Civil war in Ukraine: News & discussion

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2286511-...-ukraine-troops-1-kia-3-wias-in-last-day.html
08 December 2017

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 17 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another three as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press center of the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"In the Luhansk sector, the enemy fired 120mm mortars, heavy machine guns and small arms near the village of Troyitske in the daytime. In the evening, the militants used grenade launchers of various types, against the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Krymske, Lobacheve, Valuiske and Novo-Oleksandrivka, as well as small arms near the villages of Luhanske, Zaitseve and Stanytsia Luhanska," the report says.


In the Donetsk sector, the hot spot was outside the town of Avdiyivka. Here, the Russian occupation forces repeatedly opened fire from 82mm mortars and the entire range of light infantry weapons. "The invaders used grenade launchers and small arms to attack Ukrainian troops stationed near Butivka coal mine and the defenders of the town of Maryinka and the village of Shyrokyne," the ATO HQ said.

In addition, flights of enemy UAVs banned by the Minsk agreements were spotted near the towns of Schastia and Maryinka.

****************
https://www.unian.info/war/2287061-osce-monitors-report-366-explosions-in-donbas-in-last-day.html
"In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including almost 300 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 760 explosions)," the OSCE SMM said in an update on December 7 based on information received as of 19:30 Kyiv time on December 6, 2017.

"In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 66 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 600 explosions)," the report said.

***************
http://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2017/...l-residential-houses-in-vodiane-with-mortars/

According to the Ukrainian party of the JCCC, militants shelled residential houses in Vodiane village. The enemy used 82 mm mortars. Fortunately, there are no casualties among civilians; meanwhile, the roof of one house and property were damaged.

The illegal armed formations endanger Donbas civil population in violation of the international humanitarian law.

The Ukrainian party of the JCCC stresses that militants keep on violating the school ceasefire and violate the Minsk agreements.

Ukrainian party of JCCC

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2288826-...ses-as-ato-hq-reports-4-kias-in-past-day.html

09 December 2017 War

Over the past day, four Ukrainian military servicemen were killed and another one wounded amid 28 shellings by Russian hybrid forces on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as reported by the press center of the ATO Headquarters.

"In cases where the enemy shellings were an immediate threat to the life and health of our soldiers, the ATO units responded with heavy fire from grenade launchers, machine guns, and small arms..." the report says.

In the Luhansk direction, militants fired more than 50 times on the Ukrainian positions near Travneve, using all types of infantry weapons available and 120-mm mortars. With the onset of twilight, the illegal armed formations moved their attack focus slightly to the north, to the area of Zolote checkpoint at the line of demarcation.

It is scheduled to be opened on December 9 and operate while the pedestrian bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska. In particular, militants fired from 82-mm mortars and grenade launchers at the approaches to Katerynivka, Novo-oleksandrivka, and Krymske, and from small arms and grenade launchers - on defensive fortifications near Zolote.

Also the illegal armed groups fired their infantry guns at Ukrainian fighters near Luhansk and Zaitseve.

In the Donetsk direction, the peak of the militants' fire intensity fell on the first half of the day. The militants opened heavy fire from mortars and the entire range of infantry weapons in the area of Vodne near the Azov Sea and in the suburbs of Avdiyivka. Outside Kamenka, the Ukrainian positions were actively fired upon by a militant sniper. As the night hours came, the defenders of Butivka mine came under fire from mortars, grenade launchers and small arms.

In addition, in the area of Vodiane, Avdiyivka, Mayske, Seversk, and Stanytsia Luhanska, enemy drones were spotted, proscribed by Minsk agreements.

***************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/468518.html

Over the past day, four Ukrainian military servicemen were killed and another one wounded amid 28 shelling attacks by Russian hybrid forces on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the press center of the ATO headquarters has reported.

"Over the past day, 28 violations of the ceasefire regime were registered on the part of invaders. In cases where the enemy shelling was an immediate threat to life and health of our soldiers, the ATO units responded with heavy fire from grenade launchers, machine guns, and small arms... As a result of the enemy shooting, four servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed, one was wounded, and another injured," the ATO staff said on its Facebook page on Saturday morning.

In the Luhansk sector, militants fired on the Ukrainian positions near Travneve more than 50 times, using all types of infantry weapons and 120-mm mortars. After dark, the illegal armed formations moved their attack focus slightly to the north, to the area of Zolote checkpoint at the demarcation line. It is scheduled to be opened on December 9 and operate while the pedestrian bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska is repaired. In particular, militants fired from 82-mm mortars and grenade launchers near Katerynivka, Novo-Oleksandrivka, and Krymske. Small arms and grenade launchers were used to shell works near Zolote. Also the illegal armed groups fired their infantry guns at Ukrainian fighters near Luhanske and Zaitseve.

In the Donetsk sector, the peak of the militants' fire intensity fell on the first half of the day. The militants opened heavy fire from mortars and the entire range of infantry weapons in the area of Vodiane near the Mariupol sector and in the suburbs of Avdiyivka. In the vicinity of Kamianka, the Ukrainian positions were actively fired upon by a militant sniper. As night fell, the defenders of Butovka mine came under fire from mortars, grenade launchers and small arms. In addition, enemy drones, prohibited by Minsk agreement, were recorded in the area of Vodiane, Avdiyivka, Mayske, Siversk, and Stanytsia Luhanska.

 

[Hindustani78]

10 December 2017

Russia's hybrid military forces continued shelling positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas, using mortars of various caliber; violations of the ceasefire were recorded in all directions in the past day, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters.

https://www.unian.info/war/2289624-...ns-in-donbas-in-past-day-ukraines-ato-hq.html
https://www.unian.info/war/2289624-...ns-in-donbas-in-past-day-ukraines-ato-hq.html

Russian-backed militants became more active after dark, the ATO HQ said in an update on Sunday morning. In the Luhansk sector, the enemy repeatedly used 120mm mortars, anti-aircraft guns, cannons of infantry fighting vehicles and small arms against the defensive fortifications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the villages of Troyitske and Krymske.


"During acts of fire provocation near the villages of Luhanske and Popasna, the enemy attacked Ukrainian strongholds, using 82mm mortars and grenade launchers several times," the report said. "Militants violated the truce near the village of Zaitseve, which was attacked by infantry fighting vehicles. They also used machine guns to fire at Ukrainian troops near the village of Novo-Oleksandrivka and near the town of Svitlodarsk," it said.

In the Donetsk sector, enemy activity focused on areas around the town of Avdiyivka. Here, the invaders used 82mm mortars to shell the defenders of Pisky and the Butivka mine, while infantry weapons were used to attack the southern outskirts of Avdiyivka. In addition, illegal armed units opened fire from grenade launchers and cannons of an infantry fighting at the defenders of the villages of Vodiane and Talakivka.

"In total, 39 violations of the ceasefire by the invaders were recorded in the past day. In cases when shelling of the enemy posed an immediate threat to the life and health of our soldiers, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine responded to the enemy with fire from grenade launchers, machine guns and small arms," the ATO HQ said. There were no casualties among the Ukrainian soldiers on Saturday, December 9.

***********
https://www.unian.info/war/2289624-...ns-in-donbas-in-past-day-ukraines-ato-hq.html

10 December 2017

Updated Reports about alleged shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the area of the Donetsk water filtration station, using phosphorous ammunition, at 15:30 on December 8, are untrue, according to a December 9 report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

https://www.unian.info/war/2289829-...lant-records-increased-fire-by-militants.html
https://www.unian.info/war/2289829-...lant-records-increased-fire-by-militants.html

The ATO HQ stressed that an OSCE surveillance camera at the Donetsk filtration station does not confirm the use of phosphorus ammunition, but at the same time it recorded increased fire activity from east to west, which came from the positions held by the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic."

"On the afternoon of December 8, the same camera recorded 12 explosions of uncertain origin and 37 shells from east to west – all in 0.5-1.5 km to the south," the report says.

The Ukrainian members of the Center stressed that the facts recorded and published on the official website of the OSCE once again refute the fake reports created by Russian propaganda.

************
https://www.unian.info/war/2289829-...lant-records-increased-fire-by-militants.html

 

[Hindustani78]

11 December 2017

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 center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

https://www.unian.info/war/2290559-ukraine-reports-5-wias-amid-35-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html


In the Luhansk sector, the enemy was active after dark. The Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Triokhizbenka, Krymske, Novotoshkivske, Travneve and Zaitseve were repeatedly attacked with mortars of various types. In addition, the invaders intensively used grenade launchers of various types and light infantry weapons near these settlements, as well as near the town of Svitlodarsk, and the villages of Lozove, Novo-Oleksandrivka and Luhanske.

In the Donetsk sector, the outskirts of the town of Avdiyivka remain the epicenter of the confrontation. In particular, the occupiers launched over three dozen 82mm mines on the Ukrainian positions near Butivka coal mine in the evening hours of Sunday. The defenders of the village of Kamianka, and the towns of Avdiyivka and Krasnohorivka came under fire from grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. Moreover, in the Mariupol sector, the enemy opened fire from small arms on the defenders of the village of Starohnativka.

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

11 December 2017

https://www.unian.info/war/2290376-...ache-with-russian-ammo-in-donetsk-region.html

Ukrainian border guards have stumbled upon a cache with anti-tank weapons in Ukraine-controlled part of Donetsk region, the State Border Guard Service reported via its press office.

There were 27 fragmentation and cumulative charges in the cache to the mounting anti-tank grenade launcher SPG-9 with additional accelerating charges, as well as two rocket-propelled anti-tank grenades RPG-26, the report says.

Judging by the marking, the ammunition was manufactured in Russia, border guards say.


"The find was handed over to representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations with a view to further disposal," the report said.

It is assumed that, most likely, the weapons and ammunition found could have been intended for subversive operations. The search for their "owner" in underway.

It is assumed that, most likely, the weapons and ammunition found could have been intended for subversive operations. The search for their "owner" in underway.

As reported earlier, the Ukrainian side to the JCCC reported that the militants had been planting Russian-made mines across Donbas and that that mines already found had never been produced in Ukraine and neither have they been supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Therefore, they could not have been “seized” by some "tractor drivers" or "taken from caches in coal mines across Donbas," as Russian propaganda media claim when trying to refute Russian military presence in Donbas and supply of Russian weapons to the area.

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

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2292479-osce-reports-almost-1150-explosions-in-donbas-over-weekend.html
11 December 2017
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) registered almost 1,150 explosions in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, eastern Ukraine, over the weekend.

"In Donetsk region, between the evenings of December 8 and 9, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 240 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 560 explosions). Between the evenings of December 9 and 10, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 860) compared with the previous 24 hours," the OSCE SMM said in its report on Monday, December 11.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of December 8 and 9, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (about 40), compared with the previous reporting period (about 70 explosions). "Between the evenings of December 9 and 10, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (four), compared with the previous 24 hours," it said.

********

12 December 2017

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 22 times in the past 24 hours, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

https://www.unian.info/war/2292724-russian-proxies-attack-ukraine-22-times-in-last-day.html

In the Luhansk sector, the enemy was active near the village of Luhanske after dark. Here, from 21:00 and almost until midnight, the militants were firing every two minutes from 120mm and 82mm mortars on the Ukrainian fortified positions and launched a total of almost one hundred shells. The occupiers also employed mortars against the defenders of the villages of Lozove, Krymske and Zaitseve. Moreover, the invaders opened fire from infantry fighting vehicles and infantry weapons on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Troyitske and Novo-Oleksandrivka.

In the Donetsk sector, Russian occupation forces fired 120mm mortars near the village of Vodiane in the evening hours of Monday, as well as 82mm mortars near the village of Berezove. In addition, the Russian-backed mercenaries violated the ceasefire, shooting from infantry fighting vehicles and small arms near the village of Bohdanivka.

To suppress the enemy fire, in cases when there was a threat to the life and health of Ukrainian troops, the ATO forces returned fire, using weapons that are not prohibited by Minsk agreements. Fortunately, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in action over the past day.
*********
https://www.unian.info/war/2294696-...ivilian-casualties-in-donbas-since-jan-1.html
12 December 2017

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has reported 544 conflict-related civilian casualties in Donbas from January 1 to November 15, according to the Office's update on the human rights situation in Ukraine.
https://www.unian.info/war/2294696-...ivilian-casualties-in-donbas-since-jan-1.html

"Overall levels of civilian casualties in 2017 were comparable to 2016 levels. From January 1 to November 15, 2017, OHCHR recorded 544 conflict-related civilian casualties: 98 killed and 446 injured," it said in the report published on December 12.

This is a 3.6% increase compared to the same period in 2016, when 525 civilian casualties (87 killed and 438 injured) were recorded.

Between August 16 and November 15, 2017, OHCHR recorded 87 conflict-related civilian casualties in 44 locations of Ukraine: 15 deaths (14 men and 1 boy) and 72 injuries (42 men, 19 women, 10 boys and 1 girl). This is a 48% decrease compared with the previous reporting period of May 16 to August 15, 2017, during which 168 civilian casualties (26 deaths and 142 injuries) were recorded.

During the entire conflict period, from April 14, 2014, to November 15, 2017, at least 2,523 civilians were killed: 1,399 men, 837 women, 91 boys, 47 girls and 149 adults whose sex is unknown.

An additional 298 civilians, including 80 children, were killed as a result of the MH17 plane crash on July 17, 2014. The number of conflict-related civilian injuries is estimated between 7,000 and 9,000.
***********
https://www.unian.info/war/2294906-donbas-report-24-militant-attacks-recorded-in-last-day.html

13 December 2017

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 24 times in the past 24 hours, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.
https://www.unian.info/war/2294906-donbas-report-24-militant-attacks-recorded-in-last-day.html

In the Luhansk sector, the militants fired 152mm artillery systems near the village of Vrubivka in the evening. They also used 82mm mortars against the defenders of the village of Novo-Oleksandrivka and the town of Popasna. In the Donetsk sector, the enemy launched a dozen 122mm artillery shells on the Ukrainian fortified positions between the villages of Vodiane and Talakivka in the afternoon.

In the evening, the defenders of the villages of Pavlopil, Vodiane and Opytne came under fire from 120mm mortars. Furthermore, the illegal armed groups used 82mm mortars near the town of Avdiyivka, as well as tank shells near Butivka coal mine.

Moreover, the Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire, using grenade launchers and small arms near the villages of Kamianka and Novotroyitske.

Fortunately, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in action over the past day, the ATO HQ said.

************
https://www.unian.info/war/2294871-...n-take-place-before-dec-25-russian-media.html
13 December 2017

The exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russian-backed militants in Donbas should take place before December 25, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reports citing sources in the Minsk contact group and Russian diplomatic circles.

According to Izvestia, finalized swap lists will be approved on December 20, when the last meeting will be held of the Minsk Contact group this year. It is about exchanging 74 captured Ukrainians for 306 detained persons from the list drawn by militants.

At the same time, the fate of about 30 prisoners remains unclear. Ukrainian authorities say the detainees refuse to be returned to the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Ukrainian side suggests that independent experts be invited to talk to these detainees to confirm their intentions, which is “the right and reasonable move," a source told the Russian newspaper.

According to the publication’s interlocutors, Kyiv is serious about resolving the issue of prisoner exchange before the said date.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Tripartite Contact Group for Donbas settlement, which includes representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the OSCE and Russian-controlled militants, soon plans to agree on the terms, procedure, and date of exchange of hostages.

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

 

[Hindustani78]

*************
https://www.unian.info/war/2298181-putin-recognizes-presence-of-certain-military-militia-formations-in-donbas-talks-about-massacre.html

14 December 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said there is no Russian army in Donbas, but recognizes the creation of "certain military, militia" formations, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

"There is no Russian army on the territory of Donbas, but there have actually been established certain military, militia formations that are self-sufficient and ready to repel any large-scale military actions against Donbas," he said at an annual press conference December 14.

At the same time, Putin claims that the creation of such formations corresponds to the interests of people living in the temporarily occupied territories.

"Because if they do not have such an opportunity there, the 'massacre', even worse than in Srebrenica, will be carried out by the so-called nationalist battalions, and nothing will stop them, including an appeal, as I was advised by some Western colleagues, to international human rights organizations," Putin said.

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

https://www.unian.info/war/2297289-...-1-wia-amid-30-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html

14 December 2017

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 30 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another one -- wounded in action (WIA), according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation Headquarters.

In the Luhansk sector, the Ukrainian positions near the villages of Stanytsia Luhanska and Luhanske came under enemy fire from grenade launchers. In the Donetsk sector, the situation was tense near the town of Avdiyivka, where the occupiers fired 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, and machine guns. A sniper was also active in the area. In addition, the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Kamianka and Pisky, and Butivka coal mine were attacked with the use of infantry weapons.

In the Mariupol sector, the Russian-backed mercenaries opened fire from small arms on the defenders of the village of Hranitne.

*************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/469980.html

The occupation of Crimea, some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, more than 10,200 Ukrainians killed and 24,500 wounded are the consequences of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.

"The consequences of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine are the occupation of part of Ukrainian territory - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the continuing numerous serious human rights violations in the occupied territory, over 10,200 dead and 24,500 wounded citizens of Ukraine, the death of 298 passengers from flight MH17, destroyed houses and vital infrastructure facilities, and more than 1.5 million IDPs," the ministry said in a statement on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX) "Definition of Aggression," which was released by the ministry's press service on Thursday, December 14.

The statement notes that the severity and scale of actions committed by Russia against Ukraine continue to grow.

"As history shows, such actions entail responsibility, which will inevitably come both for the Russian Federation and its top leadership," the ministry said.

In this regard, Ukraine welcomes the ongoing efforts of the international community on criminalizing the international crime of aggression in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

"We call on the Russian Federation to comply with UN GA resolutions 68/262 and 71/205, stop armed aggression against Ukraine, withdraw its regular armed forces from Ukrainian territory, illegal armed forces controlled and financed by them, mercenaries, weapons and military equipment, to cancel all acts aimed at legalizing the attempt to annex Crimea, Sevastopol, as well as the puppet formations of the aggressor state in the occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the statement reads.

Kyiv also calls on the world community to jointly resist the attempts of the aggressor states, including Russia, to use aggression as a way of conducting foreign policy and imposing uncivilized and destructive rules for world order.

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

A battalion of one mechanized brigade undergoes its final training under Joint Multinational Training Group — Ukraine (JMTG-U) program. In the framework of this program, instructors from the USA, Canada, Poland, Lithuania, and Denmark participate in training of the Ukrainian soldiers.

The unit finishes its 55-day training cycle by battalion tactical drills. According to an officer of the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre LTC Maxim Klunik, this is the second cycle of training when only the Ukrainian military trained the personnel.

“Now our foreign military partners just observe the training”, the officer underlined.

Foreign instructors evaluate the battalion actions. The MILES system is used to ensure more effective evaluation. According to their opinion, the individual training level of Ukrainian soldiers is very high and has considerably increased.

This cycle will be completed on December 20. A new Ukrainian unit will arrive to the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre for training in January 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2299561-ukraine-reports-4-wias-amid-24-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html
15 December 2017

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


In the Luhansk sector, Russian occupation forces in the evening hours repeatedly fired 120mm and 82mm mortars and grenade launchers outside the villages of Luhanske, Troyitske, Novo-Oleksandrivka and Triokhizbenka. The enemy also opened fire from infantry fighting vehicles near the town of Svitlodarsk.

In the Donetsk sector, the occupiers concentrated their activity near the town of Maryinka. Here, in the first half of the day, the aggressor repeatedly used mortars of various calibers and the entire range of infantry weapons. In the evening, the Ukrainian fortified positions came under fire from a tank.

The situation was also tense near the villages of Pisky, Verkhniotoretske, Vodiane, Lebedynske and Talakivka, where the invaders fired from grenade launchers of various types and light infantry weapons.

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

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2301969-donbas-report-eight-militant-attacks-recorded-in-last-day.html
16 December 2017

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

The number of attacks has reduced in the area of the Anti-Terrorist Operation. However, despite the decrease in fire provocations, there is no full compliance with the ceasefire. The militants continue to violate the Minsk agreements in some areas of the contact line, using banned mortars, the report said.

The Ukrainian military suppressed the enemy fire in half of the cases. Fortunately, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in action over the past day, the ATO HQ said.

In the Luhansk sector, the enemy violated the ceasefire twice. In the evening hours, the occupiers were firing 120mm mortars, grenade launchers and machine guns on the Ukrainian strongholds near the village of Troyitske for over two hours, having launched about 40 mortar shells. The defenders of the village of Zhovte came under enemy fire from grenade launchers and small arms.

In the morning, Russian occupation forces fired 82mm mortars near the village of Opytne in the Donetsk sector. They also employed grenade launchers of various types against the defenders of the village of Vodiane and Butivka coal mine, as well as light infantry weapons against those of the village of Pesky and the town of Avdiyivka. In the evening hours, the enemy opened fire from 82mm mortars on the outskirts of Maryinka three times.

As UNIAN reported earlier, a 29-year-old Ukrainian soldier was killed by an enemy sniper on December 14.

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

15 December 2017

Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Hrytsak says 403 Ukrainian citizens have been listed as missing since the beginning of hostilities in Donbas, according to Radio Svoboda's Ukrainian service.

https://www.unian.info/war/2301699-...tizens-missing-as-a-result-of-donbas-war.html

"Unfortunately, four hundred and three citizens of Ukraine, including 123 servicemen, members of volunteer battalions, and law-enforcement officers, have been listed as missing since the beginning of Russian aggression in the east of our country," he said, Radio Svoboda wrote.

"Our task is to do our best to use every single opportunity and any change to determine those people's whereabouts," he added.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine announced on December 12 that according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the number of those missing as a result of the Donbas conflict was from 1,000 to 1,500 people as of August 22, 2017.

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

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2303539-ukraine-reports-3-kias-amid-14-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html

18 December 2017

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 14 times in the past 24 hours, with three Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA), according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

The Svitlodarska Duha bulge remained the epicenter of fire confrontation in the Luhansk sector where the enemy used 152mm heavy artillery systems, mortars, grenade launchers and machine guns to attack the Ukrainian positions near the village of Luhanske. What is more, defenders of the villages of Zaitseve and Travneve came under 120mm mortar fire.

Meanwhile, the most escalated situation in Donetsk region was the Mariupol sector where the Russian-backed militants attacked the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Lebedynske and Pavlopil, using 120mm mortars. In the second half of the day, the enemy also violated the ceasefire, having opened fire from infantry fighting vehicles near the village of Hnutove. Another hot spot was the area near the village of Kamianka where the occupiers resorted to the whole range of infantry


**************
https://www.unian.info/war/2304364-russia-terminates-work-at-jccc-in-donbas.html
18 December 2017

Russia is about to terminate the work of its representatives at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) in Donbas, according to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russian officers are leaving Ukraine on December 19 due to the "tense moral and psychological situation" and "Ukrainian servicemen's disrespectful attitude," an UNIAN correspondent in Russia reports.


"In violation of the agreements between the presidents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine regarding the creation and deployment of the JCCC, the Ukrainian side has deliberately created a tense moral and psychological situation for our military personnel and prevented them from fulfilling their official duties. In particular, the Russian officers had restricted access to the contact line, checks on the performance of the service at joint observation posts deployed in the territory under Ukraine's control. It came down to prohibitions on communication with the local population. There have been cases of disrespectful attitude of the Ukrainian servicemen to their Russian counterparts," the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also emphasizes that from January 1, 2018, Ukraine plans to introduce a new procedure for the entry and stay of Russian citizens in its territory, according to which they will have to provide their detailed personal data in advance to the Ukrainian authorities.

The Russian Foreign Ministry insists that the rule does not correspond to the provisions of the agreement between the governments of Russia and Ukraine on visa-free travel of citizens of two countries of January 16, 1997, and is unacceptable for Russian servicemen. "Under such conditions, the further work of the Russian Federation Armed Forces' office in the JCCC has become impossible.

The Russian officers who are members of the Center are leaving Ukraine on December 19, 2017," the statement says. The Russian Foreign Ministry reminded that the JCCC began to work in the east of Ukraine in September 2014 to promote the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

The center was established at the request of the Ukrainian side and in accordance with the agreements at the level of the presidents of Russia and Ukraine. The JCCC consists of representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (75 officers who rotate every three months).

At the initial stage, it included local militants. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said that since its establishment, the JCCC has become one of the important settlement mechanisms in the east of Ukraine, playing a significant role in monitoring the situation and assisting in resolving disputes along the contact line in Donbas.
***************
https://www.unian.info/war/2304394-...der-artillery-fire-many-wounded-reported.html

18 December 2017

Ex-press attache of the Embassy of Georgia in Ukraine Bacho Korchilava has said the positions of the Georgian Legion that is fighting on the side of Ukraine at the Svitlodarska Duha bulge in Donbas have come under artillery fire.


"The Georgian Legion has eight wounded and shell-shocked. The guys have come under shelling from artillery systems," he wrote on Facebook.

The information was also confirmed by commander of the formation Mamuka Mamulashvili: "Unfortunately, we have eight wounded today," he wrote on Facebook.

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

https://www.unian.info/war/2305234-...it-in-massive-grad-shelling-by-militants.html

18 December 2017

Militants launched a major shelling of Novoluhanske from Grad multiple launch rocket systems. Civilian casualties are reported, according to press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation Headquarters.

"Today, on December 18, at around 17:00, Russian-occupation troops operating from Horlivka carried out a barbaric and cynical shelling from MLR systems of the village of Novoluhanske in the Luhansk sector of the ATO zone,” reads the report posted on the press center’s page on Facebook. “Unfortunately, there are casualties among the civilian population and destruction of residential buildings in Novoluhanske," the report said.

The ATO HQ noted that the number of victims and the extent of the destruction were being verified. Measures are being taken to evacuate local residents and tackle fires resulting from the shelling, a Ukrainian volunteer Yuriy Mysyagin wrote on Facebook: "10 minutes ago separatists shelled a populated village of Novoluhanske from their Grad MLR systems. They launched the whole batch [of shells]. Houses are burning. There are wounded among the locals."

************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/470791.html


Three Ukrainian military servicemen have been killed by enemy mortar fire near the community of Zaitseve in Donetsk region, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said.

Speaking at a news briefing in Monday, Motuzianuk said militants have targeted the Ukrainian Armed Forces' strongholds along the entire line of contact 14 times over the past 24 hours, firing about 140 shells of 120mm and 80mm caliber.

Government forces returned fire seven times using weapons not prohibited by the Minsk agreements, Motuzianyk said.

************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/470907.html

Illegal armed formations mounted an attack on the village of Novoluhanske in Donetsk region's Bakhmut district at about 17:00 local time on Monday, December 18, using multiple rocket launchers; civilian casualties have been reported, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters has said.

"At about 17:00 on December 18, the Russian occupation forces deployed in the town of Horlivka launched a barbaric, cynical attack from multiple rocket launcher systems on the village of Novoluhanske, which is in the ATO's Luhansk sector. Unfortunately, there are casualties among civilians and the destruction of residential buildings in Novoluhanske. Information about the number of victims and the degree of the destruction is being verified," the ATO HQ wrote on Facebook on Monday evening.

Urgent measures are being taken to evacuate local residents and put out fires that arose as a result of the enemy attack.

Head of Donetsk Regional Military and Civil Administration Pavlo Zhebrivsky said in turn that "at least 15 Grad rockets hit the residential sector of Novoluhanske" at about 17:00. Some of them landed on houses and a kindergarten.

"As head of Bakhmut District Administration Volodymyr Bokhonov told me, private houses on Michurin Street are on fire, windows of the kindergarten have been broken, a playground has been damaged. This is preliminary information only," Zhebrivsky wrote on his Facebook page.

He said he had not yet received a report on casualties.

Rescuers of the State Emergency Situations Service, the police, representatives of the Military and Civil Administration have left for the scene.

**************
http://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2017/12/18/attention!-statement-of-the-ato-hq-press-centre/

According to the intelligence information, on December 19, following the statement of the Russian Ministry of Defence concerning the Russia’s intention to recall the Russian officers of the Joint Ceasefire Control Centre, the enemy can launch aggressive offensive actions along the whole frontline in east of Ukraine.

The enemy plans to use its groups at military facilities, energy and transport infrastructure facilities, increase the number of provocative attacks against the Ukrainian positions and residential quarters near the demarcation line.

Moreover, militants will launch attacks against their own positions using artillery, reactive systems, tank, etc. to charge the Ukrainian troops in these attacks.

All these provocations are to anger local population and wake aggression against the Ukrainian troops. As a rule, the aggressor does these provocations on the eve of the Normandy Format Consultations and the session of the three-lateral contact group in Minsk (December 20, 2017), scheduled visits of the OSCE, ICRC, and media representatives to discredit Ukraine and charge it in the violations of the Minsk agreements.

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

 

[Hindustani78]

19 December 2017
https://www.unian.info/war/2306059-ato-hq-group-of-serbian-snipers-reportedly-arrives-in-donbas.html

A group of mercenary snipers from Serbia has arrived in the Donetsk sector, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

A group of Serbian mercenary snipers has arrived in the Donetsk sector. Their leader is Dejan Beric, nom de guerre Deki, who has repeatedly visited Donbas to fight for illicit money on the side of the Russian occupation troops against the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the source said.

The Serbian mercenary snipers are reported to have plans to "kill Ukrainian soldiers" along the contact line and commit provocations against civilians.

"They are betrayers of conscience and human values. They've been hired by the Kremlin for thirty pieces of silver to shed the blood of patriots and defenders of the Ukrainian land. But the Ukrainian army has people who can meet the uninvited guests and send them back, to where they belong, at the expense of the Russian Defense Ministry," the ATO HQ said.

************
https://www.unian.info/war/2306371-...d-attack-on-ukraines-novoluhanske-police.html

19 December 2017

Some 50 buildings, including a school, a kindergarten and a rural health post, have been damaged as a result of a militant attack on the Ukrainian-controlled village of Novoluhanske in Donbas with the use of Grad multiple rocket launchers.

Police are guarding the damaged residential area from looting, documenting the aftermath of the terrorist attack and providing help to civilians, the medial liaison office of Donetsk region's police has said.

According to a recent update, eight people were wounded as a result of the attack, including one child.

A six-year-old girl, who suffered from psychological trauma, is in hospital now.

The incident occurred on December 18. A power transmission line and a gas pipeline in the village were also damaged; people were partially left without electricity and heat.

An operational headquarters is deployed in Novoluhanske village council's building, rescuers are working on the scene.

More than 3,700 people live in Novoluhanske, including over 500 children.

**************
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/471321.html
Russia's withdrawal from the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) undermines the work of the Organization for Security and Co-operation's Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (OSCE SMM) and is intended to force Kyiv into dialogue with militants, Ukraine's Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, Vadym Chernysh, said.

"We have long observed Russia saying that the JCCC format is inconvenient for it, for which it cited various reasons: its military officers were being either mistreated or restricted. We have been seeing this since the summer [of 2017]," Chernysh told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

Claims about Russian JCCC officers being restricted and mistreated were a preparation for the blocking of this body's work, he said.

"If you look at all of these activities together, it clearly shows that Russia wants to do everything possible even on this level to not even appear to be a party to the conflict and make us go down the path of dialogue with incomprehensible people who were installed by Russia itself in these breakaway areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," Chernysh said.

The JCCC is not part of the Minsk Agreements, he said. Now Russia can say that because it has no representatives or observers in Donbas, the international community must work out an agreement to secure Russia's presence in the conflict zone in the form of observers or peacekeepers, with that agreement also stating that Russia is not a party to the conflict, the minister said.

"The presence of Russian officers in the JCCC guaranteed, among other things, the safety of the OSCE mission's staff," Chernysh said.

The mission's fulfillment of its monitoring mandate relied on safety assurances provided by the JCCC, he said.

In addition, the minister believes that the withdrawal from the JCCC and the concentration of Russian troops on the borders may also indicate the threat of the use of military force.

It was reported that the Russian JCCC officers quit on December 19 and are planning to leave Ukraine.

*********
http://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2017/12/18/militants-endanger-their-russian-allies/

According to the ATO HQ press centre, militants of illegal armed formations keep on violating the ceasefire.

On December 18, at 05:00 p.m. they shelled Novoluhanske village causing damages and casualties among local population. At that moment the Russian officers of the Joint Ceasefire Control Centre (JCCC) had to cross the demarcation line through Maiorsk checkpoint located in the vicinity of this area. Militants endangered both civilians and their Kremlin allies.

Considering the threatening environment along the demarcation line, as well as according to the security obligations, the Ukrainian party of the JCCC had to suspend the process and postpone it.

Ukrainian Party of the JCCC
************

According to the ATO HQ press centre, the enemy used multiple rocket launchers against Novoluhanske village injuring 8 civilians, damaging 37 private houses and 10 five-storey buildings.

Several rounds hit the school, childcare centre, and local polyclinic yards. A half of the village is cut off electricity; a part of the gas pipeline is also damaged.

Military medical personnel, military, emergency personnel and policemen are evacuating injured people.

In the morning, on December 19, a humanitarian centre will work, mobile kitchen trailers, warming centres will work.

 

[Hindustani78]

On the eve of the St. Nickolas Day, on December 18, 2017, the Russian proxies shelled Novoluhanske using multiple rocket launchers BM-21 ‘Grad’.

According to the preliminary information, they launched attacks (40 rounds) from occupied Horlivka. About 50 houses are damaged. Seven people are injured. One child diagnosed with psychological trauma.

Social and private infrastructure facilities are heavily damaged.

 

[Hindustani78]

On December 19, service personnel of Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, representatives of State Emergency Service of Ukraine, National Policy of Ukraine, gas service, etc. restore social infrastructure of Novoluhanske after heavy shelling on December 18 with BM-21 ‘Grad’.

Currently, emergency teams execute repairing works. EOD experts inspect the territory.

The representatives of the Ukrainian humanitarian organization Proliska along with CIMIC officers give supplies and food to local citizens.

Today, on December 19, 2017, the Russian proxieshave used multiple rocket launchers against Zaitseve village (Donetsk oblast).

They launched attacks from temporarily occupied Horlivka town. According to the preliminary information they fired from residential quarters.

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2307899-...ukraine-troops-2-kias-6-wias-in-last-day.html

20 December 2017

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 32 times in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as killed in action (KIA) and another six as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press center of the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"The situation in the ATO zone in the evening was stable but tense. The Russian occupation forces continued to use proscribed mortars in different sections along the contact line," the ATO HQ said on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

In the Luhansk sector, the illegal armed formations used 120mm mortars to attack the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Travneve and fired small arms near the village of Stanytsia Luhanska at night. Meanwhile, the occupiers used 82mm mortars and grenade launchers against the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk sector: near the villages of Novotroyitske and Lebedynske, and Butivka coal mine.

Moreover, Ukrainian troops deployed on the outskirts of the village of Hnutove were attacked by infantry fighting vehicles; machine guns were also used. The enemy resorted to light infantry weapons to fire at Ukrainian positions near the villages of Verkhniotoretske and Starohnativka.

**************
https://www.unian.info/war/2309339-...-to-jccc-ukraine-security-envoy-in-minsk.html

20 December 2017

A Russian representative to the security subgroup of the Tripartite Contact Group in Minsk on Wednesday announced Russia's readiness to return its military to the Joint Control and Coordination Centre in Donbas, subject to certain conditions, as reported by Ukraine’s representative to the group, Yevhen Marchuk.

"This decision sparked a sharp, negative reaction, not only by the U.S., UK, and Germany, but also by other European countries," Marchuk said.

"A representative of the Russian Federation in our security group just made a formal statement that Russia was ready to return its military to the JCCC under certain conditions. It’s about approving a provision on JCCC, its status, security guarantees, etc.," said the Ukrainian representative.

According to Yevhen Marchuk, the full text of the statement by the Russian representative will be shortly made public.

Marchuk also pointed out that all costs for the Russian presence in JCCC were on Ukraine’s shoulders, including those related to security guarantees.

***********
https://www.unian.info/war/2309339-...-to-jccc-ukraine-security-envoy-in-minsk.html
https://www.unian.info/war/2309616-contact-group-announces-truce-in-donbas-starting-dec-23.html
20 December 2017

The Tripartite Contact Group (TCG) for Donbas settlement on Wednesday announced another ceasefire effective from midnight December 23, 2017, as reported by Darka Olifer, a press secretary for Ukraine’s ex-president Leonid Kuchma, who is now the country’s representative in the TCG.

"The Tripartite Contact Group ... confirms its commitment to comply with a comprehensive, sustained and indefinite ceasefire, starting midnight December 23, 2017, Moscow time," she wrote in a social network following the Wednesday meeting of the Contact Group.

The previous ceasefire, announced by the TCG on August 23, was set to be enforced August 25, ahead of the school year start, and supposed to become permanent.

However, the parties reported on its first violation within a few minutes after the truce formally came into force.
*********
https://www.unian.info/war/2310136-...4-wias-amid-15-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html
21 December 2017

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

In the Luhansk sector, the enemy fired 82mm mortars at the Ukrainian positions near the villages of Hladosove and Travneve, as well as 120mm mortars at the defenders of the village of Novotoshkivske.

The neighborhood of the town of Avdiyivka was a hot spot in the Donetsk sector in the evening. The enemy resorted to heavy mortars there. In addition, the invaders lobbed fifteen 122mm artillery shells and the same number of mortar shells into areas near the village of Kamianka where Ukrainian troops are deployed.

Moreover, over 20 shells of various calibers exploded near Butivka coal mine. In cases when there was a threat to the life and health of Ukrainian troops, the ATO forces returned fire.

***********

As of morning, December 20, the Ukrainian military in cooperation with representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and other security structures, local authorities, etc. have been providing assistance in restoring social infrastructure of Novoluhanske.

The representatives of CIMIC Svitlodarsk opened temporary humanitarian centre for local population.

Local authorities have delivered construction materials to repair damaged houses.

Gas and power supply lines have been repaired.

Two EOD groups of the State Emergency Service have inspected 70% of the terrain and provided two warming tents.

On December 18, Novoluhanske was under attack where the enemy used BM-21 ‘Grad’.

Yesterday, all available services and personnel started to repair and restore the social infrastructure.

***********

On December 19, the Russian proxies shelled residential quarters of Zaitseve using multiple rocket launchers from temporarily occupied Horlivka town.

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

Minister of Defence of Ukraine General of the Army of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak stated it during today’s talks with Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi.

“Japan has been supporting Ukraine for many years”, Gen. Poltorak said, “The medical equipment handed over to hospitals in Lviv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Odesa save lives of our soldiers. Thousands of the Ukrainian military have already got qualitative aid due to this equipment”.

Today, Kyiv Military Hospital has got 5 anaesthetic stations used during long surgeries.

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine also congratulated the medical staff on the eve of upcoming winter holidays and thanked them for their work.

***********

On December 21, Minister of Defence of Ukraine General of the Army of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak held talks with Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi in Kyiv Military Hospital.

“We are ready to develop our cooperation in different directions, as well as activate interdepartmental cooperation. Japan is our friend and the Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence is ready to cooperate with colleagues from Japanese Ministry of Defence. I think that we can improve our relations and will be able to enhance our bilateral military cooperation next year”, Gen. Poltorak said.

Kyiv Military Hospital hosted a handover ceremony of anaesthetic equipment bought in the framework of the project of assistance from the Government of Japan realized by the United Nations Organization Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in participation of Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi.

“I would like to thank the Minister of Defence of Ukraine! I am happy to be here today. Ukraine and Japan are friends. We have been providing assistance to Kyiv Military Hospital since last year. We have already handed over endoscopic equipment. I am happy that this year we hand over anaesthetic equipment”, Ambassador Shigeki Sumi said, “I know this equipment will help to save lives and health of soldiers who were in east of Ukraine and were wounded”.

***********

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.unian.info/war/2312669-...-two-wounded-amid-16-attacks-in-past-day.html

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 16 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another two as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

Ukrainian positions near the village of Krymske in the Luhansk sector came under enemy sniper fire in the afternoon. At around midnight, the militants opened fire from mortars of various calibers there. Moreover, the invaders violated the ceasefire near the town of Svitlodarsk, using grenade launchers and heavy machine guns.


The village of Pisky was a hot spot in the Donetsk sector. At first, the occupiers shelled the Ukrainian defenders, using 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and machine guns, and later they escalated the situation by using tank shells and 120mm bombs. In addition, the enemy used heavy mortars near the village of Vodiane.

In other zones of the Ukrainian defense, the situation was tense near the town of Avdiyivka and the village of Kamianka: the militants repeatedly opened fire from mortars and infantry weapons to attack the Ukrainian troops deployed there. The Ukrainian army returned fire in cases when there was a threat to the life and health of Ukrainian servicemen.

*************
https://www.unian.info/war/2312809-...g-to-stop-trips-to-occupied-donbas-video.html

Speaking during a live broadcast on ZIK, Savchenko gave the reason that someone should look for prisoners of war and hostages who were not listed for a swap, which is in the pipeline.

"After the exchange takes place, people who will not be returned will still remain there. You have heard that there are 74 people on the lists for exchange, and 98 people are on Ukraine's Minsk lists. There are also those whose whereabouts are unknown, i.e. it is necessary to visit those 20-30 who have not been given back, and to find those who have not been found, and to find the burial places of missing persons – someone should do this," she said.

**************
https://www.unian.info/war/2313139-ukrainian-positions-in-lpr-come-under-sniper-fire-ato-hq.html
22 December 2017

Illegal armed formations in the occupied areas of Luhansk region continue using sniper weapons to attack the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"The militants of the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR") continue using sniper weapons. At about 15:00 on December 21, a sniper opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Krymske (Luhansk region). The firing originated from the village of Sokilnyky (Luhansk region) simultaneously with provocative attacks with the use of large-caliber light weapons and automatic grenade launchers," the report says.

It is noted that the Ukrainian side of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) in Donbas condemns such actions by militants, who "endanger the life and health of the civilian population, worsen the humanitarian situation and exacerbate the armed conflict in Donbas."

*************
https://www.unian.info/war/2313176-...ened-by-landmines-in-ukraines-east-media.html
These landmines and other explosives have caused scores of deaths

In addition, such explosions can damage crucial infrastructure such as water, electricity and gas equipment. The exact location in question is a 500- kilometer strip of land or "contact line," which separates territory controlled by Ukraine's army and that controlled by non-government Russian-backed rebel forces.

This "contact line," located in the east of the country, home to many places of work, children's playgrounds and schools, is described by UNICEF as "one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth."

"It is unacceptable that places where children could safely play less than four years ago are now riddled with deadly explosives," said UNICEF Ukraine Representative Giovanna Barberis in the report.

The figure of 220,000 endangered children comes from a 48-page Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) report on Ukraine by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), published at the end of November.

According to the HNO report, approximately 103 civilian men, women and children were killed or injured in "mine-related incidents" between January and August 2017. Since 2015, UNICEF and its partners have been tackling the issue by providing Mine Risk Education programs, in which they teach young children how to protect themselves from mines, unexploded ordnance, and other explosive remnants of war.

The UN Children's Fund also has been providing psychological and social support for over a quarter of a million children affected by continued conflict in Ukraine.

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

https://www.unian.info/war/2313559-...-to-jccc-if-no-provocations-against-them.html
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian defense ministry announced on December 18 that Moscow was terminating its representation in the JCCC. The Russian officers were to leave Ukraine on December 19 because of the supposedly "tense moral and psychological situation" and "disrespectful attitude of Ukrainian servicemen" toward them.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noted that Russia's decision to withdraw from the JCCC significantly undermined the Minsk agreements.


The General Staff stressed that the Russian Federation's statements about the Ukrainian officers' allegedly disrespectful attitude toward their Russian counterparts in the JCCC were false.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission has stated that the JCCC plays an important role in the implementation of the Minsk agreements and ensuring the safety of the mission's observers.

***********
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/472330.html

OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug 85 has said that 85 people have been killed and 384 injured in Donbas since the beginning of 2017.

"This year so far, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission has confirmed the death of 85 people and the injury of 384," Hug said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

At the same time, he said that between 16.00 on Monday and 16.00 on Tuesday this week, the OSCE SMM recorded over 7,000 ceasefire violations.

"We are in fact currently witnessing such a pattern - a downward spiral of violence that last week resulted in over 16,000 ceasefire violations recorded by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, a 40% increase on the previous week," he said.

According to Hug, observers have recorded almost 400,000 ceasefire violations since the beginning of 2017.

***********

 

[Hindustani78]

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/477421.html
10:15 17.01.2018
Ukraine reports 2 wounded servicemen amid three enemy attacks in last day

Russia's hybrid military forces have attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas three times in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"Over the past day, Russian-occupation groups carried out three shelling of the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian soldiers did not open fire in response. As a result of enemy attacks, two Ukrainian servicemen were injured and promptly taken to the military hospital. Their health condition is satisfactory," the ATO staff said on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

In the Donetsk sector, the enemy used 120mm mortars after dark, having launched three shells toward the defenders of the village of Vodiane in the Mariupol sector.

Russian-backed militants in the Luhansk sector resorted to grenade launchers and heavy machine guns to shell the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Luhanske, while the defenders of the village of Troyitske came under 82mm mortar fire.

****************
Minister of Defence of Ukraine visits tactical technical exposition of Croatia’s defence industry


In the framework of an official visit to Croatia, Minister of Defence of Ukraine General of the Army of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak visited a tactical technical exposition of Croatia’s defence industry.

“Products of Croatia’s defence industry are impressive”, Gen. Poltorak stressed.

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