Kyiv, 25 November 2014 – The situation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area remains tense. Despite the ceasefire agreements militants keep shelling positions of the ATO forces. Within the last day terrorists and Russian troops fired at the positions of Ukrainian troops mainly at Debaltseve, Donetsk and Luhansk directions. “Compared to the previous days the number of times the fire was opened decreased. It is partly due to the successful actions by our artillery men who are inflicting considerable losses on the enemy as the enemy is launching attacks on Ukrainian military and population centers. The enemy conducts rotation of manpower. In particular partial withdrawal of Russian military units was spotted. At the same time as per the operational data yesterday 5 convoys of military equipment of 80 units in total was spotted on the move through the border crossing point “Izvaryne” directed to Luhansk. Majority of the equipment is the cars and buses with personnel and ammunition,” informed Colonel Andriy Lysenko spokesman of the national Security and Defense Council (NSDC) at a briefing in the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
At the Donetsk direction yesterday militants fired three times from Grad MRLS and mortars at the positions of Ukrainian military near villages Pisky and Tonenke. “Donetsk airport remains under control of Ukrainian military. Our servicemen repelled all enemy’s attacks on the object. Terrorists are actively using the tactics of consecutive fire when at first they fire at our military positions and then immediately get to firing at residential blocks. Thus in Donetsk a bus came under terrorists’ fire. 2 people were killed, according to preliminary data 8 got wounded. A school and several adjacent buildings got damaged during the shelling,” added NSDC spokesman.
Near Dokuchayevsk of Donetsk region deployment of 500 militants, 15 tanks, 20 armoured vehicles, 6 GRAD BM-21 MRLSs and 5 artillery systems was seen. ATO forces are prepared for adequate action in case the enemy gets active in the above area.
The situation at the Luhansk direction remains complicated. Militants fired from Grad and mortars at ATO strongholds and checkpoints near villages Verkhnya Vilkhova and Nyzhnyoteple. Our positions near Shchastya, Stanytsya Luhanska and Makarove population centers were shelled with artillery, mortars and grenade launchers. Militants keep opening fire in the area of the Bakhmutka road, here terrorists shelled ATO positions three times with artillery and mortars near Krymske, Tryokhizbenka and Kryakivka villages. “At the Mariupol direction terrorists have intensified their activities compared to the last days. Near population centers Novotroyitske, Mykolayivka, Chermalyk and Pavlopil militants shelled our positions with artillery and mortars. The situation in Mariupol is calm, all agencies are working in the normal mode. Within the last day 1 serviceman was killed in action, 5 got wounded in action,” noted Colonel Lysenko.
Yesterday militants continued shelling from various types of weapons the territories in Luhansk region controlled by Ukrainian authorities. Damaged got the population centers Tryokhizbenka (several houses got seriously destroyed), Krymske, Makarove and Shchastya. Stanytsya Luhanska suffered most intensive shelling, within the last day it was fired at from heavy artillery and small arms. In the population center in question on Radyanska street two residential houses were destroyed with direct hit of a shell and cannot be renewed. One person got wounded and taken to the military hospital of Shchastya city.
Yesterday one of the “Cyborgs” was liberated from captivity – a Ukrainian military who was heroically defending Ukrainian positions at the Donetsk airport. The man spent over three months in terrorists’ captivity.
NATO Parliamentary Assembly in the resolution on Supporting Ukraine’s Sovereignty and Democracy declared that Russia’s involvement is the main reason for prolonged armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in the East of Ukraine. “Russia’s direct as well as covert involvement, including the deployment of unmarked uniformed troops in part of Ukraine, is the principal reason for the prolonged armed conflict and the humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine,” the statement says. NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly severely condemned Russia’s illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea, intervention to the sovereign Ukrainian territory and Russia’s violation of international legal acts.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia to pull back all its forces from Eastern Ukraine, to respect the Minsk Agreements and to stop fueling the conflict by ceasing support to separatists and influencing them to comply with the ceasefire.
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva stated that Russia must withdraw all forces and equipment from Ukraine and away from its border and end its support for separatist forces.
Daniel Baer, US representative to the Permanent Council of the OSCE presented to the OSCE Permanent Council proofs of Russia’s continued disregard for its international obligations and commitments as to the settlement of the situation in the East of Ukraine. “The root of the problem in eastern Ukraine remains the same: Russia’s flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its failure to honor the pledges it made in Minsk,” said Daniel Baer.
