Pro-Russian Separatists Occupy Village near Mariupol
Last week, leaders in the Defense Ministry of Ukraine were informed that Russian scouts had appeared in the village of Kominternovo near Mariupol. As of today, Russian infantry have occupied the village.
When journalists commented on the presence of Russian scouts in the village last week, leaders of the Ukrainian Armed Forces dismissed the reports, with one Ukrainian general saying "You guys are confused, this is our position."
According to media reports, on the morning of December 22nd, the village of Kominternovo in the Donetsk region was occupied by fighters of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR). The separatists were seen with armored vehicles and mortars.
The occupation of Kominternovo by DPR militants was confirmed by local residents. They said that a DPR company went to Kominternovo and dispersed throughout the village in armored vehicles. Another source reported that about 50 people using infantry combat vehicles arrived in the village, possibly with mortars, looking for homes in which to stay. The villagers are afraid of clashes in the village and asked the warring parties to resolve the issue through negotiations.
According to Oleksiy Mazepa, the head of the Press Center of the ATO, "A group of militants came to Kominternovo. They took up positions. We informed the media of the OSCE and the Joint Center for Control and Coordination about this incident. We intend to resolve this incident through diplomatic means,"
The village of Kominternovo is approximately 24 km from the strategic city of Mariupol.