Contents tagged with Donbas

  • Former LPR prisoner: Ukrainian prisoners paid money to be included on swap list

    Ukrainians held in prisons in the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) but not mentioned by the media actually paid money to be included on prisoner exchange list, former LPR prisoner Denys Sekatsky told Censor.NET in an interview.

    “I paid money for my freedom. That is, they demanded a ransom from me, for them not to kill me, and to confirm that they had included me on the list for exchange from the LPR. People came and handed over money through my attorney… I was not the only one. Perhaps I’m the …

  • Deputy commander of DPR special forces killed in Donetsk

    Deputy commander of the special forces regiment of the Interior Ministry of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic Alexei Krivulya (nom de guerre Green) was shot dead in the evening of January 20 in Donetsk, announced the head of the press service of the DPR Armed Forces, Daniil Bezsonov, on his Twitter.

    According to Interfax, Krivulya "was shot three times in the back near the elevator, in the entrance to his house."

    Alexey Krivula was a member of the command of the battalion Pyatnashka. He …

  • Kyiv: Ukraine ready to retake Donbas by force

    The Ukrainian army must be prepared for a forceful liberation of the Donbas, as this possibility cannot be excluded, Serhiy Kryvonos, Deputy Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), told Radio Liberty in an interview.

    “My opinion: The Armed Forces of Ukraine must be ready for a forceful liberation of Donbas territory, if such a political decision is made,” Kryvonos said. When asked whether the Croatian scenario was possible (retaking separatist-controlled …

  • Ukraine to initiate talks with Normandy Four leaders on deteriorating Donbas situation

    Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said during a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that Ukraine plans to initiate new talks with Germany and France regarding the non-implementation of the Donbas ceasefire agreements that were reached in Paris.

    Prystaiko pointed out that this weekend in the eastern part of the Donbas, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded.

    “As for the Minsk process and the intensification of the shooting – we are alarmed by …

  • One Ukrainian soldier killed, ten wounded as hostilities in Donbas continue

    On Saturday, January 18, the pro-Russian militants violated the ceasefire in the Donbas six times, killing one Ukrainian serviceman and wounding 10 others, reported the Command of the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation.

    "The enemy fired at our positions from 120 mm mortars prohibited by the Minsk agreements, as well as used various types of grenade launchers. The enemy also used UAVs, BMP armored personnel vehicles and small arms," said the command of the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation in a …

  • Ukraine insists on withdrawal of forces in four areas of Donbas

    Ukraine has proposed to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) four new areas of the Donbas where withdrawal of forces should take place.

    Citing a source in the TCG in Minsk, Hromadske reports that Ukraine is insisting on disengagement near the railway bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska, near Avdiivka, Novoselytsia Vtora and near the Hnutovo checkpoint.

    Russia, in turn, is pushing for disengagement near the settlements of Schastia, Veselohorivka, Rozsadka, Hnutovo and Shyrokyne, as well as near …

  • Putin demands that Donbas special status be included in the constitution of Ukraine

    At a press conference after the talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Kyiv should include the "special status of the Donbas" in the Constitution of Ukraine.

    According to the Russian president, this is part of the Minsk agreements.

    "The extension of the law on the special status of Donbas is a good step in the right direction, but the law should become indefinite, as stipulated in the Minsk agreements. It is necessary to consolidate …

  • Kyiv names ideal time for Donbas elections

    The ideal time to hold elections in the Donbas would be in parallel with local elections in the rest of Ukraine in autumn, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told Bild in an interview, a translation of which was published on the Foreign Ministry website.

    He pointed out that Ukraine has already agreed to enshrine the so-called Steinmeier Formula in its legislation, but this does not mean that the elections will be held under any and all circumstances.

    “Ideally, these elections should …

  • Swiss company accused of supplying Ukraine with coal from Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics

    The largest Swiss coal trader, Adelon AG, has been accused of buying coal from the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LDPR) and reselling it to Ukraine, the Ukrainian news outlet Delo.ua reports. The Swiss company denied the allegations. The company specializes in supplying coal from the Kuzbass (Russia’s Kemerovo and Novosibirsk provinces) to a number of European and Asian countries, but it does not work with Ukraine.

    Adelon AG does not accept Donbas coal, and this applies not only to …

  • Merkel and Macron welcome exchange of prisoners in Donbas

    German government deputy spokesperson Martina Fitz wrote on her Twitter that Berlin and Paris welcome the exchange of prisoners between the parties involved in the military conflict in the Donbas.

    As Fitz noted, the exchange should help restore trust between the parties and establish a ceasefire. "Amid the celebration of the New Year and Orthodox Christmas, today's exchange has become a humanitarian gesture that everyone was expecting for a long time," said Fitz.

    The exchange is the proof of …