Ukraine Live Day 565: Russian-Backed Forces Shell Ukrainian Positions in ‘Ceasefire’ Violation

Ukrainian soldier in the trenches of a forward post called "Zenit," two kilometers away from the Donetsk airport., September, 2015. Photo by Iona Moldovan.

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Russian-Backed Forces Shell Ukrainian Positions in Violation of ‘Ceasefire’

2015-09-05 18:34:47

Russian-backed separatist fighters shelled Ukrainian positions from 5:00 to 18:00 near Donetsk, the ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation] reported today, September 5, according to Unian.net

Starting at 5:13, Avdeyevka was hit by machine gun fire and grenade-launchers, as was Marinka and Peski at 13:00 and 16:00. The ATO said it was not responding to these provocations which were violations of the latest “ceasefire” declared September 1 in relation to the Minsk talks.

OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission reports a number of violations of the current ceasefire and the Minsk-2 agreement established in February. Yesterday, September 4, the OSCE SMM said the situation in Donetsk was calm but found anti-aircraft gunfire at the separatist-controlled Donetsk railway station 8 km northwest of Donetsk, as well as incoming 82-mm mortar explosions (i.e. separatist fire) at a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint near Marinka.

The DNR said it was conducting “training” with live ammunition in Yenakiyevo, accounting for the explositions there, 37 km northeast of Donetsk.

OSCE SMM also described the difficulties children and their parents have trying to get to school near the contact line with long waits at checkpoints. The Ukrainian Armed Forces said they would put school children at the head of the list.

In Kiev, the OSCE SMM reported a demonstration at the Interior Ministry of about 50 Svoboda party supporters who accused Interior Minister Aven Avakov of “reprisals” against their memeber. Svoboda party leader Oleg Tyahnybok was at that time being interrogated inside the building about his role in instigating the riot in which 4 National Guards soldiers were killed and some 125 people injured. Hospital managers reported that three other National Guards reported in critical condition were excpected to recover with a “favorable” prognosis.

The full report can be read here.

The body of a civilian resident of Lugansk was found September 4 who evidently died after tripping a mine in the forest near Stanitsa Luganskaya, 0642.ua reports.

0642.ua also had more details on the attack on the mobile group tasked to combat smuggling September 2 in which 2 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 3 wounded which we reported here and here.

A survivor whose first name only “Oleh” was given confirmed in a video interview that the attackers placed MON mines which the car ran over, then attacked with hand grenades and machine guns.

He said the attack was done professionally by at least 6 people only military vehicles traveled along this road and few civilian vehicles, only occasional food delivery trucks. He said since his group had not communicated where they were going, he does not know how they were tracked. The attackers were in a Mitsubishi L-200 just like one in their own brigade, possibly deliberately to create confusion, and one of their own was wounded in the attack.

— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick