Lyubov Stekhina, civilian woman injured by shooting from Ukrainian soldiers
Ukraine Day 1368: LIVE UPDATES BELOW. A Ukrainian woman suffered severe injures when Ukrainian soldiers burst into her home and fired at the wall.
Yesterday’s coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here.
An Invasion By Any Other Name: The Kremlin’s Dirty War in Ukraine
Lyubov Stekhina, civilian woman injured by gunfire from Ukrainian soldiers. Screen grab from video via Liga.net
There were 16 ceasefire violations in the previous reporting period and 9 today, with no casualties, the ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation[ reported.
After speaking with President Vladimir Putin yesterday, Igor Plotnitsky, self-styled leader of the self-declared “Lugansk People’s Republic” gave orders to prepare the exchange of POWs with Ukraine.
Responding to Putin’s telephone conversation with the separatist leaders, the Ukrainian Security Service said they “welcome any initiatives aimed at unblocking the process of the release of the hostages”.
“We believe that the involvement of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill and joint efforts of all world confessions will enable to rapid return home of each of the hostages.”
Lyubov Stekhina, the woman wounded in Popasnaya November 13 by Ukrainian soldiers, regained consciousness in the hospital and told her story, Liga.net reported, citing Channel 5.
She said without any explanation, two uniformed Ukrainian soldiers broke into her home and began opening fire.
“They seemed to shoot at the wall. But apparently [the bullet] hit the door and ricocheted on me…On the whole, the soldiers are always friendly. They always green everyone. They are very nice people. But as they say, there isn’t a family that doesn’t have its black sheep.”
The soldiers have been arrested and the incident is being investigated by military police.
Stekhina, age 64, is in stable condition, say doctors although her injures are severe. She is expected to live.
The Ukrainian military says that the Russia-backed separatists are shelling areas and making it appear as if the firing comes from Ukrainian positions, in connection with travel to the front line by Alexander Hug, first deputy head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.
— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick