Interpreter Staff

Ukraine Live Day 384:One Ukrainian Serviceman Killed In Combat

March 8, 2015
Ukraine
Ukraine At War

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One Ukrainian Serviceman Killed In Combat
2015-03-09 02:04:30

Yesterday, Ukrainian military spokesperson Andriy Lysenko reported that there were no casualties among the Ukrainian military. Today that has changed. RFE/RL reports:

Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on March 8 that one Ukrainian serviceman has been killed and three wounded in fighting in separatist eastern territories in the past 24 hours, despite a ceasefire deal.

Lysenko said that pro-Russian rebels “continue to fire on government troop positions … (but) the intensity of provocative attacks by rebels on Ukrainian positions fell significantly overnight.” 

On March 7 pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine said they had completed an agreed withdrawal of heavy weapons in line with recent cease-fire deals.

Lysenko said March 7 government forces are continuing to withdraw heavy weapons from the line of contact but are ready to return them to combat positions at any moment.

The ceasefire, thus, remains not-quite holding.

The OSCE has said that it cannot confirm that rebel troops and weapons have been withdrawn from the front. Reuters reports:

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitors the pull-back of weapons, has said it cannot fully confirm withdrawal on both sides as it has not been given access to all the locations where some weapons have been moved