Today in Newport (Wales) NATO summit will resume its work. As a result of Ukraine – NATO committee meeting which took place yesterday, joint statement was approved. Heads of NATO countries together with the council of «Ukraine – NATO» committee declared their unanimity in support of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity within the borders acknowledged by international community. The statement also condemns Russian illegal and illegitimate self-proclaimed “annexation” of Crimea as well as Russian intentional destabilizing activity in Eastern Ukraine.
Summit participants strongly condemned Russian illegal and illegitimate self-proclaimed “annexation” of Crimea as well as Russian attempts to destabilize Eastern Ukraine violating all standards of international law. Russia was called upon to refuse from the annexation which would never be accepted.
«Despite its commitments on de-escalation of the conflict, Russia in practice conducted direct military incursion to Ukraine and only strengthen its support to the militants», – the statement reads. Alliance acknowledges the right of Ukraine to renew peace and order, protect its citizens and territory and supports desire of Ukrainian army and special forces to decrease number of casualties among non-combatants at all cost.
The allies qualify any unilateral military or destructive actions of Russia in the territory of Ukraine, at any pretence, including a humanitarian one, as those being a crude violation of international law.
All 28 allies strengthen their support in order to improve ability of Ukraine to provide its own security.
Besides, NATO intends to extend cooperation with Ukraine. The Alliance will launch new projects in the sphere of control, command, logistics, standardization, cyber protection, employment support and strategic communications. NATO will also provide Ukraine with support in rehabilitation of injured personnel of the Armed Forces.
During joint press-conference with the Secretary General of the Alliance Anders Fogh Rasmussen the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated that bilateral agreement with NATO member countries on military and technical cooperation, including supply of lethal and non-lethal ammunition together with precision weapons, had been reached.
«NATO member countries are ready to provide Ukraine with 15 billion euro of financial aid for reforms conducting in security sector», – stated Alliance Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Ukraine continues working to secure peace in Donbas. Today in Minsk a meeting of tri-lateral contact group will take place. During this meeting practical steps on the peace plan implementation will be discussed. In particular, the participants aim at reaching an agreement on bilateral ceasefire.
President Petro Poroshenko emphasized that in order to reach this, OSCE support is needed to introduce a mission for ceasefire mode monitoring mission and liberation of all hostages kept by terrorists. Renewal of control over border and pullout of Russian troops having intruded into Ukrainian territory is a primary task as well.
Head of the country emphasized that Ukrainian sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence are not the matter of negotiations.
Combat activity in the conflict area
The situation in ATO area continues escalating.
Within 24 hours ATO forces made fire contact with Russian troops and terrorists for 27 times.
Battling took place in Donetsk region nearby populated localities of Mariyinka. Avdiyivka, Tonenke, Kominternove, Maloorlivka, Verkhnyotoretske, Nikishyno and nearby Donetsk airport.
In Luhansk region struggle continued populated localities Zolote, Vesela Hora, Stanytsya Luhanska, Stukalova Balka, Makarove.
ATO forces and Ukrainian populated localities continue being attacked by fire from the side of the Russian Federation. For instance, yesterday at 15:00 three Russian APCs outshot a border squad nearby Krasnyi Derkul settlement in Luhansk region from the Russian side.
At 20:30, 20:50, 21:56 and 22:53 border guards recorded 4 salvos of multiple rocket launcher system (presumably “Smerch”) to the territory of Ukraine from the side of Russia towards populated lovalities of Pobyeda «Verkhnye-Kamyshynskyi (Russian Federation) – Nyzhnyobaranykivka (Ukraine, Luhansk region)» at the distance of 10 km from the border line.
Yesterday in the second half of the day Russians started attacking Mariupol from Bezimenne populated locality through Shyrokyne settlement located in 20 km eastwards from Mariupol.
Column of armoured vehicles amounting up to 5 tanks, 3 self-propelled artillery weapons, a “Grad” rocket launcher and men power with mortar guns and other heavy armament broke through in the area of Shyrokyne. During yesterday’s battles the first attack of the Russians was defeated. This morning the fights resumed. Russians are using all types of heavy equipment. At present intense battles continue, our troops are holding the line.
Armed forces of Russian Federation started rotation of units and subdivisions of the Armed forces of RF which lost their fighting capacity.
12.Russian side continues concentrating their armed forces in the north of temporarily occupied Crimea. Additionally, military convoy consisting of 10 APC and several military covered trucks proceeded towards the administrative border with mainland Ukraine (information by State Border Service of Ukraine)
Russians are concentrated in the neighbourhood of Mariupol, Volnovakha, Kostyantynivka, Fashchivka and Alchevsk. Russian side supplying weaponry and manpower was spotted taking place nearby populated localities of Dibrovka in Rostov region and Novoazovsk in Donetsk region.
For instance, at 03:40 am and at 10:00 am 2 military convoys consisting of 20 tanks, 9 “Grad” rocket launchers, APCs, 13 “KAMAZ” covered trucks and 10 “Ural” trucks with military personnel proceeded from the Russian Federation through Dibrovka towards Dmytrivka populated locality in Donetsk region.
Afterwards at 05:30 pm 6 light motor vehicles with a red flag hoisted, 3 military “KAMAZ” heavy truck and one blue “KAMAZ” truck proceeded in the opposite direction. There were white circles on every vehicle. According to the information collected, Russians were evacuating their killed and wounded in these vehicles.
Answering to the questions previously set, we are to say that, according to the information collected, before the corpses of the killed Russian military men are loaded, transplant surgeons team is working with them. Character of these manipulations is being specified.
According to the information collected, total loss of Russians during the conflict amounts to about 2 thousand killed.
It is possible to evaluate number of wounded multiplying the number of killed by four. The wounded are being treated in the following military medical institutions:
Military Medical Academy named after Kirov (Sankt-Petersburgh);
Military Clinical Hospital of South Military Command (Rostov-na-Donu);
Military Garrison Hospital of the Military Unit No.52199 (Volgograd city);
District Military Clinical Hospital (Yeisk town),
and also in civil medical institutions of the abovementioned populated localities.
According to the information collected, yesterday night Russian servicemen threw several dozen of corpses, transported on two “KAMAZ” trucks, into a tunnel shaft of one of the mines nearby Chervonopartyzansk in Luhansk region in order to hide losses of manpower.
State Border Service subdivisions are conducting active intelligence exploratory and reinforcing activities nearby state border. During the operations 5 armed clashes and 3 attacks of border positions and squads by fire took place.
Yesterday at 13:30 pm a mobile group during a raid nearby Roza Lyuksemburg populated locality in Donetsk region entered a battle with a terrorists’ watch moving on one tank and an “Ural” truck carrying an anti-aircraft installation «ЗУ-23». During the fight border guards destroyed the truck with the anti-aircraft installation, and the tank, receiving no proper support, retreated to the rear of the territory controlled by terrorists.
Yesterday at 13:50 pm a raiding group nearby Kominternovo populated locality made fire contact with a terrorists group consisting of 2 tanks, 1 APC and militants riding on armour. During the fight 4 terrorists were destroyed. 2 border guards were wounded. At 14:10 pm the raiding group was reinforced by another mobile group of border guards. By consolidated effort they managed to make the militants retreat.
Yesterday at 18:00 pm nearby Telmanove populated locality border guards destroyed terrorists’ checkpoint.
Situation in populated localities of the conflict zone
Russian mercenaries and raiders keep destroying infrastructure of Donbas. In particular, they mined Debaltsyeve-Artemivsk motor road. Besides, terrorists continue bombardment of residential quarters in Donetsk, Luhansk and Alchevsk.
Yesterday for 5 hours Russian artillery was bombarding Shyrokyne populated locality nearby Mariupol. There are casualties among non-combatants. According to the data collected, two children and a local inhabitant died.
Terrorists are making males of Bezimenne settlement in Novoazovskyi district of Donetsk region to build fortifications. In Oleksiyivka village in Amvrosiyivka district of Donetsk region mercenaries demand money for fuel from local farmers and make them repair their equipment. I case the farmers refuse, militants are threatening to confiscate the villagers’ land shares and property.
As a result of terrorists’ combat activity in Luhansk region over 166 thousand consumers – private houses and rental apartments – are partially cut off the gas supply, are in critical condition or need examination.
Since September rescue workers of the State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations delivered 12 tons of humanitarian freight from United Nations Fund for Populated Activities to Dnipropetrovsk. This aid was given to forced migrants from Donbas to Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhya regions.
As of today pyrotechnical units of the State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations cleared of mines approximately 1026 ha of territories and 38 ha of water reservoirs. Over 830 objects of social infrastructure were checked for presence of ammunition, 17260 pieces of explosive hazards were found and rendered safe.
International support
Yesterday during NATO summit the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held meetings with the President of France Francois Hollande, the President of the Republic of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski, and USA Secretary of the State John Kerry. Petro Poroshenko informed his colleagues of a serious aggravation of the situation in the East of Ukraine resulting from expansion of the aggression from the side of the Russian Federation.
The President of France Francois Hollande emphasized on readiness of France to support organization and holding further negotiations aimed at situation regulation, in “Normand format” in particular. He also confirmed that France suspended fulfillment of its obligations on «Mistrals» supply to Russia.
The President of the Republic of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski strongly condemned Russian aggression in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and actions aimed at undermining nationhood of Ukraine.
USA Secretary of the State John Kerry emphasized that the United States of America will continue supporting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine by all means. They will also continue working for the sake of international efforts consolidation to support Ukraine. «We do hope for ceasefire in practice and for Russian troops leaving Ukraine. It is our goal and we are to discuss details on how to avoid long-term confrontation».
Yesterday NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization calls upon Russia to «withdraw their troops from Ukraine and stop the flow of arms, manpower and funds for separatists» in the East of Ukraine.
Senator John McCaine accused the president of Russian Federation with invasion into Ukraine and emphasized that he supports adoption of a law in the USA on providing Ukraine with defence equipment (anti-tank weapons and air defence systems), which would help to spot Russian aggression. In his opinion, Ukraine also needs intelligence data from the USA.
Pentagon spokesman Stephen Warren informed that Russian troops deployed nearby Eastern border of Ukraine constitute bigger threat than before, considering the level of their armament with artillery and air defence systems. By his estimate, these forces are fully battle-ready, Russian contingent possesses massive concentration of field artillery, rockets, air defence systems, engineer and other troops which secure material and technical facilities.
Prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper announced that Canada was going to support NATO initiatives which would help Ukraine to withstand threats of Russian militarism. Such support will be rendered through NATO trust funds, emphasizing on strengthening Ukrainian command, management and connection, computer systems to support improvement of personnel management system and reformation of logistics and standardization in the Armed Forces.
