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https://www.unian.info/war/2095576-...vely-use-heavy-weapons-4-wia-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 28 times in the past 24 hours, with four Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

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In the Mariupol sector, the militants used 122mm artillery systems twice against the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Talakivka and Vodiane. At about 20:00 Kyiv time, the enemy launched at least six artillery shells of 152mm caliber near Vodiane, in the area where no Ukrainian positions are located. In addition, the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Hnutove came under mortar fire twice at the end of the day, while the outskirts of the village of Pavlopil were shelled from grenade launchers.

In the Donetsk sector, the situation remains tense in the Avdiyivka industrial zone.


From 19:00 until midnight, the occupiers were firing 120mm mortars, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms on the Ukrainian defenders, who were forced to return fire. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded as a result of the confrontation. In the evening and overnight, militants opened fire outside the villages of Luhanske, Troyitske and Zaitseve, and Butivka coal mine," the report says.


In the Luhansk sector, the invaders fired mortars and grenade launchers on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Novo-oleksandrivka and Krymske, leaving two Ukrainian soldiers wounded.

https://www.unian.info/war/2097204-donbas-militants-attack-ukraine-4-times-on-national-flag-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas four times on Ukraine's National Flag Day, August 23, according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"It was relatively quiet in the ATO area on the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine. Since midnight, there have been four ceasefire violations. Basically, the attacks were provocative and untargeted," the press service wrote on Facebook.


In particular, the militants opened fire twice from grenade launchers and small arms on the ATO strong points near the village of Krymske in the Luhansk sector.

Around 13:00, the enemy fired two mortar shells (120mm and 82mm calibers) near the village of Novo-Oleksandrivka. In the Donetsk sector, the occupiers were shelling the Ukrainian fortified positions near the Avdiyivka industrial zone, using heavy machine guns.

"The ATO forces suppressed almost all the armed provocations by targeted fire, so the confrontation was short," the ATO HQ said.
 
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444273.html

The number of people injured in the explosion in the Hrushevskoho Street in central Kyiv has increased to three, the communication department of the National Police of Ukraine in Kyiv told Interfax-Ukraine.

"The information was received from a hospital about three casualties: two women and one man," the spokesperson said.

As reported, at around 14:00 on Thursday an unknown object exploded in the Hrushevskoho Street in Kyiv. Two people were reportedly injured – a man and a woman. According to the SBU, hooliganism is the main line of inquiry.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444238.html
Militants have committed 18 truce breaches, and two Ukrainian servicemen have been wounded in the past 24 hours, the press service of the headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in Donbas said.

In Donetsk region, grenade launchers and large-caliber machineguns were used against Ukrainian positions in the Avdiyivka industrial zone, Zaitseve and near the Butovka mine, the headquarters said.

In the Luhansk sector, militants twice fired 82mm mortars in the vicinity of Novooleksandrivka. Grenade launchers were used in the vicinity of Katerynivka and Krymske, the headquarters said.

In the Mariupol sector, Ukrainian positions near Pavlopil, Shyrokyne and Lebedynske were shelled, it said.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444199.html
More than 10,000 Ukrainians have died as a result of the military aggression in Donbas, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"All in all, more than 10,000 Ukrainian lives are on the conscience of the aggressor. We will never forget and never forgive," the president said speaking at the military parade in Kyiv on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444239.html

There are about 3,000 Russian servicemen in the occupied areas of Donbas, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"Our intelligence has confirmed that the minimum strength of forces of the Russian Federation in the occupied territory is some 3,000," Poroshenko told journalists after the talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Kyiv on Thursday.

He also noted that the total number of armed forces in the occupied territory of Ukraine is 39,000. According to the president, they include Russian special forces and other regular servicemen of the Russian army.

Poroshenko said he expects Russia to meet the security provisions of the Minsk agreements, including the withdrawal of its forces from Ukraine and the release of hostages.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444212.html


Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said some 200,000 people have gone through six waves of mobilization to date, about 100,000 have served under contract.

"Some 200,000 went through six waves of mobilization, already about 100,000 voluntarily went to serve under contract, 130,000 soldiers with combat experience were enlisted in the mobilization reserve, and in case of escalation they are ready to promptly return to the military ranks," the president said speaking at the military parade in Kyiv on the occasion of the Independence Day of Ukraine.

He also said 42 servicemen received the title of Hero of Ukraine. At the same time, the president said that on the Independence Day he signed a decree conferring the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Golden Star on two more servicemen - Lieutenant Vasyl Tarasiuk and Captain Yevhen Loskot (posthumously) – for exceptional courage, heroism and self-sacrifice in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

"24-year-old Lieutenant Vasyl Tarasiuk, courageous defender of Avdiyivska industrial zone - one of the hottest spots on the current contact line, and Captain Yevhen Loskot, who stopped the movement of the column of Russians towards Schastia in 2014. Having been surrounded, he blew himself up with the last grenade shouting "Glory to Ukraine!" the president said adding that he conferred the most honorable titles on him today.

"Some 200 parade participants have been awarded with state awards for courage on the frontline," he said.
 
https://www.unian.info/war/2098829-ukraine-reports-3-wias-amid-22-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 22 times in the past 24 hours, with three Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.


After 18:00 Kyiv time, the Russian occupation forces continued to use heavy weapons and conduct active hostilities near the Avdiyivka industrial zone. In the evening and almost until midnight, the militants attacked the Ukrainian fortified positions with grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms from the town of Yasynuvata, and the villages of Yakovlivka and Spartak.

"On such congratulations to the Independence Day of Ukraine, our fighters responded with dense fire. The enemy also launched at least 27 mines of 82mm caliber near the village of Troyitske.


"In the Luhansk sector, the occupiers fired a 120mm mortar on our fortified positions near the village of Katerynivka, while 82mm mortars were used near the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka and Novotoshkivske," the report says.

Furthermore, the shelling with the use of heavy machine guns was recorded near the village of Stanytsia Luhanska. It was relatively quiet in the Mariupol sector at the end of the day. Only at about 20:00 Kyiv time, the invaders opened fire from a grenade launcher and small arms near the village of Taramchuk.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444369.html
Militants of illegal armed formations do not observe the so-called 'school truce' which was to start on midnight of Friday, as they twice shelled the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone, the ATO headquarters' spokesman, Anatoliy Stelmakh, has said.

"Already from the beginning of this day, we have recorded two shellings of our positions, in particular, near the towns of Talakivka and Zaitseve. Our serviceman has already been killed as a result of the armed confrontation in Talakivka," Stelmakh said on the 112.ua TV Channel.

An agreement was reached on August 23 at a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group for the settlement the situation in Donbas that a ceasefire will be established in Donetsk and Luhansk regions ahead of the beginning of the academic year starting at midnight of Friday on August 25.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444353.html
The wife, mother-in-law and a friend of sniper company commander Capt. Valeriy Chibineyev have been injured in an explosion, which was set off on Hrushevskoho Street in central Kyiv on Ukraine Independence Day, 112. Ukraine television reported.

"We have hospitalized two out of three injured people, that is, a man and a woman," a duty doctor said.

Injured people are in stable condition, according to the TV footage.

A criminal inquiry was launched over the explosion on Hrushevskoho Street in Kyiv on the count of attempted murder committed in a way dangerous for the life of many people, the Kyiv police communications department said.

Law enforcers are working at the blast site, are searching at the crime scene, and are establishing witnesses and eyewitnesses, as well as CCTV cameras, which could record the moment of the blast.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko awarded company commander snipers of the 79th separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Highly Mobile Airborne Troops Capt. Valeriy Chibineyev the honorary title of the Hero of Ukraine at a parade on the occasion of the 25th Ukrainian independence anniversary on Khreschatyk on August 24, 2016.

Capt. Chibineyev has fought near Krasny Lyman, Donetsk region, in 2014. In January 2015, he has participated in the hostilities outside Donetsk Airport.

The captain has identified "12 confirmed targets", according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444364.html
Over the past day, militants of illegal armed formations shelled the Ukrainian Armed Forces positions 22 times in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone, as a result of which, three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded, the ATO press center headquarters reported.

"Militants did not reduce the number of armed provocations at the end of last day in the ATO area. After 18:00, Russian-occupation groups continued to use weapons, the caliber of which exceeds 100 millimeters and to hold active combat operations near Avdiyivka industrial zone," the press center said in Facebook.

In the Donetsk sector, from evening until midnight militants shelled the Avdiyivka industrial zone from Yasynuvata, Yakovlivka and Spartak from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms4 Troyitske was shelled from mortars of 82 mm caliber.

In the Luhansk sector, militants fired at the outskirts of Katerynivka from 120 mm mortars, at Novotoshkivske and Novoaleksandrivka using mortars of 82 mm caliber, Stanytsia Luhanska was shelled using large-caliber machine guns.

In the Mariupol sector, around 20.00 the area of Taramchuk was shelled from rocket-propelled grenades launchers and small arms.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444383.html

Four Ukrainian servicemen were wounded on Thursday, August 24, as a result of shelling by illegal armed formations in eastern Ukraine, one of them died in a hospital in the early hours of Friday, spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry on ATO issues Oleksandr Motuzianyk said.

"Three soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were wounded last day in the area of the Butovka mine due to enemy shelling," Motuzianyk said at a briefing on Friday.

Another soldier was mortally wounded near the town of Talakivka in Mariupol district and died later in hospital.
 
https://www.unian.info/war/2100264-...nts-launch-grenades-2-ato-troops-wounded.html

The first 24 hours of the "school-year truce" in the zone of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas saw no complete ceasefire as illegal armed groups opened fire 18 times leaving two Ukrainian soldiers wounded, according to the ATO HQ press center.

War 10:00, 26 August 2017

It is noted that in the afternoon the number of armed provocations on the part of the pro-Russian militants was minimal, while in the evening hours the enemy somewhat intensified shellings of Ukrainian positions.


"In particular, the situation remains tense in the area of the Avdiyivka industrial zone. Here, for several hours since around 17:00, the gangs were firing at the strongpoints of ATO forces from grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms. The gangs also launched ten 120mm mines on Ukrainian positions. Given that the shelling by the enemy was quite aggressive, purposeful and directly threatened by our military, the ATO forces returned fire. As a result of this confrontation, two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded. Also cases of the use of weapons by the enemy were recorded in the area of the Butivka coal mine," wrote the press center.


In addition, in the direction of Mariupol militants resorted to provocations firing at the Ukrainian military on the approaches to Talakivka, Hnutove, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, Shyrokine and Chermalyk.

The only direction where the militants almost completely adhered to the ceasefire was that toward Luhansk - the enemy only once fired their weapons near Malinove.

As UNIAN reported earlier, starting August 25, the so-called "school year ceasefire" was expected to be introduced in the ATO zone.


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https://www.unian.info/politics/2100574-two-civilians-injured-in-ied-blast-in-donbas-osce.html
19:00, 26 August 2017
Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/politics/2100574-two-civilians-injured-in-ied-blast-in-donbas-osce.html

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reported on civilian casualties in war-torn Donbas.

Medical staff at a hospital in government-controlled Volnovakha 53km south of Donetsk told the SMM that two women – a 60-year-old from Donetsk and a 56-year-old from “DPR”‑controlled Khartsyzk 26km east of Donetsk – were injured by an explosive device near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint north of government-controlled Berezove.

“According to the medical staff, the women were travelling to government-controlled areas by bus and entered a wooded area near the checkpoint, when the 56-year-old triggered the explosive device, resulting in shrapnel injuries to her legs, torso, arms and head,” the report reads.

They said the other woman was some 20 meters away at the time and sustained shrapnel injuries to her left calf.

The medical staff said the women were given first aid on the scene by military personnel and transported by ambulance to the hospital and that both were in satisfactory condition.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the first day of the so-called “school-year ceasefire” was not completely calm as Russian-backed militants shot at Ukrainian positions 18 times, leaving two Ukrainian soldiers wounded.

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https://www.unian.info/economics/2100434-russia-blocking-navigation-across-kerch-strait.html
Navigation will be banned due to the construction of the Kerch bridge for the period from August 28 to August 31, 2017, as reported on the site of the Russian-controlled administration of the seaports of the Black Sea.


"Navigation of all ships and vessels, with the exception of ships and vessels of the [Russian] Navy, ships and vessels of the federal security agencies, as well as vessels participating in the technological process of construction [of the Kerch bridge] shall be banned from 00:00 local time on August 28 to 00:00 local time on August 31," the announcement says.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia has violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) by limiting navigation to Ukrainian ports of the Azov Sea due to the construction of the Kerch bridge, according to the Ministry of temporarily occupied territories and IDPs of Ukraine.

According to Art. 44 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, states bordering straits shall not hinder the transit passage and shall inform accordingly about any known threats to navigation in the strait. There shall be no suspension of transit passage.
 
https://www.unian.info/war/2101344-osce-records-fewer-ceasefire-violations-in-donbas.html

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine has recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours, following the recommitment to the ceasefire.

War 19:25, 27 August 2017
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"In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 70 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 140 explosions). About 70 per cent of these violations were recorded between 00:00 and 19:30 on August 25, mostly in the area between government-controlled Avdiyivka (17km north of Donetsk) and 'DPR'-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk)," the OSCE SMM said in an update based on information as of 19:30 local time as of August 25, 2017.

"In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations (one explosion and three shots), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 70 explosions)," the report reads.


"On August 24, in government-controlled areas and in violation of withdrawal lines, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) under netting in Oleksandropil (43km north of Donetsk)."

"On August 25, the SMM, for the first time, saw 25 anti-tank mines in a field about 2.5m north of road H15 about 600m west-north-west of the Ukrainian Armed Forces entry-exit checkpoint near government-controlled Maryinka (23km south-west of Donetsk)," the SMM said.

The SMM also recorded violations of the withdrawal of weapons in the militant-controlled territories.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2102174-...rs-kill-local-resident-in-donetsk-region.html

Russian-backed occupation troops have killed a local resident in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, and resorted to fabrication of evidence in order to accuse the deceased of an attack on them, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry.


"The presence of the Russian occupation forces in the temporarily occupied areas in eastern Ukraine translates into escalation in the region and civilian deaths. On August 25, two servicemen from the 5th separate motorized rifle brigade (Makiyivka) of the 1st Army Corps (Donetsk) of the Russian Armed Forces killed a civilian. Having committed the crime, the Russian servicemen tried to fabricate evidence to accuse the deceased of attacking the military," the Ukrainian military intelligence agency's press service wrote on Facebook.


In addition, according to the intelligence, "a local resident was fatally wounded in a booby-trap blast near the River Siverskiy Donets outside the village of Krasniy Yar, the site of the deployment of the 2nd separate motorized rifle brigade of Russian Armed Forces' 2nd Army Corps, due to the absence of warning signs and unawareness of the local population about sites with landmines."

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/444801.html

Donetsk region police in a preventative operation lasting from August 18 to August 28 connected with state holidays arrested 20 militants, according to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's database.

The website of the Donetsk regional police says an additional seven persons, wanted criminals, were also arrested, along with three illegal migrants.

In addition, police found in Pokrovsky region a large hideout of saboteurs and thwarted diversionary acts.


"There were 15 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, 16 fuses for mortar mines, 20 grenades and about 6,000 rounds, as well as 20 kilograms of plastic explosives. Police also seized weapons at checkpoints, including a RPG round and a rifle," the police reported.


According to law-enforcers, eight drug-related criminal acts were prevented over 10 days and two stolen automobiles were located.

Some 2,000 police and National Guard members took part, increasing the number of armed patrols, strengthening checkpoints.

"Donetsk region police … did not allow the situation to be destabilized in the region and ensured security for residents and guests of the pre-front region. Some 160 events visited by more than 60,000 people took place without violations of public order," the police said.
 
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially reported about 366 Ukrainian servicemen killed in the so-called "Ilovaisk pocket" late in August 2014, 429 soldiers were wounded, and another 300 people became prisoners of war. At the same time, according to Ukrainian MP Anton Gerashchenko, over 1,000 people were killed near Ilovaisk. Former commander of the Donbas Battalion, incumbent MP Semen Semenchenko also confirmed this death toll. In turn, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the information about a thousand killed soldiers was false.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2104489-...rd-anniversary-of-ilovaisk-tragedy-video.html

Three years ago, on August 29, 2014, the Ukrainian army began to withdraw its forces from the encirclement near the town of Ilovaisk in Donetsk region. Volunteer battalions that were fighting jointly with the regular armed forces repeatedly requested reinforcement from the command. However, according to the fighters, they did not get the required support.

The battalions spent two and a half weeks in an effort to retake Ilovaisk, but they failed. After fierce battles, the Ukrainian soldiers managed to break into Ilovaisk on August 18, 2014. The next day, on August 19, they even managed to raise the Ukrainian flag in the town.


On August 24, after several attacks mounted from Russian territory, the 5th Battalion of Territorial Defense, which was carrying out tasks to defend the state border at the Kuteinykove-Mokroyelanchyk boundary line, left their position without permit, declaring the return to the place of permanent deployment in Ivano-Frankivsk region, 1,000 km from the area of the hostilities. Russian troops took advantage of the "gap" in the state border and invaded Ukraine.

The SBU Security Service of Ukraine said that the presence of 3,500 Russian servicemen in Ilovaisk was a proven fact. Meanwhile, several battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on their own decided to pull out from the positions near Ilovaisk. Some 1,400-1,700 Ukrainian fighters found themselves surrounded.


The route for the Ukrainian troops to withdraw in two lines through a humanitarian corridor was discussed with the Russian side. By agreement, at first the Ukrainian soldiers were allowed to pass through, carrying weapons, but then the Russian command changed their mind – the withdrawal of the Ukrainian units had to proceed without weapons, ammunition, combat and other equipment. In the end, the Russian command confirmed the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation forces with weapons being covered. Meanwhile, the units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation took advantageous positions for targeted shooting at the convoys of the retreating Ukrainian troops.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially reported about 366 Ukrainian servicemen killed in the so-called "Ilovaisk pocket," 429 soldiers were wounded, and another 300 people became prisoners of war. At the same time, according to Ukrainian MP Anton Gerashchenko, over 1,000 people were killed near Ilovaisk. Former commander of the Donbas Battalion, incumbent MP Semen Semenchenko also confirmed this death toll. In turn, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the information about a thousand killed soldiers was false.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2105961-...cks-on-ukraine-no-casualties-in-last-day.html
Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 21 times in the past 24 hours, according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"The situation remains tense near Avdiyivka's industrial zone. The militants opened fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms three times there in the evening and at night.

In addition, our fortified positions near the village of Zaitseve, which is in the Donetsk sector, came under enemy fire from small arms," the press service said. Read also Ukraine reports 19 attacks on its troops in Donbas in last day

The Russian proxies in the Mariupol sector used heavy machine guns near the villages of Vodiane, Lebedynske, and Talakivka. Attacks did not last long. It was relatively quiet in the Luhansk sector at the end of the day. "There were no casualties among our defenders," the ATO HQ said.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2108001-...f-donbas-ceasefire-violation-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 19 times in the past 24 hours, according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters. War 10:15, 31 August 2017

"The enemy continued individual provocations by shelling our positions near several populated localities along the contact line," the report says. The Donetsk sector saw most of escalation, the press service said.

After 18:00 Kyiv time, the militants fired grenade launchers on the Ukrainian positions in Avdiyivka's industrial zone and near Butivka coal mine. In addition, they used small arms and heavy machine guns near the villages of Zaitseve and Kamianka.

In the Mariupol sector, the enemy's activity was recorded only near the village of Vodiane, where the Ukrainian fortified positions came under fire from a heavy machine gun three times. It was relatively quiet in the Luhansk sector throughout the day. "In most cases, the attacks did not last long and were explicitly provocative. There were no casualties among our defenders," the ATO HQ said in conclusion.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/445362.html

Since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in early 2014 some 44 persons have been kidnapped on the peninsula, whereabouts of 18 of them are not known, the civil organization CrimeaSOS has said.

"There are currently 18 unsolved disappearances in Crimea. Most of them involve Crimean Tatars. There have been 44 kidnappings since Russian annexation," CrimeaSOS coordinator Tamila Tasheva said during a press conference at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Wednesday.

CrimeaSOS said 17, of the 44 persons kidnapped? have been released, six were found dead, two found in prison and later convicted on trumped up charges. There whereabouts of 18 persons remain unknown.

Tasheva said most of the kidnappings took place in early 2014 and involved Crimean Tatars.

Head of the department for monitoring legal compliance in criminal cases and crime prevention for the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) of Ukraine Maksym Prokopov said 150 criminal investigations have been opened.

"Some 29 of the criminal investigations involve 38 persons, who we suspect were killed or went missing," he said, adding that the investigations are hampered by the fact that it is impossible to investigate the crimes on the peninsula.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/445597.html

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine declares the urgent need to resolve the problem of searching for missing persons and identifying the dead in Donbas, indicating that more than 400 people are missing in the ATO zone.

"The search for missing persons and the identification of the bodies of those killed as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in Donbas remains one of the most painful humanitarian problems that need urgent resolution. According to the United Center for the Coordination of Search, release of persons illegally deprived of their liberty, hostages and locating of people went missing in the ATO area, more than 400 people are now reported missing," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared.

The Foreign Ministry sais that the search for these persons is impossible because of the obstacles on the part of the Russian-terrorist forces and their systematic access to international humanitarian organizations to the territory of certain regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

As for the situation in the occupied Crimea, among the violations committed by Russia, particular indignation is caused by the facts of the abduction and disappearance of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars who are pursued by the occupation authorities for a political or civic position.

"The Ukrainian side is deeply grateful to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a neutral facilitator for active participation in the resolution of the problem of missing persons and providing support to their families. We hope for the continuation of this important humanitarian mission of the ICRC, in particular in the occupied territories, access to which is temporary unavailable for the Ukrainian side," the statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reads.
 
https://www.unian.info/war/2112869-ukraine-reports-26-attacks-on-its-troops-in-donbas-on-sept-2.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian troops in Donbas 26 times on Saturday, September 2; there were no casualties among Ukrainian soldiers, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.


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"Late last night, the enemy intensified shelling of Ukrainian positions in the ATO zone. After 18:00 local time, provocations with the use of small arms became more frequent both in the Donetsk and Mariupol sectors," the ATO HQ said in an update on Facebook on Sunday morning.


In particular, Ukrainian positions near Avdiyivka's industrial zone came under fire four times – the militants used small arms and a grenade launcher. In the evening and at night, the enemy attacked Ukrainian troops stationed near the villages of Zaitseve and Kamianka twice, near the village of Mayorsk three times.

Russian proxies also shelled Ukrainian positions near the village of Vodiane in the Mariupol sector four times, using a grenade launcher, a large-caliber machine gun and small arms, the ATO HQ said.


Attacks on Ukrainian positons with the use of small arms were reported near the villages of Talakivka and Hnutove, while the village of Shyrokyne, which is about 23 km from the Ukrainian-controlled strategic port city of Mariupol, came under fire from a large-caliber machine gun twice.

The situation in the Luhansk sector was relatively calm. However, at about 20:00 local time on Saturday, Russian-backed militants opened fire from a grenade launcher near the village of Novozvanivka, the ATO HQ said.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2113281-...-for-ukraine-soldiers-with-minor-offence.html

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a bill into law to grant amnesty for Ukrainian soldiers participating in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in the east of Ukraine who have committed minor offences.

19:58, 03 September 2017 305

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"At the request of the leaders of the [Ukrainian Orthodox] churches and [soldiers entitled with] Heroes of Ukraine, the president signed the law on amnesty for 2016. This amnesty concerns those who have survived the war's crucible, defended Ukraine against Russian invaders, but have not committed serious crimes," presidential press secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko said on Facebook on September 2.

In turn, Major of the Armed Forces Ihor Herasymenko who was awarded a Hero of Ukraine title said that the law was long-awaited by many ATO participants.

"At the beginning of the war in Donbas, our army did not have the experience we have now. But it takes time to achieve such experience, and many mistakes have been made. And when you work in a stressful situation, no one is immune from errors. Therefore, the release of a certain group of people – soldiers who have committed minor offences – will become our support by the state and will give us confidence. And it will also become an educational measure to show us that the state has not abandoned people, helps them and has not left people with their problems alone," Herasymenko said.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2116544-...man-revealed-fighting-for-dpr-terrorists.html

Ukrainian Counterintelligence has exposed yet another serviceman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, who has been fighting for Donbas militants, TSN.ua reported, citing an SBU source familiar with the matter.


Russian citizen Maksim Bulandzhi, born in 1993, a native of Kazakhstan, registered in Krasnodar region, used to serve in the ranks of the Russian Navy. After leaving draft military service with the rank of seaman in May 2009, Bulandzhi worked at the construction site, as a call center operator and a waiter.


On October 28, 2014, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation signed a contract with the mercenary for a period of three years. Today, Bulandzhi is an assistant of an anti-tank grenadier of military unit No. 27777 and has been fighting alongsinde pro-Russian terrorists in eastern of Ukraine.


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https://www.unian.info/war/2114504-media-report-updated-death-toll-in-donbas.html

In the summer of 2017, 55 servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, while 269 defenders were wounded, Tyzhden reports citing data from the Information and Analytical Center of National Security.

The Ukrainian army suffered most losses during the first month of the summer - 23 servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces were killed in action in June, while 111 fighters of the Anti-Terrorist Operation were wounded. In July, 22 defenders of Ukraine were killed, while 80 troops were wounded.


In August, 10 fighters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed in the ATO zone and 78 troops were wounded.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on August 23, the members of the Tripartite Contact Group for the Donbas settlement agreed from midnight on August 25 to establish a ceasefire in the east of Ukraine in connection with the start of the new school year.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2115716-...ants-attack-ukraine-36-times-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 36 times in the past 24 hours, according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.


The situation was most tense in the Donetsk sector. Here, the militants opened fire from small arms and heavy machine guns four times near the village of Zaitseve, as well as twice near the village of Pisky. In addition, grenade launchers were used by the occupiers in the Avdiyivka industrial zone, near the village of Kamianka and Butivka coal mine.
 
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/446492.html

Another prisoner swap in Donbas will be discussed at the Wednesday meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine; Ukraine is prepared to exchange 309 prisoners for 87 persons held by Donetsk and Luhansk, advisor to the Ukrainian Security Service's chief Yuriy Tandyt said.

"We have reached a point when release details are being discussed. Certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions confirm 87 hostages of ours, who are being illegally held in Donetsk and Luhansk. We are ready to discuss the '87 for 309' swap. This is about people who have been identified, who have not committed any grave crimes, and are directly related to the anti-terrorist operation. We are not considering felons who bear no relation to ATO," Tandyt said on Channel 5.

The precise date of the exchange is thus far unknown, Tandyt said, adding that the number of prisoners to be swapped may still change.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/446496.html

The resolution drafted by Ukraine on deployment of peacekeepers in Donbas indicates that Russia should be barred from that mission, and that peacekeepers should be stationed on the Ukrainian-Russian border, Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko told the 112.Ukraine television channel in a statement.

"A country engaged in a conflict cannot simultaneously be a peacekeeper. This cannot be just about the OSCE monitors' security. It would be easier to arm them than to deploy any UN military force for their protection. We do not agree that we should be coordinating the issue with representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as Russia is a party to the conflict," Yelchenko said.

Ukraine expects UN peacekeepers to be present in every part of the conflict zone, including the border; it is also essential to withdraw Russian troops from certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions before the mission is deployed, he said.

"The mission will be financed from the UN peacekeeping budget. There is a regular budget, and there is a peacekeeping budget. I have heard it will amount to at least $1 billion a year, but I am not a specialist. The mission should be mandatorily stationed throughout Donbas, primarily on the Russian-Ukrainian border. There is another matter of principle for us: all foreign troops, and the only foreign troops currently stationed there are Russian, should leave before the UN mission is put in place," Yelchenko said.

Ukraine expects peacekeepers to have a broader mandate than the OSCE SMM observers, he said.

Yelchenko added that Ukraine might suggest another draft resolution on the peacekeeping mission. "It has already been prepared. It is in the hands of our partners. We will wait for a few days and will release our other draft if necessary. The other draft is based on the Russian document. Yet this does not mean it should be preserved as it is," he said.

Russia has hindering the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution on the peacekeeping mission in Donbas on multiple occasions by threatening to use its veto, Yelchenko said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 5 that the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Donbas could help settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine and ordered the Russian Foreign Ministry to submit a relevant resolution for consideration by the UN Security Council.
 
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/446892.html
One Ukrainian serviceman was killed in the ATO zone on September 7 as a result of shelling by illegal armed groups, according to the press center of the ATO.

"The enemy started fire three times from grenade launchers and heavy machine guns in the Donetsk area, on the outskirts of Zaitseve. Militants also fired twice Ukrainian strong points in the Avdiyivka industrial zone. As a result, one Ukrainian soldier was killed," the report states.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2122214-ukraine-reports-25-enemy-attacks-1-kia-in-last-day.html
1504093587-2630-zsu.jpg


Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 25 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.


Last evening and overnight Friday, the enemy mainly used against the Ukrainian forces grenade launchers and small arms, the ATO HQ said.

"After 18:00 Kyiv time, militants attacked our fortified positions near the village of Shyrokyne three times. The Russian-backed mercenaries also used grenade launchers near the villages of Pavlopil and Lebedynske. In addition, they opened fire from infantry fighting vehicles on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Starohnativka," the report says.

In the Donetsk sector, the enemy fired heavy machine guns and small arms on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka and Butivka coal mine.

It was relatively quiet in the Luhansk sector at the end of the day.

In some cases, when there was a direct threat to the life of the Ukrainian military, ATO troops were forced to return fire.
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https://www.unian.info/kiev/2123989-man-killed-in-car-blast-downtown-kyiv-woman-injured.html

Spokeswoman for the Kyiv police Oksana Blyshchyk has reported a man has been killed in a car explosion in the center of Kyiv on Friday evening, according to Radio Svoboda's Ukrainian language service.

Kyiv 19:29, 08 September 2017

from eyewitness Myroslava Naumchuk Photo

"The man has died, a woman has lost her leg. All the services concerned are working on the site," Blyshchyk told Radio Svoboda on Friday, September 8. The police did not provide any other details, including that a child might have been in the car.

The car was completely destroyed. The incident happened on Pavlo Skoropadsky Street near the Besarabsky Market. The woman was driving the car, according to TV Channel 112 Ukraine. Eyewitnesses said that the explosion was strong.


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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/447064.html


Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for the Donbas settlement, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma (1994-2005) has said 43 persons who do not have any relation to the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) but whose inclusion in the release list representatives of the self-proclaimed republics insist on have been removed.

"Some 43 persons who have no relation to the ATO zone have been 'kicked off' the list. They are persons who fired weapons on Independence Square [on the Maidan in Kyiv early in 2014] as well as those who were involved in events which took place on May 2 [tragic fire in Odesa on May 2, 2014] and other nefarious affairs on Ukrainian territory," Kuchma said during a briefing in Dnipro before a ceremony to award presidential scholarships from his Ukraina Foundation.

Kuchma said Ukraine's negotiating team is experienced. "We have a serious group of negotiators headed by Iryna Gerashchenko [First Deputy Chairperson of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada and TCG representative in the humanitarian subgroup]. She is thorough and able to represent Ukraine's interests. The president picked the right person. And [special representative from Ukraine on humanitarian issues Viktor] Medvedchuk – who has direct access both to Russia and the leaders of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions," Kuchma said.

Kuchma added that representatives of the self-proclaimed republics use the relatives of people with no ties with the ATO to exert pressure on Ukraine.

"They simply use them to put pressure on Ukraine. We cannot agree to this, of course, because it would be giving in to them," Kuchma said, adding that he hopes this problem can be solved. According to him, there will be a search for new ways to solve the problem.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/447105.html


Arbitration court in Moscow has once more rejected a Siemens request to impound the turbines that were diverted to Crimea, according to the case file in the arbitration suit.

The plaintiff, Siemens, requested that the court impound the four turbines, because Tekhnopromexport is working to install them.

In its filing, Siemens argued that the turbines are complex industrial power equipment. "De-installation the gas turbines would entail significant expenditure of time and money and return of the turbines would be difficult if not impossible. Moreover, installation of the disputed turbine complexes and their subsequent operation by the defendant would entail significant decrease in the value of the turbines, since in that case the equipment would be exposed to wear and tear and would be considered second-hand equipment. This circumstance would entail significant losses for the plaintiff," Siemens said.

Siemens filed suit against Tekhnopromexport, which is installing the Siemens equipment in Crimea, despite a prohibition and EU sanctions.

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https://www.unian.info/politics/2124354-nato-rapid-trident-2017-war-games-kick-off-in-ukraine.html

The first phase of the NATO Rapid Trident 2017 military exercise has begun on the basis of the aerodrome of the tactical aviation brigade named after Petro Franko in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

09:00, 09 September 2017
1504901441-2444.jpg


"Overseas partners from an aviation base of the United States of America have arrived in Ukraine to teach Ukrainian pilots how to interact with other kinds of troops in different conditions in the framework of Ukrainian-U.S. command and staff exercise Rapid Trident 2017," it said.


"The exercise itself will help to increase the level of combat skills of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a whole," it added. Up to 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers and military personnel of the partner countries – Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Britain and the United States – are taking part in the Rapid Trident 2017 drills.

The event is being hosted by the Yavoriv International Peacekeeping Center and is due to end on September 23. As UNIAN reported earlier, pro-Russian president of Moldova Igor Dodon attempted to bar the Moldovan government from sending that country's troops to the Rapid Trident 2017 drills. Meanwhile, Russia will conduct the Zapad 2017 exercise jointly with Belarus on September 14-20, 2017.

Officially, up to 13,000 troops will be involved.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2124451-...ias-amid-35-militant-attacks-in-last-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 35 times in the past 24 hours, with five Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.


1492961081-7023.jpg


In the evening, the militants opened fire twice on the Ukrainian positions near the village of Pisky, which is in the Donetsk sector. For nearly two hours of shelling, the enemy launched over 20 mines of various calibers. The Russian-backed mercenaries also used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and infantry fighting vehicles.


In addition, the Ukrainian fortified positions in the Avdiyivka industrial zone and at Butivka coal mine came under grenade launcher fire several times at the end of the day. At about 18:00 Kyiv time, one Ukrainian soldier was wounded as a result of the militant shelling from infantry fighting vehicles and anti-aircraft guns near the village of Semyhiria.


In the Mariupol sector, the occupiers fired 82mm mortars near the town of Maryinka. They also opened fire from grenade launchers near the village of Starohnativka. Small arms and heavy machine guns of the enemy were used against the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Lebedynske and Talakivka.

And at about 22:00 Kyiv time, another Ukrainian soldier was wounded as a result of a grenade launcher shelling of the Ukrainian positions near the village of Vodiane. In the Luhansk sector, the Russian occupation forces used grenade launchers twice near the village of Krymske and once near the village of Stanytsia Luhanska.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/447157.html

The investigation's preliminary findings indicate that a Toyota Camry with Georgian license plates was blown up in central Kyiv on Friday evening by means of a planted explosive device, which killed Georgian citizen Timur Makhauri and severely injured his wife; the third passenger, a child, was not harmed, Ukrainian Interior Ministry spokesperson Artem Shevchenko said.

"There were three people in the car, namely a man, who died, a woman who sustained serious injuries, with medical specialists struggling to save her life, and a child, who survived the incident and whose life is not in danger," Shevchenko said at a news briefing on Friday evening.

A criminal case has been opened into the incident on charges of "premeditated murder committed using a publicly dangerous method," he said.

"Preliminary findings indicate that an explosive device planted in the car went off. The victim is a citizen of another state, he is a citizen of Georgia, and his identity has been determined," Shevchenko said. "This is an individual known quite well in the criminal world, and his name is Timur Makhauri. He is a citizen of Georgia, and he had firm connections with various Chechen circles," he said.

Shevchenko said the woman who was in the car was preliminarily identified as Makhauri's wife. He acknowledged, though, that certain inquiries taking some time have to be conducted to certainly establish the relations between the man killed in the blast, the injured woman and the child.

Shevchenko said the attack was targeted precisely against Makhauri.

Timur Makhauri, a member of a Ukrainian volunteer battalion who fought in eastern Ukraine, was killed in a car explosion near the Bessarabsky Market in central Kyiv on Friday, several people who knew Makhauri said in an interview shown earlier by the 112 Ukraine television channel from the scene of the incident.

In commenting further on this information, Shevchenko said the so-called Sheikh Mansur and Dzhokhar Dudayev battalions, with which Makhauri fought, have never had official status and were paramilitary units.

Makhauri, known also as Ali Dubayev and Ruslan Papaskeri, was detained on Basseina Street in central Kyiv in January 2017. Police then detained two armed men in a Mercedes ML, one of whom was Makhauri. A Glock and a Stechkin pistol loaded with live rounds were seized from the driver. The man also had documents indicating that he was a scout of an international volunteer peacekeeping battalion based in Donbas.

The commander of this battalion, Muslim Cheberloyevsky, confirmed to journalists that the man detained in Kyiv belonged to his battalion.

The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv ruled on February 28, 2017 to authorize a plea agreement with the prosecution, under which Makhauri was given five years of imprisonment suspended for three years, with the obligation to regularly report to probation institutions until the expiration of the probation period.

Media also reported that Makhauri had been arrested in Turkey on murder charges in the fall of 2012. However, following several judicial hearings, a court in Istanbul freed him three years later.

After leaving a Turkish prison, Makhauri moved to Ukraine, where he was subsequently detained for carrying weapons in January 2017.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/447160.html


Timur Makhauri, a member of a Ukrainian volunteer battalion who fought in eastern Ukraine, was killed in a car explosion near the Besarabsky Market in central Kyiv on Friday, several people who knew Makhauri said in an interview shown by the 112.Ukraine TV channel from the scene of the incident.

One of these people who introduced himself as a friend of Makhauri's cousin said the man had served in the so-called "Sheikh Mansur Chechen battalion."

Another man who introduced himself as Makhauri's comrade-in-arms, said the latter fought in Donbas "with the Dzhokhar Dudayev battalion."

"This is Timur Makhauri. He used to belong to our Dzhokhar Dudayev battalion. He took part in the first and the second Chechen wars," he said.

Makhauri had previously survived several attempts to kill him, he said.

The man also insisted that the woman and the child who were in the same car were not Makhauri's wife and child.

One of the two men said later that Makhauri, a citizen of Georgia, had not recently been a member of the battalion and was permanently residing in Kyiv.

Interfax-Ukraine could not immediately obtain official confirmation of this information.

The Kyiv police department reported that a man sustained fatal injuries, a woman had her leg torn off, and a child was in satisfactory condition after the car explosion.

"The law enforcement received a report on the explosion of a Toyota Camry on Skoropadsky Street at 6:10 p.m. A team of investigators from the territorial and main police departments, units of patrol police, bomb disposal experts, and members of the expert service were dispatched to the said address. Law enforcement personnel are examining the adjacent territory and speaking with witnesses," it said.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/447201.html


The explosion of a Toyota Camry in central Kyiv on Friday evening, which killed Georgian citizen Timur Makhauri and injured two other people, can be classified as 'a terrorist attack' rather than 'a premeditated murder', the Ukrainian National Police Service said.

"After the evaluation of all existing evidence and in case some additional circumstances are determined, a motion will be forwarded to prosecution agencies on re-classifying the criminal proceedings opened originally under Ukrainian Criminal Code Article 115 Part 2 as one covered by Criminal Code Article 256 (terrorist attack)," the National Police Service press service said on Friday.

Law enforcement agencies, including investigators, forensic specialists and bomb disposal experts, are carrying out the necessary primary procedures at the crime scene, it said.

"Police officials are examining the adjacent territory and the damaged vehicle, questioning witnesses, and gathering evidence. The evidence gathered will later be subject to expert evaluation, based on the results of which a final decision will be made on classifying the event," it said.

It was reported earlier that a Toyota Camry with Georgian license plates was blown up in central Kyiv on Friday evening by means of a planted explosive device, which killed Georgian citizen Timur Makhauri and severely injured a woman in the car; the third passenger, a child, was not harmed.

Ukrainian Interior Ministry spokesperson Artem Shevchenko said a criminal case had been opened into the incident on charges of "premeditated murder committed using a publicly dangerous method" (Ukrainian Criminal Code Article 115 Part 2).

Several people who knew Makhauri said in an interview shown by the 112 Ukraine television channel at the scene of the incident that he had fought with a volunteer battalion in Donbas.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/447216.html


The energy released in an explosion of a device in a Toyota Camry car downtown Kyiv killing Georgian citizen Timur Makhauri and injuring two more persons equaled from 600 grams to 1 kilogram of TNT equivalent, the Ukrainian interior minister's advisor, Zoryan Shkiriak, has said.

"The investigation continues. According to preliminary information of experts, the energy released in the explosion was from 600 grams to 1 kg of TNT equivalent. All the required operational and investigative actions are underway and circumstances are being clarified, Shkiriak on the 112.Ukraine TV on Saturday.

He said that the place of installation of explosives in the car and its type is being clarified.

The investigators are working out several versions of this crime.

"We are working on all the versions that are possible ... Taking into account the deceased person, he was not an ordinary person, today everything is being done to establish all the circumstances of this crime. I could be, of course, the FSB, that is Russian security service. It may be a contract murder. It may be personal enmity and skirmish between the business and criminals. The operational-investigation groups must be given an opportunity to actively work in order to thoroughly understand this heinous crime," Shkiriak said.

He also did not rule out that one of the factors in the murder of Makhauri could be his participation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in the Donbas.

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https://www.unian.info/war/2125134-ato-update-41-enemy-shellings-1-kia-outside-krasnohorivka.html

In the past 24 hours, Russian proxies in Donbas opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian army 41 times, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation’s Headquarters.

War 10:40, 10 September 2017 25 Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier is reported to have been killed in the latest militant attacks, while another serviceman was wounded in action. Illegal armed groups have been shelling continuously the positions of the ATO forces in Prymorsk and Donetsk directions. Starting 18:00, militants opened fire six times from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms on the APO strong points near Avdiyivka.


Russian mercenaries used the same types of weapons against the outskirts of Zaitseve. At about 22:00, they used a 82mm mortar on the approaches to the Butivka coal mine.

In the Mariupol direction, large-caliber machine guns were fired on the fortifications of ATO forces near Lebedynske, Vodiane, Hnutove, Pavlopil, and Berezove. Grenade launchers were used near Talakivka and Bohdanivka.

Almost at 22:00, a Ukrainian soldier was killed and another was wounded in an 82mm mortar shelling of the Ukrainian positions outside Krasnohorivka.

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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/447216.html

The energy released in an explosion of a device in a Toyota Camry car downtown Kyiv killing Georgian citizen Timur Makhauri and injuring two more persons equaled from 600 grams to 1 kilogram of TNT equivalent, the Ukrainian interior minister's advisor, Zoryan Shkiriak, has said.

"The investigation continues. According to preliminary information of experts, the energy released in the explosion was from 600 grams to 1 kg of TNT equivalent. All the required operational and investigative actions are underway and circumstances are being clarified, Shkiriak on the 112.Ukraine TV on Saturday.

He said that the place of installation of explosives in the car and its type is being clarified.

The investigators are working out several versions of this crime.

"We are working on all the versions that are possible ... Taking into account the deceased person, he was not an ordinary person, today everything is being done to establish all the circumstances of this crime. I could be, of course, the FSB, that is Russian security service. It may be a contract murder. It may be personal enmity and skirmish between the business and criminals. The operational-investigation groups must be given an opportunity to actively work in order to thoroughly understand this heinous crime," Shkiriak said.

He also did not rule out that one of the factors in the murder of Makhauri could be his participation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in the Donbas.

Later, on his Facebook page, Shkiriak said that currenctly the following possible versions of the crime are being worked through: 1) willful murder; 2.) an act of terrorism; 3) Russian intelligence services; 4) skirmish between the business and criminals; 5) personal dislike; 6) personal revenge.

In turn, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that the Russian intelligence services had long been "hunted" for Makhauri, who died in the center of Kyiv on September 8.

"Ali Timaev, nickname -"Timur Makhauri", was born on April 4, 1978 in the village of Guchum-Kale, Itum-Kalinsky district, the Chechen Republic. Using all possible means he fought against the "Putin" regime. He was Ramzan Kadyrov's personal enemy. Intelligence services of the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic were permanently haunting him," the SBU wrote on its Facebook page.

According to the Ukrainian security service, Makhauri during the period from 1999 to 2000 participated in military operations against Russian troops in the Republic of Dagestan, and received a gunshot wound. In 2008, he took part in the Georgian-Russian war on the side of Georgia. He maintained friendly relations with the fighters who took part in the fighting in the ATO area.

"He was hunted for a long time by the Russian security services. Totally, he was assassinated three times, including on March 8, 2009 in Tbilisi by an explosion of the entrance of an apartment building. Then Ali survived," the SBU reported.


As reported, a Toyota Camry with Georgian license plates was blown up in central Kyiv on September 8 by means of a planted explosive device, killing Georgian citizen Timur Makhauri and severely injuring his wife; the third passenger, a child, was not harmed.
 
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