Contents tagged with Donbas
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German Foreign Minister anticipates difficult negotiations during the Normandy format talks
In an interview with Bild, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that he expects difficult negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in the east of Ukraine in the so-called Normandy format that includes Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine. After a 16-month break, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries will take place in Berlin.
The lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements has complicated the situation for people in the east of Ukraine who want …
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Russia voices demands ahead of Normandy Format meeting
The Russian Foreign Ministry (MFA) will demand the withdrawal of forces from Stanytsia Luhanska and the documentation of the Steinmeier formula at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Normandy Four on June 11.
"Without implementing the process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukrainian security forces are significantly strengthening their positions near the settlements of Zolote and Petrivske, from which them and the Donbas militia withdrew troops and equipment in the autumn of 2016," stated the …
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Putin promises continued support for DPR and LPR
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he does not intend to abandon continued assistance to the DPR and LPR separatist republics, which control part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
He said this during a "direct line" with Russian citizens while answering a question by writer Zakhar Prilepin, who participated in the war against Ukraine on the side of the militants.
Prilepin asked Putin his opinion about whether Ukraine will take advantage of the 2018 World Cup in order to …
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Ukrainian Security Service detains DPR militant in the Donetsk region
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported through its press center that SBU officers involved in the Joint Forces Operation detained a militant in the Donetsk region who belongs to the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) .
Law enforcement officers discovered that in 2014, a resident of Mariupol joined illegal armed groups, where he served as a spy. As a member of the separatists’ “mortar squad,” the perpetrator participated in the shelling of Marinka and Krasnohorivka, and counteracted anti- …
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Putin proposes special status for the Donbas
Ukraine could grant special status to the Donbas, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin stated in an interview with Austrian TV channel ORF.
Putin reminded the journalists that the same thing happened in Russia with Chechnya, which was granted the status that gave it a "great degree of independence within the Russian Federation".
According to Putin, the decision was "very difficult" but it had to be taken because Al‑Qaeda terrorists wanted "to tear off" Chechnya, creating an Islamic …
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Estonian President: In Ukraine there is a war, not a frozen conflict
The Press Service of Office of the President of Estonia has reported that Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid called for consideration of the conflict in eastern Ukraine as a war. Kaljulaid, who visited the combat zone in the Donbas last week, said this on June 1st at a dinner for participants of the 12th annual Lennart Meri Conference.
"In Ukraine, during the last week alone, four people, including a 15-year-old girl, have been killed in shellings, and another 15 people have been wounded. …
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USA: Russia uses humanitarian convoys to bring military materials to Donbas
Russia is only creating the appearance of assisting the local population in the territories of the Donbas; in truth, the “humanitarian convoys” simply mask the transportation of materials for military purposes, stated the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the US Mission to the OSCE, Harry Kamian, in an address to the OSCE leadership.
Kamian said that the OSCE Monitoring Mission recorded the arrival of the 75th Russian white-truck convoy into Ukrainian territory on May 24.
“OSCE Monitors at the …
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Poland proposes to appoint UN special representatives for Ukraine
Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jacek Czaputowicz, proposed that the United Nations appoint a special representative for Ukraine, Radio Svoboda reports.
“We discussed this idea with Polish experts,” Czaputowicz stated following a meeting of the Security Council regarding the Ukrainian issue. “I consulted with Pavlo Klimkin and we decided to bring this idea to the agenda.”
Czaputowicz did not specify any particular candidature for this post, noting that “different people can apply for …
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Ukraine conducts military exercises in Donbas
The Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted tactical exercises with participation if the warplanes, the Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense stated on their website.
“During the exercises, the assault aviation under cover of several fighter aircraft supported infantry units which stormed the stronghold of the enemy,” the statement of the Ministry reads.
The Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation’s command stated on Facebook page that the unscheduled inspection of aviation units was conducted during the week. …
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Russia continues to reinforce Donbas border
Russian border guards are placing barbed-wire barriers and digging anti-tank ditches on the border with the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR), Alexander Belokobylsky wrote in an article for Radio Liberty.
There is evidence for this in stories on YouTube and in satellite images from Google. Russia’s border construction process can also be monitored using information from the country’s state purchases website.
The official explanation is the fight against smuggling. …