Militants in Donbas begin preparing air defense positions, says Tymchuk : UNIAN news
5th Jan 2015
"It is reported that Strela-10M air defense complexes (six pieces of equipment) have been deployed in the area,” Tymchuk wrote.
“The division is staffed by Russian air defense experts."
In addition, according to Information Resistance, the militants are concentrating manpower and equipment in the area of Pervomaisk and close to Novotashkovka. The transfer of forces and equipment is being carried out in secret, military equipment is sent in small batches, and the militants are also moving in small groups.
"In the area of Bakhmutskaya highway a company-strong tactical group of Russian Airborne Troops staffed with contract servicemen disguised as a so-called ‘militia’ has been observed,” Tymchuk said.
Tymchuk: Chechen police arrive in Donbas to support militants : UNIAN news
"In fact, the unit is staffed by police officers of Chechnya who signed a pledge to Chechen Interior Minister Ruslan Alkhanov during a show at a stadium in Grozny at the end of December last year testifying that they are "ready to fulfill any order of the supreme commander, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov to protect the interests of the Russian Federation, anywhere in the world,” Tymchuk wrote.
According to Information Resistance, the unit of "Kadyrovtsi" (literally "followers of Kadyrov") is equipped with heavy infantry weapons and around 10 armored vehicles.
New blast hits Odesa as terror threat rises - watch on - uatoday.tv
An
explosion hit Odesa late on Sunday night near a Ukrainian military support center.
The blast took place at about 10:30 pm and police, who were on the scene within minutes, said there were no injuries or deaths, but there was substantial damage to a building which is being used as a coordination center for Ukrainian soldiers heading to the front line.
Odesa has been hit with a series of explosions over the past month where the regional chief police there reported that during the past few weeks, "five terrorist attacks hit the city, with one claiming a human life". Ukraine has sent in the national guard to provide extra security.
Ukraine has begun tightening control of transport in and out of the eastern Ukrainian regions that are currently occupied by Russian-backed insurgents as the threat of terror attacks rises Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council has set up seven corridors to closely monitor traffic entering and exiting the insurgent zone and has also blocked all other routes of entry and exit.
The decision to set up transport corridors in eastern Ukraine comes in response to terror threats and a series of explosions in Ukrainian cities including Odesa,
Kharkiv, Kherson and Kyiv.
Last week,
Ukraine suspended its train service into and out of Russian-occupied Crimea citing security concerns. As Russia currently controls the Crimean peninsula, Ukraine is worried Moscow could utilise the train network to send Russian troops into Ukraine.
Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Filaret has provided humanitarian aid to the soldiers of the 101st Brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces. This brigade is now serving near Debaltseve, a city in the
Donetsk region, which was recaptured by Ukraine's army back in July.
The soldiers will receive the aid before January, 7, when Orthodox Ukrainians celebrate Christmas.
The Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate has already sent 5 tons of food, clothes and medicine to Ukraine's army over the last year.
Patriarch Filaret has also instituted an award "for self-sacrifice and love for Ukraine".
Filaret, Head of Ukrainian Orthodox Church:
"We will award people, who love Ukraine and are ready to give their lives for Ukraine. Those people, who sacrifice everything to help our soldiers in Donbas, will also receive medals."
Soldiers, clergy and donors will be awarded with these medals. Some 100 Ukrainians are already set to receive the award.