Ukraine Live Day 607: Ukrainian Soldier Wounded as Russian-Backed Separatists Violate Ceasefire

One Ukrainian soldier was wounded today when Russian-backed separatists fired on the Ukrainian position in Peski near the Donetsk Airport, Unian reported, citing the Facebook page of the ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation]

But as the front has been mainly quiet, Ukrainian soldiers are preparing armor for winter and working on de-mining of civilian areas. More than 100 mines were defused this week, said the ATO. The SBU also reported that they had discovered and disarmed three mined hidden weapons caches.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission released today its report for yesterday, October 16, noting  relative quiet barring some small arms fire and explosions said by the JCCC to have originated from a training area. Most concerns were expressed regarding long lines at checkpoints and delays of humanitarian assistance.

The monitors visited 8 Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding areas and found the weapons were present. But the Russian-backed separatists’ weapons were not in place:

The SMM revisited two “DPR” heavy weapons holding areas, whose locations corresponded with respective withdrawal lines. At the first location, two previously registered multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) were absent. At the second location, one previously registered self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) was absent. 

In violation of respective withdrawal lines, the SMM unmanned aerial vehicle observed in the “DPR”-controlled area of Petrivske (77km north-east of Mariupol), two self-propelled howitzers (2S1, Gvozdika, 122mm). Likewise, at the outskirts of “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed five main battle tanks (MBTs, T-64) and a military-type truck heading north-west. One of the tanks was flying a “DPR” flag.

Additionally, but not in violation of respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed six MBTs (three of them T-72), 13 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs, six BMP-2, seven BMP-1), one multi-purpose light armoured towing vehicle and at least eight military-type trucks at a “DPR” “training range” near Ternove (“DPR”-controlled, 57km east of Donetsk).

Elsewhere in the news, a power boat named the Ivolga capsized 300 meters from shore in the resort area of Zatok in Odessa Region, killing 12, Unian.net reported.

Police have opened up a criminal case on charges of negligence and arrested the captain. On board were 36 people, 23 of whom were rescued and one who is still missing. The ship was said to have been overloaded.

A day of mourning has been declared in Odessa and President Petro Poroshenko and Volodymyr Groysman, speaker of the Verkhovna Rada or parliament have sent their condolences.

In Moscow today, the opposition groups Solidarity and December 5 Party staged an anti-war rally with permission from city authorities. Only 300 people were allowed to attend under the terms of the permit, so police blocked the entrance to the area once that number was reached, Yod News reported.

Protesters called for an end to the Kremlin’s wars in Ukraine and Syria, but there was some indication police interfered with expression regarding Syria.

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Translation: The police are not letting people through to the anti-war rally if the word Syria is written on their signs.

Police also demonstratively photographed picketers.

— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick