Contents tagged with Donbas

  • Finland allocates half a million euros for humanitarian aid to Ukraine

    The Ambassador of Ukraine to Finland, Andriy Olefirov, wrote on Twitter that Finland announced the allocation of half a million euros for humanitarian aid to Ukraine. "Today the government of Finland has announced the allocation of the next tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 500 thousand euros," Olefirov wrote.

    Recently, the European Commission allocated a new humanitarian package worth 20 million euros to help people affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. …

  • Ukrainian Intelligence reports 13 separatist casualties in one day in the Donbas

    The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (MDI) reported that on March 16th, six pro-Russian separatists were killed and seven were injured. 

    The MDI also stated that from March 10th to March 15th, the bodies of 60 militants fighting under the flags of the breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine were transported from Dyakovo in Ukraine to Kuibyshevo in the Rostov region of Russia.  

    In addition, the Directorate noted that military equipment transfers from …

  • So-called Donetsk People's Republic begins mass distribution of passports

    The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has begun to issue its own passports to the population in the separatist areas of the Donetsk region. The leader of the self-proclaimed state and rebel group, of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, called this an important step towards state building, as quoted by Interfax.

    According to Zakharchenko, who was one of the first to get the DPR issued document, passports will initially be issued to young people (including 34, …

  • Russian Foreign Ministry: Ukraine is preparing to return the Donbas using military means

    The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that Ukrainian authorities are preparing for a power struggle to secure the return of the Donbas, according to the State Secretary and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Grigory Karasin, as stated in an interview with TASS.

    According to him, "those activities carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the vicinity of the contact line, including the rotation of the military and the strengthening of military components, are …

  • Bezsmertnyi: Ukraine distributed 34 billion hryvnia in welfare to the breakaway regions in 2015

    In 2015 Ukraine distributed a total of 34 billion hryvnia ($1.2 billion)  in the form of pensions and other welfare benefits to the inhabitants of the occupied parts of the Donbass region. The representative of Ukraine in the political subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, Roman Bezsmertnyi, reported this data on Radio Freedom.

    According to Bezsmertnyi, the budget funds work on the Russian economy. "500 billion is the country's budget and 34 billion went nowhere, in the 'hole'. In the end, …

  • Head of OSCE Mission in Ukraine to visit Donbas region

    The Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug, is scheduled to visit the Donbas region from March 16th to 20th to assess the security situation, Interfax reports.

    "From the 16th to the 20th of March, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the OSCE in Ukraine, Alexander Hug, will visit eastern Ukraine to assess the security situation as well as to call upon all parties concerned to contribute to peace and …

  • Ukrainian Intelligence: Russia deployed 90 soldiers and ammunition to the Donbas

    A total of 23 pro-Russian separatists were killed and 34 were injured during clashes near Avdiivka. However, pro-Russian forces have already received reinforcements from Russia and are continuing their activities near the town.

    This was reported in a statement issued by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

    According to this statement, separatists have created a strategic defense group consisting of the 11 separate motorized rifle regiment of Makiivka, and …

  • Ukrainian Armed Forces reports record number of attacks near Donetsk

    Over a 24 hour span on Saturday and Sunday, Russian-backed separatists initiated 62 attacks near Donetsk. This record number was reported by the press center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Sunday. Eight more attacks were reported near Mariupol, while one was recorded near Lugansk.

    “There were 19 mortar attacks recorded along the demarcation line. The situation near Avdiivka remains tense. In addition to mortars and grenade launchers, militants also used a tank and a 122 mm cannon on two …

  • Gubarev: Uprisings in southeastern Ukraine in 2014 were organized by 'external forces'

    Pavel Gubarev, the head of the People's Militia of the Donbas, the leader of the Novorossiya (New Russia) Party and the former "People's Governor" of the Donetsk region, said the anti-government uprising in the southeast of Ukraine in 2014 was organized by external forces. In an interview with the local newspaper, he said that without such aid it would be impossible to effect a leadership change in other cities of Ukraine, Rosbalt reported.

    Responding to a question about whether the repetition …

  • Ukrainian Armed Forces: The army repelled another attack from Yasinovataya near Avdiivka

    The press center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that the army repelled another separatist attack near the city of Avdiivka.  

    According to the report, Russian-supported separatists opened fire near Avdiivka.  The weapons they used included 82-millimeter and 120-millimeter mortars, and tanks.  These weapons are strictly prohibited under the Minks Agreements.  “The separatists came from the direction of Yasinovataya.  They tried to attack one of the Ukrainian military positions but this …