Ukraine Day 1218: LIVE UPDATES BELOW. Five Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in battle today. Six nationalists were arrested at the heavily-guarded gay parade in Kiev today for attempting to disrupt it.
Yesterday’s coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here.
An Invasion By Any Other Name: The Kremlin’s Dirty War in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko made a surprise visit to the US White House in Washington, D.C. today, June 19. RFE/RL reports:
The White House on June 19 did not confirm that Poroshenko would be meeting with Trump on June 20, but said that he would be meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during his visit.
Poroshenko’s trip to Washington comes days before Trump’s expected meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7-8.
The announcement was only made today by a member of Poroshenko’s spokesperson on Twitter.
As RFE/RL’s Christopher Miller points out, there were many surprising elements to this previously unannounced visit:
EU extends Crimea sanctions, same seen for curbs on Russia
The European Union on Monday extended for another year its trade sanctions on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, and diplomats said they expected the bloc to do the same for its sanctions on Moscow soon.
Six Ukrainian Soldiers Wounded In Action
The Ukrainian government reports another day of intense fighting. At their briefing on Monday morning, Ukraine reported that 47 ceasefire violations had taken place over the previous 24 hour period. Ukraine Crisis Media Center reports:
No Ukrainian serviceman was killed in action yesterday, but six were wounded. “We incurred these losses in Russia-backed militants’ attacks in Donetsk sector,” said Col. Andriy Lysenko, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesperson on ATO, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. In total, militants conducted 11, 15 and 21 shellings in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors respectively.
Ministry of Defense: Six Ukrainian servicemen wounded in action | UACRISIS.ORG
No Ukrainian serviceman was killed in action yesterday, but six were wounded. "We incurred these losses in Russia-backed militants' attacks in Donetsk sector," said Col. Andriy Lysenko, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesperson on ATO, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
The Ukrainian government also reported that over the course of the week there had been sustained use of heavy weapons by Russian-backed fighters:
The highest number of ceasefire violations – 67 – was registered on June 16, while the lowest – 47 – yesterday, on June 18.
Russian proxy forces continued using heavy weapons. The most commonly used weapons by militants are the 82 mm mortars; however other weapons including 120 mm mortars, as well as artillery and tanks were also registered shelling Ukrainian positions last week. Additionally, activity of snipers increased and reached 14 instances over the last week.
“Last week, the Luhansk and Mariupol sectors remained the focal points of military action, while smaller number of hostile activities was registered in the Donetsk sector”, stated Vilyen Pidgornyy, Ministry of Defense spokesperson at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Luhansk and Mariupol sectors remained the focal points of military action – Defense Ministry | UACRISIS.ORG
The highest number of ceasefire violations – 67 – was registered on June 16, while the lowest – 47 – yesterday, on June 18. Russian proxy forces continued using heavy weapons. The most commonly used weapons by militants are the 82 mm mortars; however other weapons including 120 mm mortars, as well as artillery and tanks were also registered shelling Ukrainian positions last week.
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) also reported that civilian property was damaged and an elderly civilian killed over the weekend:
Between the evenings of 16 and 17 June the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 17 and 18 June the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. It confirmed one elderly woman had died from a gunshot wound in Sakhanka. The SMM observed damage to multiple civilian properties due to shelling in Shchastia, Starolaspa, Yasynuvata and Obozne. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas, and aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed a new trench inside the Petrivske disengagement area, on the non-government-controlled side. The Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission monitored weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM observed the presence of unexploded ordnance of a mortar fin near Stanytsia Luhanska and, for the first time, multiple mine hazard signs near Lyman. The Mission observed long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. It continued to follow up on the water supply situation and to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines between Almazna and Zolote. In Kyiv the SMM monitored the “March of Equality”.
Read that full report here:
Between the evenings of 16 and 17 June the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 17 and 18 June the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours.