Soldiers, Civilians Killed In Ukraine As Peace Talks End Without Progress by noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
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Soldiers, Civilians Killed In Ukraine As Peace Talks End Without Progress by noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
Ukraine says 13 of its soldiers have been killed in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours.
Military spokesman Volodymyr Polyovy said on February 1 that a further 20 soldiers were wounded in fighting against Russian-backed separatists.
Officials and rebels said six civilians also died in fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The latest casualties came as peace talks in Minsk aimed at ending the fighting in eastern Ukraine ended without progress on January 31.
The more than four hours of talks included representative from Russia, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics.
The Foreign Ministry of Serbia, which chairs the OSCE, said the two separatist envoys blocked the negotiations and sought to revise a previous cease-fire deal.
In a statement issued on February 1, the ministry said, "They were not even prepared to discuss implementation of a cease-fire and withdrawal of heavy weapons."
Rebel representative Denis Pushilin said the separatists will reject ultimatums and accused Ukraine of blocking the peace process.
Kyiv's representative at the talks, former President Leonid Kuchma, said the two separatist representatives at the talks issued ultimatums and refused to discuss a plan "for a quick cease-fire and a pullback of heavy weapons."
Kuchma also criticized the two main, self-proclaimed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine -- Aleksandr Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky -- for not attending the talks as signatories of the original cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk on September 5.
Pushilin said before the talks began that Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky were "fully occupied" dealing with the consequences of the Ukrainian bombardments.
Pushilin repeated after the talks that the two main separatist leaders would attend peace talks only after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared an immediate cease-fire and pulled back heavy weaponry and their presence is needed to sign "the final document."
Pushilin added that Kuchma was not currently authorized to sign a final document on behalf of Ukraine.
OSCE officials said before the talks that they hoped for a "binding" truce that would allow an "unrestricted supply of basic goods" as well as humanitarian aid to go to the civilians who are most affected by the fighting.
The peace talks in the Belarusian capital were being looked on as a chance to reduce the increased hostilities between separatist fighters and Ukrainian troops.
A total of more than 5,100 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes since the fighting began in April.
Ukrainian officials want separatist forces to pull back to the line of contact as outlined in the Minsk agreement, but the rebels are balking at that request as they have gained more than 500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since September and sit just outside the important seaport of Mariupol.
Fighting has been particularly intense in recent days in and around the city of Debaltseve, an important transportation hub some 50 kilometers northeast of the city of Donetsk.
Rebel representatives say they have nearly encircled thousands of Ukrainian forces in and near Debaltseve, which is caught in the artillery crossfire of the two sides.
The fight for the city -- which has been without power, water, and gas for some 10 days -- has led hundreds of people to flee the area.
Scores of others have been injured and taken to a nearby hospital that is controlled by Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on January 31 that some 1,000 residents have been evacuated from Debaltseve in recent days.
In a joint statement, rebel leaders from Donetsk and Luhansk said before the Minsk talks that if they failed their offensive would continue.
The latest violence has alarmed Ukraine's Western allies, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announcing plans to visit Kyiv on February 5 for talks with Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk.
The State Department said Kerry will then meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Munich security conference.
Western governments and Ukraine accuse Russia of arming and training the rebels, who are deploying sophisticated and heavy weaponry, including dozens of tanks and multiple-rocket launchers.
Russia denies aiding the rebels.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, dpa, and Interfax
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 ЛІГА.net |
Дебальцево под контролем, в Углегорске бои - Минобороны
ЛІГА.net Город Углегорск Донецкой области частично захвачен боевиками, Дебальцево находится под контролем украинских сил. Об этом сегодня во время брифинга заявил министр обороны Украины генерал-полковник Степан Полторак. Ранее некоторые представители СМИ неверно поняли ... Минобороны поможет воюющим за Украину россиянам с гражданствомПодробности Террористы контролируют часть Углегорска, а не Дебальцево - МинобороныУкраинское национальное информагентство Министр обороны Украины: На нашей стороне воюют иностранцыПоследние новости России и Украины, главные новости дня. Версии.сом -Корреспондент.net -Час Пик Все похожие статьи: 198 » |
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Минобороны: Боевики взяли под контроль только часть, а не весь Углегорск
Електроннi Вiстi Российско-террористические группировки взяли под контроль только часть, а не весь Углегорск. Об этом сообщает пресс-служба Министерства обороны Украины. "Еще раз подчеркиваем, город Дебальцево контролируется украинскими военнослужащими, но боевики ведут постоянный ... и другие » |
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Ukraine Talks Convene as Heavy Fighting Continuesby webdesk@voanews.com (Al Pessin)
Ukrainian government and separatist negotiators convened talks in Belarus on Saturday with mediators from Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The talks, aimed at restoring a cease-fire, came as heavy fighting continued at the crossroads town of Debaltseve, on the border between Donetsk and Luhansk, the two regions the rebels claim. With rebel forces on three sides of Debaltseve, more civilians were reported to be fleeing to the north on the one government-controlled road. Still, they were within range of rebel artillery. On Friday, along the entire former cease-fire line, Ukraine lost 15 troops, according to the defense minister, with 30 injured. Overnight, the rebel-held city of Donetsk took heavy shelling, with one death reported. A Ukrainian official said the shelling could not have come from government forces, because they have been pushed too far back, away from the town. In a VOA interview Saturday, the governor of the Donetsk region, Ukrainian Army General Alexander Kihtenko, said at least 280,000 people have been displaced in his area since the rebels launched their offensive in early January, and that number grows larger every day. The governor says the fighting has affected people very badly because they are under nearly constant threat of shelling, the destruction of their homes and the loss of relatives and friends. He says people are longing for peace and a return to normal life. Many people in the combat zone do not have electricity, water, heating or gas supplies, the governor adds. Temperatures are hovering near freezing. The rebels have expanded the area they control during the last several weeks of fighting, but the governor is not concerned that they will take the relatively large city of Kramatorsk, as they did in early in the uprising, before the Ukrainian military launched its counteroffensive. General Kihtenko says there is a large, motivated defense force in Kramatorsk that the rebels cannot overcome. Although the governor is no longer a military commander, he says that, as a military man, he sees the need for more foreign military aid, including modern weaponry like anti-tank guns and communication and reconnaissance gear. Western countries support Ukraine, and have provided some military equipment, but most have been reluctant to supply lethal military aid, for fear that would escalate the conflict. Ukrainian officials say they could easily defeat the rebels if not for Russia’s active support, which they say includes thousands of troops, weapons and training. As long as Russia remains involved in the conflict, Ukrainian leaders concede, the reinforced rebels can match or exceed any move by their forces, or by Ukraine's Western supporters. Western officials hope economic sanctions, strengthened again last week, will convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to change his Ukraine policy, but so far they have not.
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 УНИАН |
ОБСЕ: артобстрел Донецка, приведший к гибели мирных жителей, велся с северо-запада
Коммерсантъ Обстрел Донецка, при котором погибли мирные жители, велся с северо-западного направления, заявили представители миссии ОБСЕ на Украины. «Прибывшие в район Куйбышевский (в 2 километрах от центра Донецка) наблюдатели осмотрели место обстрела, видели 5 убитых ... ОБСЕ: артобстрел Донецка велся с северо-западаРИА Новости ОБСЕ установили направление обстрела Донецка, когда погибли людиМаяк ОБСЕ: обстрел Донецка, при котором погибли жители, велся с северо-западного направленияMail.Ru НТВ.ru -Федеральное агентство новостей No.1 -РИА Все похожие статьи: 33 » |
Сегодня же ополчение объявило о поднятии флага самопровозглашенной ДНР над администрацией одного из ключевых городов в зоне боев — Углегорска. Там украинские войска понесли серьезные потери.
Как передает
корреспондент НТВ Михаил Федотов
,
бои вокруг Дебальцева не прекращаются
. По словам ополченцев, им
удалось взять в окружение большую группировку вооруженных сил Украины
— примерно 8 тысяч человек. Накануне глава ДНР Александр Захарченко заявил, что гарантирует жизнь всем силовикам, которые добровольно сложат оружие. Последнюю информацию о боевых действиях в районе Дебальцева сообщили на брифинге представители министерства обороны Донецкой народной республики.
Эдуард Басурин
, заместитель командующего силами ополчения Донецкой народной республики: «У нас перегруппировка происходит. У противника тоже происходит увеличение контингента на определенных направлениях. Он на месте не сидит. Он пытается осуществить возможность разрыва данного „котла“, чтобы или вывести свои подразделения или, наоборот, развивать в сторону атаки на районы республики».
Дебальцево — это крупный транспортный узел, который дает выход на город Горловку, один из крупнейших на Донбассе. Именно поэтому жители Горловки очень сильно страдают от обстрелов украинских военных. Сегодня прямо в время службы там был разрушен православный храм, есть пострадавшие.
Тем временем украинские власти сообщили, что ведут эвакуацию жителей Дебальцева. По словам премьера Яценюка, из города вывезены около тысячи человек.
Подробности — в репортаже.
 РИА Новости |
Минобороны ДНР заявило о гибели за 15 дней почти 1,5 тыс. украинских военных
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For the latest summary of evidence surrounding the shooting down of flight MH17 see our separate article: Evidence Review: Who Shot Down MH17?
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As Ukraine’s government finally sat down with pro-Russian separatists for peace talks in Minsk yesterday, the people of Debaltseve were gathering in their town hall for evacuation as fire from heavy-calibre weapons boomed around them.
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By Andrei Makhovsky & Richard Balmforth REUTERS • Saturday January 31, 2015 10:12 PM
MINSK, Belarus — Peace talks over Ukraine collapsed on Saturday after just more than four hours with no tangible progress toward a new cease-fire but with Ukraine’s representative and separatist envoys angrily accusing each other of sabotaging the meeting.
Ukraine’s representative, former President Leonid Kuchma, left the talks in Minsk, Belarus, telling the Interfax news agency that separatist officials had undermined the meeting by making ultimatums and refusing “to discuss a plan of measures for a quick cease-fire and a pull-back of heavy weapons.”
Denis Pushilin, one of the separatist officials, told the Russian news agency RIA that they were ready for dialogue “but not ready for ultimatums from Kiev while shelling by their forces is going on in the background of towns in the Donbass (industrialized eastern Ukraine).”
The meeting of the “contact group,” which also involves a Russian envoy and an official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, took place in the Belarussian capital even as fighting between Kiev’s forces and the Russian-backed rebels raged on in Ukraine’s east, claiming more civilian and military lives.
The outcome dashed hopes that a new cease-fire could be put together soon to stem nine months of conflict pitting Ukrainian government forces against Russian-backed separatists who have declared “ people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine.
Shortly before the Minsk talks broke up, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Russia’s Vladimir Putin had expressed hope in a three-way phone call that the meeting would at least produce a cease-fire agreement.
More than 5,000 people have died since the conflict erupted last April after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in response to the ousting of a Moscow-backed president in Kiev by street protests.
Heavy shelling continued on Saturday in Ukraine’s eastern regions as the separatists sought to tighten a circle around government forces clinging to control of the strategic rail and road junction of Debaltseve.
Regional police Chief Vyacheslav Abroskin, in a Facebook post, said 12 civilians had been killed on Saturday by separatist shelling of the town, which lies to the northeast of Donetsk.
Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said 15 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 30 wounded in clashes across the east.
Debaltseve is on the main highway linking Donetsk and the other big rebel-controlled city of Luhansk and is also a vital rail link for goods traffic from Russia which Kiev accuses of arming the rebels.
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PEACE talks aimed at halting rising bloodshed in eastern Ukraine have ended in failure, with Kiev’s envoy saying pro-Russian separatists wrecked a deal by refusing to discuss an immediate ceasefire.
The delayed talks in Minsk were “thwarted” after top rebel leaders stayed away and their negotiators also refused to discuss withdrawing heavy weapons, former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma told Interfax Ukraine news agency.
Mr Kuchma also accused the insurgents’ representatives of putting forward “ultimatums” at the four-hour talks in the Belarussian capital without giving any more details.
The negotiator for the rebel Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, however, blamed Kiev for causing the collapse of the talks and said insurgent leaders would only agree a deal if Kiev’s forces halt fire first.
Mr Pushilin said the rebels also insisted the demarcation line include territory taken since the previous line was agreed in September, said by analysts to be around 500sq km.
Mediators from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe had hoped to thrash out a “binding” truce to revive a shattered peace plan despite Kiev suffering one of its bloodiest days yet in the nine-month conflict with 15 Ukrainian troops killed.
The OSCE as well as Russian officials attended the talks in Minsk after a nominal September ceasefire collapsed under the latest wave of violence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talked to each other by phone over the weekend, urging the warring factions to agree a truce in fighting that has left at least 5100 people dead.
The insurgents last week pulled out of peace talks and announced the start of an offensive designed to expand their control over a much broader swathe of the industrial southeast.
They said they would push their offensive “until the entire Donetsk and Lugansk regions are freed” of Ukrainian troops should the talks fail.
OSCE officials had said they hoped a deal would also provide for the “unrestricted supply of basic goods and humanitarian assistance” as the civilian death toll mounts in rebel regions Donetsk and Lugansk.
Fighting is raging around the strategic Ukrainian-controlled transport hub of Debaltseve, some 50km northeast of the separatist stronghold of Donetsk.
The town of 25,000 people was built around a railroad connecting the two rebel centres of the Russian-speaking southeast.
Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak for the first time said separatist forces had taken “partial” control of Debaltseve, where rebels claim to have surrounded some 8000 Ukrainian troops.
The rebels on Friday said that they had taken the town of Vuglegirsk — some 10km from Debaltseve — although Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said fighting there was ongoing.
Both towns were without water, electricity or heating, said regional police chief Vyacheslav Abroskin.
The latest violence has alarmed Ukraine’s Western allies, with US Secretary of State John Kerry announcing plans to express his support for the war-torn nation during talks in Kiev on Thursday with President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
Mr Kerry will then meet his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, the State Department said.
Western governments and Ukraine accuse Russia of arming and training the rebels, who are deploying extensive weaponry including tanks and multiple rocket launchers. Russia denies claims it has sent regular troops and arms to bolster the rebels, who claim to get all their weaponry from captured Ukrainian supplies.
The 28-nation EU on Thursday extended through September a first wave of targeted sanctions it had slapped on Moscow and Crimean leaders in the wake of Russia’s March seizure of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine.
Russia accuses the West of manipulating the Ukrainian government, which came to power in elections after the ouster in huge street demonstrations last year of a Kremlin-backed leader.
AFP
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