John Dolva Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 A cameraman for Russia's Channel One TV station died from injuries after being shot by Ukrainian troops in Donetsk, the head of the press service for the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) said, as quoted by RIA Novosti. “The cameraman was injured in the stomach and died of the wounds,” Klavdia Kulbatskaya said. Channel One has not yet confirmed the report. BREAKING (and very tragic news) Cameraman of Russia's TV channel killed in E. #Ukraine, his colleagues. R.I.P., Anatoly #Donetsk#ceasefire — Maria Finoshina (@MFinoshina_RT) June 29, 2014 The cameraman Anatoly Klyan, along with a few other journalists, boarded a bus full of women – mostly mothers – who were traveling to a military base in Donetsk to demand that their sons be dismissed from the unit and allowed to go home, Kulbatskaya added. When the bus reached its destination, shots were fired from the base and that is when the cameraman was injured. The cameraman died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, DNR’s First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Purgin told RIA Novosti, adding that the driver of the bus was wounded in the neck and is currently in the hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 LUGANSK, June 29 /ITAR-TASS/. Combat actions in east Ukraine will only intensify after the truce comes to an end on Monday, head of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic Valery Bolotov said on Sunday. Kiev’s unilaterally-proclaimed seven-day ceasefire regime expired at 23:00 Moscow time on Friday, June 27. President Pyotr Poroshenko extended it until 22:00 local time (23:00 Moscow time) on Monday, June 30. However, armed clashes between Ukraine’s military and local self-defense forces in east Ukraine have continued, despite the declared ceasefire. “There has been no ceasefire and so tomorrow combat operations can only be expected to intensify,” Bolotov said. The head of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic accused the Ukrainian military of breaching the truce. “On our part, we are observing the terms of the ceasefire while the opposite side is not fulfilling them,” Bolotov said. “Aircraft are flying over Lugansk and the Ukrainian military are relocating combat hardware and personnel and shelling the territory.” Negotiations with pro-Kiev forces “are impossible until they pull back troops,” Bolotov said. The head of the Lugansk People’s Republic also pointed to an armed clash between fighters of the National Guard and the Ukrainian military near Lugansk earlier on Sunday. “They are constantly conflicting and soldiers are constantly running away from them. The number of deserters sometimes reaches 200,” Bolotov said. The press-office of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic reported on Sunday that Kiev’s military had shelled the village of Semyonovka and the city of Sloviansk in the eastern Donetsk Region, killing several civilians. Kiev’s punitive operation against federalization supporters in Ukraine’s east involving armored vehicles, heavy artillery and attack aviation has killed hundreds of people, including civilians, left buildings destroyed and damaged and forced tens of thousands to cross the border from Ukraine to Russia. LUGANSK, June 29, /ITAR-TASS/. Hundreds of people gathers on Sunday in the centre of Ukraine’s southeastern city of Lugansk for an anti-war rally and demanded the Kiev authorities stop combat operations against their own people. The rally was addressed by head of the newly proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic Valery Bolotov, speaker of parliament of the Union of People’s Republics [of Donetsk and Lugansk] Olge Tsarev, local administration officials and lawmakers. The Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics “have become a thorn in the flesh for international imperialism and their henchmen in Kiev,” Bolotov said. “Today, we are holding the front, but tomorrow we will throw the invaders out.” Practically at the same time, a rally was held in Kiev, near the administration of the Ukrainian president that demanded resuming the force operation in the southeastern regions. Kiev’s unilaterally-proclaimed seven-day ceasefire regime expired at 23:00 Moscow time on Friday, June 27. President Pyotr Poroshenko extended it till 22:00 local time (23:00 Moscow time) on Monday, June 30. Also on June 27, a second round of consultation of the so-called three-party group on the settlement in the southeastern region was held in Donetsk. DONETSK, June 29, /ITAR-TASS/. Self-defence forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic have taken control over a missile defence army unit equipped with Buk missile defence systems, the press service of the Donetsk People’s Republic told Itar-Tass on Sunday. So far, no details are available about the number and condition of the missile systems taken over by the self-defence forces. The press service refused to comment. The Buk missile defence system is a mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to defend field troops and logistics installations against air threats in conditions of heavy electronic countermeasures and intense enemy fire. SLAVYANSK, June 29, /ITAR-TASS/. Several civilians were killed when Ukrainian troops shelled the village of Semyonovka near the southeastern city of Slavyansk and the city’s dwelling quarters on Sunday, the press service of the Donetsk People’s Republic told Itar-Tass. “One of the shells hit a nine-storey residential building killing a woman,” the press service said, adding that there were no exact data on the number of those killed. In all, there could be three to five people. As of 16:00 Moscow time, the shelling was being continued." The press service confirmed reports that the Donetsk self-defence forces had taken control of army unit number A-1402. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Escuadrones neonazis presionan a presidente ucraniano contra tregua Kiev, 29 jun (PL) Escuadrones neonazis de Sector Derecho agrupados en el batallón Donbás exigieron hoy el fin del alto el fuego y una mayor represión en el sureste de Ucrania durante una manifestación frente a la oficina del presidente, Pioter Poroshenko. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Monday, June 30 02:06 GMT: Ukrainian troops fired at Aleksandr Nevsky Cathedral in Slavyansk during Sunday’s liturgy, the website of the local diocese reported. The shooting began at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to archpriest Nikolay Fomenko. Around 1,000 people attended the service that morning, he said. The attack lasted for about 30 minutes and no one was hurt during the assault. No one was injured on the church premises. Meanwhile, the city’s central market and Artem district also came under fire, with one woman reportedly dead. 01:25 GMT: Self-defense forces gained control over Ukraine’s air defense base in Donetsk on Sunday, RIA Novosti quoted a self-defense spokesperson as saying. The base reportedly contains 'Buk' self-propelled anti-aircraft missile systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Monday, June 30 08:26 GMT: Russia’s Rostov Region has declared an emergency due to the influx of thousands of refugees from neighboring Ukraine. The region-wide emergency comes a month after it was declared in 15 border areas of Rostov. The move is meant to give legal grounds for a swift accommodation of the people fleeing turmoil in Ukraine in refugee camps, region’s government said in a statement. The flow of refugees from Ukraine intensified in June as Kiev continued to use military force against defiant Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The latest toll by Russian Emergencies Ministry said that more than 17,000 Ukrainians have been accommodated in temporary camps in Russia. 06:40 GMT: The death of the Russian journalist from Channel One TV in the Donetsk Region has shown that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies apparently don’t want to de-escalate the armed conflict in the east of the country and are blocking the truce, said Russian Foreign Ministry. 05:21 GMT: A resident from Slavyansk has taken photos of the local market and residential districts after Kiev troops shelled them on Sunday. At least three civilians were killed in a breach of the ceasefire. The photos show houses which walls were apparently smashed in the shelling. Photo by Roman Litvinov Photo by Roman Litvinov 05:01 GMT: More than 17, 000 Ukrainian refugees are currently housed in the temporary accommodation centers in Russian regions, said Aleksandr Drobyshevsky, an official representative from Russian Emergency Ministry. 04:55 GMT: Journalists from Mir 24 Channel, Ren TV and LifeNews were caught on fire along with the deceased cameramen from Channel One in the city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine , reports RIA Novosti. According to Ren TV correspondent Aleksandr Leonenko, their car was shelled when they entered the city. “We managed to escape [the car] and hide,” he added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 MOSCOW, June 30. /ITAR-TASS/. Several Russian television filming crews were in the bus, which came under gunfire late Sunday night in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Region. MIR-24 television channel reported this on its website on Monday after Channel One announced that one of its employees was killed in the attack. Russia launches criminal case into murder of state TV cameraman in Ukraine Anatoly Klyan, 68, was among other journalists on the bus together with mothers of military conscripts on their way to a pro-Kiev military unit to demand the off-duty release of their sons, when the vehicle came under gunfire. Klyan, a cameraman for Russia’s TV Channel One, sustained a lethal gun wound in the abdomen and died upon his hospitalization. “Several filming crews, including journalists from the MIR-24 TV channel, came under fire in Donetsk,” the television channel said on its website. “Our correspondent Alexander Leonenko was on duty at that time.” Read also Posthumous courage awards announced for two journalists killed in Ukraine Moscow urges Kiev to ensure protection of war correspondents Ukrainian law enforcers put several Russian journalists on wanted list — LifeNews Bill on revising accreditions of Russian mass media workers submitted to Ukraine's Rada Russian lawmaker urges suspending journalists' missions to Ukraine UNSC calls for thorough investigation of violence against journalists in Ukraine Russia’s state-run TV broadcaster Channel One, reported earlier that besides its filming crew on the bus there were also journalists from Russia’s REN-TV and LifeNews television channels. None of them were wounded in the attack. The driver of the bus was also reported to sustain a gun wound but he managed to drive the bus bullet-ridden vehicle with civilians to a safe place. Vladimir Markin, spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee, earlier announced that a criminal case had been filed into Klyan’s murder. He said the criminal case was filed on charges of warfare methods abuse and intended murder of a person carrying out professional duty. A staff member of the Russian television channel is another casualty at the hands of the Ukrainian authorities, which brutally ignore internationally accepted norms concerning the protection of peaceful citizens during armed conflicts,” Markin said. Recent cases of violence against journalists in UkraineKlyan’s murder is another case in a chain of lethal attacks on journalists in the ongoing combat operation, which Ukrainian authorities are conducting in southeast Ukraine. Gallery 11 photo Russian journalists killed near Luhansk Two correspondents from Russian central television and radio broadcasting company VGTRK, special correspondent Igor Kornelyuk and sound engineer Anton Voloshin, were killed near the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk on June 17. They came under mortar fire near a roadblock of militia as they were filming a TV report about people’s militias helping to evacuate refugees from the combat zone. Journalists bore clearly visible media insignia at the moment of the attack. According to eyewitnesses, a mortar shell exploded near the Russian filming crew. Sound engineer Voloshin died at the scene and Kornelyuk died later at a local hospital. On May 24, Italian photographer Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian interpreter Andrey Mironov were killed in mortar fire near the city of Sloviansk. Hundreds of people have been killed, buildings have been destroyed and tens of thousands have been forced to cross the border from Ukraine to Russia as a result of Kiev’s military operation against federalization supporters in Ukraine’s southeast involving armored vehicles, heavy artillery and attack aviation. June 20, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared a week-long ceasefire in the country’s embattled southeast and on Sunday he announced a three-day extension of the ceasefire. However, there have been numerous reports that the truce has been violated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Monday, June 30 09:54 GMT: Kiev troops won’t scare off Russian journalists, says an official statement of Channel One TV, made after the death of its cameraman, Anatoly Klyan, near the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. “Ukrainian power continues killing journalists in the south-east - it [Kiev] is not satisfied that it is impossible to hide the actions against its own people,” it said, “There [in Kiev] they prefer to deal with the rebels without witnesses.” “Our duty is to inform the country and the world what our journalists have witnessed,” it added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 10:47 GMT: Kiev, by any means, including provocations, is endangering Russian journalists and is suppressing their attempts to deliver the truth about what is happening in Ukraine, said the Russian Foreign Ministry. “The journalists who are bravely performing their professional duty are at gunpoint from Ukrainian troops and ultranationalists,” said the ministry in a statement. “Kiev doesn’t even disdain such methods as physical violence and torture which is forbidden by the international law.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Hospitals in Slaviansk Ukraine Seeing Symptoms of Chlorine Poisoning 30/06/2014 People with symptoms of chlorine poisoning are currently being admitted to hospitals in the Ukrainian city of Slaviansk after its suburbs underwent gunfire from Kiev-controlled security forces, the commander of Donetsk independence forces Igor Strelkov told RIA Novosti Monday. [this reminds me of a clip of kiev fascists (red/black armbands, blue/yellow three fingers/prongs) smashing their way into a building, throwing a stun granade into a room and following it with a bottle of colourless fluid (no fire) then barricading the room. Is this part of the junta heads so-called 'plan B'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Attacks on Russian Journalists Contradict Kiev’s Intention to Resolve Crisis – MoscowThe Kiev government is attempting to cover up the truth about the events in eastern Ukraine by all possible means, including putting the lives of journalists in danger, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Soviet-era bunkers help Lugansk residents hide from Kiev troop shelling Published time: June 30, 2014 12:30 Get short URL A bomb shelter in Lugansk, eastern Ukraine (screenshot from RT video) Trends Ukraine turmoilTags Arms, Army, Conflict, Maria Finoshina, Violence Amid fierce conflict between Kiev troops and self-defense forces, residents in eastern Ukrainian regions are ready to hide in Soviet-era bomb shelters, which may protect them and their children from army air raids and artillery fire. Cameraman for Russia's top broadcaster killed in E. Ukraine “They keep bombing us – which is why we are working here…This is our bomb shelter - Watch out!” Vadim Streltsov a Lugansk resident, told RT’s Marina Finoshina. Streltsov volunteered to clean up bunkers that were built in Cold War times, when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. “As you can see, the infrastructure is destroyed, so we're taking the most important first steps to fix it, and allow people to shelter here,” he said on a tour of the bunker with RT. According to the Lugansk residents, the facility has everything people need if Kiev troops start shelling the city again. “Here we've got beds, and we also have drinking water.500 [liters] here and another 500 in another room…You can easily live here for at least a week,” Vitaly Dubinin, local resident told RT, adding that they also have warm clothes, a kitchenette and first aid kits. This is not the only bomb shelter in the city as Lugansk has about 100 of them. And they are helpful as even during the interview with Vitaly, one could distinctly hear the sound of shooting. According to Vitaly, it was coming from the village of Metallist, 10km from Lugansk. “They're trying to enter the city, and are attacking the outskirts,” added Dubinin. The shooting occurred despite the truce between Kiev troops and self-defense forces in eastern Ukraine which expires at 10pm (19:00 GMT) on Monday. Vitaly Dubinin, local resident walks in the bomb shelter in Lugansk, eastern Ukraine (screenshot from RT video) Vadim’s little daughter Nastya sees bombings and explosions almost every day. “The sky was lit up with explosions when we were walking home through a field. Then there were sirens and everyone started running away - it was terrifying,” she described her experience with the bombings, “The same thing happened later that night.” The regions of eastern Ukraine have been continuously targeted by Kiev troops in the recent months. According to UN reports, at least 356 people, including 257 civilians, have died since the beginning of the ‘anti-terrorist’ operation in the eastern regions of Lugansk and Donetsk. There were 14 children among the dead. Fearing deepening of the crisis, scores of refugees have left the country. The number of Ukrainian refugees in Russia has reached 110,000 people, the UN’s refugee department stated. Vadim Streltsov, local resident, opens a door to the bomb shelter, Lugansk, eastern Ukraine (screenshot from RT video) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Monday, June 30 21:25 GMT: The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, has expressed her condolences to the family of cameraman Anatoly Klyan, who was killed while filming near a Ukrainian military compound in the Donetsk region. “Members of the media continue to pay the highest price possible,” Mijatović wrote in a letter to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. “I fully understand the difficult situation in Ukraine and the fact that the national authorities do not control parts of the territory controlled by separatists in the eastern part of the country, but once again I call on all parties in this conflict to respect media freedom and refrain from any violence against members of the media,” Mijatović said. She reminded Poroshenko that the death toll of journalists killed in eastern Ukraine stands at five, and urged the newly-elected president “to swiftly and thoroughly investigate the circumstances of Klyan’s death and all other deadly attacks on journalists, and to hold those responsible accountable.” 20:34 GMT: Strong explosions and intense shooting from automatic weapons is being reported in the vicinity of Kramatorsk airport in the Donetsk region, Itar-Tass reports, citing a representative of the local militia. According to the source, the attack by Ukrainian troops began at around 19:30 GMT, after the extended ceasefire came to an end. He added that the ceasefire was also broken earlier on Monday, when Yasnogorsk village near Kramatorsk was shelled by Kiev's troops. “A direct hit destroyed the lodge building, resulting in the death of one man. Another survived because he was at some distance,” the source said, adding that five people were also killed after a local market in Slavyansk was shelled by the Ukrainian army. 19:35 GMT: A ceasefire between Kiev troops and self-defense forces in southeastern regions of Ukraine expired at 10 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT). Last Friday, President Poroshenko prolonged the truce for 72 hours. Despite the ceasefire, shelling continued in Lugansk and Donetsk regions. 15:46 GMT: Russia and the EU are calling for a new round of negotiations between Kiev and protesting regions in southeastern Ukraine. Talking to leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine, President Putin stressed the necessity of prolonging the ceasefire. He also called for the creation of a mechanism to control how the truce is observed by both sides. “The leaders have called for a third round of consultations between Kiev representatives and the southeastern regions as soon as possible,” the Kremlin said in a statement following the talks. "Putin stressed the need to extend the ceasefire and create a reliable mechanism for monitoring compliance with it, with the the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] playing an active role," the statement said. 12:09 GMT: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the Ukrainian authorities “must” fully investigate the tragedy in which a Russian cameraman was fatally wounded. “The government of Ukraine should do more to avoid harming civilians during law enforcement operations,” Yulia Gorbunova, Ukraine researcher at HRW, told RT. “Journalists, unless they are taking direct part in hostilities, are civilians and under international humanitarian law may never be targets of an attack during an armed conflict.” 12:07 GMT: A residential district in Slavyansk was described by one local as "a terrible mess" on Monday, after Ukrainian forces shelled the area on Sunday, damaging buildings and killing at least 3 people. 12:06 GMT: The Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) won’t extend the number of its observers in Ukraine as the situation in the country presents a threat for the organization’s employees, said Thomas Greminger, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE in Vienna. “According to the OSCE rules, up to 500 people may be sent to the region. However, we don’t want to extend the personnel of the OSCE in Ukraine due to risk,” he added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Inicio » Noticias, Militar e Inteligencia » Ucrania utiliza armas químicas en “limpieza étnica” En este artículo: Armas Quimicas, civiles, Guerra, militares, Nazismo, Ucrania 30 junio 2014 | 3 | Simulacro de ataque químico en el Mar Mediterráneo, el 30 de diciembre de 2013. Foto: EFE. El gobernador de la autoproclamada República Popular de Donetsk, Pavel Gúbarev, denunció hoy que las tropas movilizadas en la limpieza étnica del sureste atacaron con armas químicas a las autodefensas civiles en la aldea de semionovka, cercana a Slaviansk. Dos milicianos recibieron heridas graves (intoxicación por fósforo) y han sido enviados a Donetsk. Uno de ellos se encuentra en estado crítico, confirmó el líder rebelde en su página de Facebook. El gobernador popular añadió que el Ejército ucraniano bombardeó las afueras de Slaviansk con cañones de 240 milímetros, y que se registraron algunos grandes incendios. En tanto, escuadrones neonazis del Sector Derecho agrupados en el batallón Donbás, exigieron ayer el fin del alto el fuego y una mayor represión en el sureste, durante una manifestación frente a la oficina del presidente Poroshenko en esta capital de Ucrania. Simón Semetchenko, jefe de la falange creada tras el golpe de estado de febrero, demandó que se declare la ley marcial y que el batallón Dombás y otras unidades paramilitares movilizadas para la aniquilación de la población rusoparlante sean autorizadas “a tomar medidas para eliminar” a quienes ellos llaman terroristas, según la agencia UNN. Reconoció Semetchko que en la operación del Ejército, fuerzas de seguridad y los grupos neonazis movilizados por los partidos Sector Derecho y Svoboda, se registraron ya tres veces más víctimas humanas que en las protestas que derrocaron al presidente Víktor Yanukóvich. Elementos extremistas partidarios de barrer a la población rusoparlante del sureste continuaron los bombardeos en algunas zonas, según denuncias de las milicias de las autoproclamadas Repúblicas Populares de Donetsk y Lugansk. Los rebeldes se comprometieron también a respetar la tregua, pero portavoces de las tropas represoras los acusan de haberla roto en múltiples ocasiones, informó el canal ucraniano de televisión 24. Rusia reiteradamente ha denunciado que Kiev lleva a cabo a sangre y fuego una limpieza étnica en esos territorios, donde la ONU cifró en 110 mil el número de desplazados que han huido hacia territorio ruso para escapar de la barbarie de las fuerzas ucranianas, según Radio Libertad. Un comunicado emitido la víspera por el Servicio Estatal de Emergencias de Ucrania, por otra parte, reportó que 25 mil personas han sido evacuadas hacia otras regiones desde los territorios sometidos a la devastación con blindados, aviación, armamento pesado y hasta bombas prohibidas por convenciones internacionales. El líder de la autoproclamada República Popular de Lugansk, Valeri Bolotov, denunció que los gobernantes ucranianos tienen planes de trasladar desde el occidente del país hacia las regiones surorientales a partidarios de la ideología ultranacionalista. (Con información de Prensa Latina) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Tuesday, July 1 02:32 GMT: The EU is calling on Kiev to investigate violations against journalists in eastern Ukraine, Maya Kosyanchich, spokesperson for EU Foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, told Itar-Tass. The death of Russian journalist Anatoly Klyan is yet "another testimony to the severity of the situation in the region,” Kosyanchich said, condemning the 68-year-old's murder. The situation in southeastern Ukraine "seriously harms media freedom and freedom of expression," she added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Hospitals in Slaviansk Ukraine Seeing Symptoms of Chlorine Poisoning 30/06/2014 People with symptoms of chlorine poisoning are currently being admitted to hospitals in the Ukrainian city of Slaviansk after its suburbs underwent gunfire from Kiev-controlled security forces, the commander of Donetsk independence forces Igor Strelkov told RIA Novosti Monday. [this reminds me of a clip of kiev fascists (red/black armbands, blue/yellow three fingers/prongs) smashing their way into a building, throwing a stun granade into a room and following it with a bottle of colourless fluid (no fire) then barricading the room. Is this part of the junta heads so-called 'plan B'] DONETSK, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - People with symptoms of chlorine poisoning are currently being admitted to hospitals in the Ukrainian city of Slaviansk after its suburbs underwent gunfire from Kiev-controlled security forces, the commander of Donetsk independence forces Igor Strelkov told RIA Novosti Monday. “The symptoms are itchy eyes and a scratchy throat. We think it's something based on chlorine. Explosions occur in the air, after which a cloud of smoke bursts out. These shells are fired whenever the wind is blowing in our direction,” Strelkov said. On Sunday, the so-called people’s governor of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Pavel Gubarev accused the Ukrainian army of using chemical weapons to fight independence forces in Semenivka (a suburb of Slaviansk), injuring two. Fierce battles near Slaviansk have continued throughout the weekend despite Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s decision to extend the ceasefire in the breakaway regions in the east of the country until Monday evening. The initial ceasefire agreement was to expire was Friday at 10:00 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT), but Poroshenko decided to give the eastern militia an additional 72 hours to lay down their arms. Alexander Boroday, a leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic, pledged to respect the new armistice. Violence in southeastern Ukraine has been on the rise since the beginning of the punitive operation launched by the Kiev authorities in mid-April, claiming hundreds of lives. Luhansk and Donetsk regions refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new Kiev authorities that came to power following the February regime change in the country. Both areas have become epicenters of resistance for independence supporters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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