NATO says 6,400 Russian troops deployed to Ukrainian border
2014-11-14
Posted by: badanov
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
NATO commander General Philip Breedlove said Wednesday that a total of eight Russian combat battalions have been deployed to the Russian Ukrainian border, totaling 6,400 troops, according to English, Ukrainian and Russian language news reports.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported last Sunday that a large column of Russian military equipment had been reported on the H-21 highway near Zuhres, which according to the report is 41 kilometers east of Donetsk city. The column was said to contain 122mm towed artillery pieces. The OSCE report said a total of 12 artillery pieces were in the column, essentially making the column an artillery battalion.
The day before, November 9th, OSCE observers reported a total of 40 military vehicles, including tanks traveling along highway N21 near Makeyvka, h25 kilometers northeast of Donetsk city.
The newest reports of rebel troop movements coincide with reports from the Donbas rebels that the Ukrainian military is preparing an offensive, although the date of launch is unclear. It should be noted that the Donbas rebels have been predicting a Ukrainian offensive since the start of the ceasefire on September 5th.
Ukrainian forces have been reported being deployed in sensitive locations in western Donetsk and northern Lugansk, reportedly in response to rebel troop movements and deployments. The Ukrainian armored column reported last week moving southeast toward Schastye -- a Ukrainian held town -- is a Ukrainian quick reaction force deployed in support of Ukrainian forces dug in at Schastye, according to Russian military blogger and analyst Boris Rozhin.
Schastye is part of a bridgehead on the Northern Donetsk River that Ukrainian forces hold and have held since late August. It has been the subject of repeated -- and failed -- attempts by Donbas rebel forces to eject Ukrainian forces. The fear among rebel commanders is that Schastye is being held by the Ukrainians as a possible jumping off point for a renewed offensive.
OSCE observers also have been reporting truck movements from Russia to Lugansk, where trucks entering Lugansk were emptied, then returning with cargoes of coal and coffins. An OSCE observer on the Ukrainian-Russian border at a single checkpoint near Gukovo also reported a count of 665 men in military uniform crossing both ways since September 19th, the start of the last protocol of the Minsk Ceasefire agreement.
Adding to tensions was Ukrainian Defense Minister Colonel General Stepan Poltorak saying that Ukrainian forces "must prepare for battle", according to the Russian language korrespondent.net news outlet The admonition is considered to be a general warning, not specific to any incident on the ground.
Artillery Fire in Donetsk
Sporadic artillery fire took place most of the day in Donetsk city, according to a news account posted by Vesti-Ukr.com news outlet.
Most of the strikes hit in two areas in Kuibyshev and Kievskiy district. Artillery strikes also were reported in Leninsky district as well. Artillery strikes in the Petrovskiy district damaged a large number of gas pipelines, cutting off 100 residences.
According to reports, rebel artillery fire directed at Ukrainian forces in Peski and Avdeyevka continued Wednesday. Those missions are intended to loosen the Ukrainian forces' grip on the Donetsk airport, which has been an ongoing problem for Donbas rebels. Peski and Avdeyevka are both marshaling points for Ukrainian forces supporting the Ukrainian forces at the airport.
According to Russian military analysts, an attempt over the last two days to encircle Ukrainian forces at Avdeyevka failed, but artillery fire from Donbas rebels, mostly light mortar fire from 82mm mortars continues.
Artillery Fire in Northern Lugansk
An OSCE observer team reportedly heard artillery fire near Stanytsia Luganska, which is 25 kilometers northeast of Lugansk, according to data supplied at the OSCE news website.
In Kolijadivka (46 kilometers north of Lugansk), the OSCE "heard outgoing and incoming artillery fire, including several rounds of BM-21 (122mm rocket artillery launcher), from the south". Locals reported to the team that "the shelling was taking place in Schastye and Stanytsia Luganska."
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.
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