters said.

**********
https://www.unian.info/war/1808062-two-homes-damaged-by-shelling-in-avdiyivka-police.html

As a result of shelling by Russian-backed militants, two private homes suffered direct hits in an old part of the town of Avdiyivka in Donetsk region at about 20:00 on February 3, according to Pokrovsky police department of Donetsk region.

"House No. 2 on Sportyvna Street suffered direct hit due to shelling, while shrapnel damaged the facade and smashed the windows of house No. 3 on the same street," a report said.


Law enforcers have been recording the consequences of the shelling, asking the residents what help they need.

In the cases, the police department initiated criminal proceedings under Part 2 Article 258 (terrorist act) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

*************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/407101.html
The total number of shelling in the hostilities zone in Donbas in first three days of this week exceeded its number in the entire previous week, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine Alexander Hug has said.

Available information shows that in first three days of this week the OSCE SMM recorded almost the same number of explosions caused by use of weapons banned by the Minsk agreements as in the entire previous week, Hug said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

He said that the situation in Donbas remains tense and volatile and the last week showed that the trend recorded throughout the past two weeks persisted. An increase in the number of use of weapons banned by the Minsk agreements, in particular, mortars, tanks and artillery weapons, including multiple-launch rocket systems, is concerning, Hug said.

The SMM recorded an increase in the number of explosions caused by artillery fire by 250% and a twelve-fold increase in the number of explosions caused by mortar fire in the past week, in comparison to the previous week, he said. A total of 27 explosions caused by use of multiple-rocket launch systems were also recorded in the past week, while none of them were recorded the week before, he said.

********************************



http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/407139.html

Deputy Minister of Ukraine on the Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Heorhiy Tuka has said that the rules for transporting goods to or from the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone will apply to individuals in two months from the moment of the rules take effect.

"The contact line is crossed under an order of SBU head. It will continue be in effect for individuals," he told reporters in Kyiv on Friday.

He said that the rules would not apply to individuals during two months from the moment when the rules are published.

Tuka said that according to the rules, medicines and food can be transported to or from the ATO zone only as part of humanitarian cargos.

************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/407095.html

The U.S. Department of State has published an annual report on human rights in the world.

According to the report, the most significant human rights problems during the year related directly to conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"Russian-backed separatists in Donbas engaged in abductions, torture, and unlawful detention, employed child soldiers, stifled dissent, and restricted humanitarian aid," reads the report.

A separate section is devoted to occupied Crimea of the report on Ukraine. The most significant human rights problems in Crimea during the year related directly to the Russian occupation, it says.

"Russian security services engaged in an extensive campaign of intimidation to suppress dissent and opposition to the occupation that employed kidnappings, disappearances, physical abuse, political prosecution, repeated interviews, and interrogations by security forces. Russian security forces routinely detained individuals without cause and harassed and intimidated neighbors and family of those who opposed the occupation," reads the Crimea section of the report.

According to the report, Ukrainian authorities have problems with the judicial system and this violates human rights.

"The government generally failed to take adequate steps to prosecute or punish most officials who committed abuses, resulting in a climate of impunity," reads the report.

**********
14:47
Situation in Donbas remains tense - DPR

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/1808472-...attacks-on-ukraine-in-donbas-in-last-day.html

Ten Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in action (WIA), another one was killed in action (KIA) in Donbas in the last day, according to the press center of the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters.

The total number of attacks on Ukrainian positions over the period under review was 110, the ATO HQ said. Read also Ukraine reports 115 enemy attacks, 2 WIA in last day The occupiers in the Mariupol sector used proscribed 122mm artillery systems and mortars of various calibers to shell the villages of Bohdanivka, Novotroyitske, Vodiane, and the town of Maryinka.

Further, they used small arms and grenade launchers to fire on the villages of Hnutove, Vodiane, and Shyrokyne. The villages of Talakivka, Novotroyitske, Vodiane, Lebedynske and the town of Maryinka were under sniper fire. What is more, Vodiane and Shyrokyne were attacked by enemy infantry fighting vehicles.

Russia's hybrid military forces continue using heavy weapons, namely 152mm and 122mm artillery systems, which are banned under the Minsk peace agreement on Donbas.


"The villages of Kalynove-Popasna, Novozvanivka and Troyitske in the Luhansk sector were attacked with the use of 152mm artillery systems, while 122mm artillery systems and mortars of various calibers shelled the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka, Krymske, Orikhove, Katerynivka, Troyitske, and Novozvanivka, and the town of Popasna. Antitank guided missile launchers were repeatedly used to shell our positions near the village of Krymske. They fired grenade launchers and large-caliber machine guns on the village of Stanytsia Luhanska, which is an area of disengagement.

Stanytsia Luhanska and the village of Valuyske also came under sniper fire," it said. Tanks and mortars of various calibers were repeatedly used in the Donetsk sector to shell the town of Avdiyivka, Butivka coal mine, the villages of Pisky, Opytne, Verkhniotoretske, Zaitseve, Kamyanka, and Luhansk. Grenade launchers and small arms were used to fire on Zaitseve and Troyitske. What is more, Zaitseve and Opytne were under sniper fire.
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https://www.unian.info/war/1808612-...ties-in-donbas-double-in-past-two-months.html

"Insecurity peaked up again in late January across eastern Ukraine, generating additional civilian casualties and humanitarian needs in several locations. Since the beginning of the year, OHCHR verified 111 civilian casualties (20 deaths and 91 injuries), compared to 51 in November-December 2016," the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its Humanitarian Bulletin on Ukraine for January 1 – February 28.


Most casualties were caused by shelling from artillery, tanks and multiple launch rocket systems, it said. "Damage to houses and vital infrastructure, including electricity, water (with knock on effect on the heating system), as well as schools and health facilities, was also widespread. These events further added to the suffering of already vulnerable people whose resources and resilience have been depleted by the protracted crisis," the bulletin said.

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https://www.unian.info/war/1808772-...-blackouts-mobile-service-irregularities.html

Attacks on the Ukrainian-controlled town of Avdiyivka in Donbas have caused new blackouts and mobile service irregularities, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation headquarters.

"Avdiyivka has just again been left without the power supply. The mobile telephone service is irregular. Yet, the water supply to households still continues. This is the situation the town is now facing after a new attack by Russia's occupation forces with the use of heavy weapons. Information about damage done to power lines is still unknown. Municipal facilities of critical infrastructure are now being connected to electric generators. Other information is being verified," the press center wrote on Facebook on Sunday, March 5.

Avdiyivka coking and chemical plant and Donetsk water filtration plant had to suspend operation due to the attacks on February 24, which halted the water supply in the town. Repairs to the filtration plant were completed on March 4.
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13:35
Kyiv effectively refuses to withdraw forces in Stanytsia Luhanska on March 7 - LPR

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http://tass.com/world/933990
DONETSK, March 4. /TASS/. Eleven private houses were damaged in Donetsk’s Petrov distric and in Zaitsevo (Gorlovka’s suburb) in the night shelling from positions of the Ukrainian military, local authorities told the Donetsk News Agency on Saturday.

"After the night shelling, one house burned down in Alexandrovka’s Sumchenko Street, roofs and windows damaged in 16, 17 Shevchenko Street and in 158 Shkolnaya Streeet," the district’s head Maxim Zhukovsky said. "Houses from 1 to 28 in Shevchenko Street are cut off electricity."

Five houses were damaged in the Zaitsevo settlement, Gorlovka’s suburb, representative of the local administration Ivan Prikhodko said.

No victims among civilians have been reported.