Contents tagged with Donbas

  • Stratfor: Reintegration of the Donbas could drag on for a decade

    Lauren Goodrich, a senior analyst with the American company, Stratfor, and a specialist on Eurasia and the Soviet Union, stated in an interview with Apostrophe that the reintegration process for the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions could last for many years ahead. According to her, the cessation of hostilities can’t be expected in the near future.

    “I don’t believe that we can expect the cessation of ceasefire violations in the near future because it looks like the …

  • OSCE monitors threatened by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine

    Members of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine were threatened by pro-Russian separatists on two separate occasions, as stated in a press release issued by the SMM.

    According to the report, while in the city of Donetsk in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), an armed separatist approached members of the OSCE mission, “claiming that he had seen SMM vehicles near a Ukrainian Armed Forces excavator and said he would open fire at the monitors if this were to happen again.” …

  • Russian MoD: Reports of Russian casualties in the Donbas are 'nonsense'

    According to the Ukrainian Intelligence, 38 bodies of the Russian military were transported from the Donbas to the Russian Federation overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry called this information "nonsense."

    According to the website of the Main Intelligence Directorate (MID) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, 38 dead Russian soldiers were transported from the territory of Ukraine to Russia during the night on Saturday, April 16th. As stated by the Intelligence, the bodies were transported …

  • Ukrainian Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories supports providing benefits to the Donbas

    According to the head of the newly created Ministry, an economic blockade of the Donbas is not appropriate because it distances people from Ukraine.  

    The head of the newly created Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territory Issues, Vadim Chernysh, supports the full payment of pensions and other social assistance for Ukrainian citizens that live in the Donbas."All Ukrainian citizens have equal rights. This is the key message. It is a priority. My position is clear and uncompromising – we will …

  • Ukrainian forces advance near Svetlodarsk

    The  spokesman of the Ukrainian Armed Forces noted a record number of ceasefire violations in recent days.

    Half of all the ceasefire violations are taking place in Avdiivka, northwest of Donetsk.

    The situation remains very tense near Horlivka and Zaitseve, as well as in the area around Svetlodarsk.

    Despite the difficult situation along the contact line, the Ukrainian forces seem to be slowly pushing ahead  into separatist-held territory.

    According to reports emerging on social media, the 54 …

  • US State Department: Ukraine's main problems are the Donbas, Crimea, and corruption

    On Thursday, April 14th, the US State Department published the annual report on human rights violations in Ukraine. Among the main problems in Ukraine are the situations in the east and in Crimea, corruption and oppression of ethnic, religious and sexual minorities as well as the official impunity of the perpetrators of violations of human rights.

    The separatists, supported by the Russian military, continue to control parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, the report stated. At the start of …

  • OSCE calls on all parties to ensure the safety of SMM observers

    The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) stated that there are "threats and use of force against the observers" in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, according to the joint statement made by the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Serbia, Ivica Dačićта and Sebastia Kurz from Austria, which was published on the organization’s website on Tuesday, April 12th. Germany currently chairs the organization previously chaired by the Serbian representative; the …

  • Pro-Russian separatists fired on Ukrainian positions while OSCE monitors were in the vicinity

    Pro-Russian separatists opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Avdiivka in the vicinity of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, the Ukrainian Armed Force’s headquarters stated. Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug was reportedly visiting Avdiivka at the time.

    "On April 15th, during the visit of First Deputy Head of the Special OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug, fighters of illegally armed groups fired on ATO [Ukrainian] positions at the filter …

  • Putin agrees to the deployment of armed OSCE mission to the Donbas

    Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the idea of a deployment of an armed OSCE mission along the contact line. "Recently I had a conversation with Petro Poroshenko: he proposed to strengthen the presence of the OSCE and that the OSCE observers on the contact line should be armed in order to achieve the ceasefire. I think it is the right position, we support it," Putin stated at an open press conference on Thursday, 14 April, as reported by the Ukrainian news.

    According to the Russian …

  • Ukrainian positions fired on 50 times on Thursday

    As of 18:00 local time on Thursday, Ukrainian positions had been fired on 50 times throughout the day by pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas, according to the Ukrainian Armed Force’s Facebook page.

    “At night the enemy fired on Avdiivka nine times using small arms and rock-propelled grenades. Since 6:00 am illegally armed groups three times fired from 82mm mortars near Zaitseve, once [fired] on the positions of Avdiivka [and once on] the Butovka mine. Later, 120mm were used by them [ …