Russian, Ukrainian officials begin task of implementing ceasefire
2014-12-04
Posted by: badanov
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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
The ceasefire agreement announced in Donetsk two days ago appears to have been violated as Ukrainian, Russian, non-government organization observers and politicians from the breakaway region of Novorossiya work to end the fighting according to Russian, Ukrainian and English language news reports.
The ceasefire agreement reached two days ago was intended to end the nearly constant fighting for the Donetsk airport, and shelling in Donetsk city, and was to have come into force December 3nd.
But according to Donbas rebel media and other news outlets, Ukrainian artillery units continue to shell parts of Donetsk city, injuring civilians and damaging residential and commercial buildings.
According to the pro Donbas rebel Voice of Sevastopol, Ukrainian artillery stationed at the Donetsk suburbs of Peski and Avendeyevka struck the Donetsk city districts of Azotny, Petrovka, Oktyabrsky, Putilovka with artillery fire.
Rebels also claim that a total of 14 civilians were killed in an artillery strike in nearby Komsomolsk as, according to the Voice of Sevastopol news outlet report, a 220mm "Urugan" artillery strike hit several civilian buildings.
Ukrainian mortar units are said to have hit Kievsky, Putilovka, Scheglovka, Kuibyshevsky and Petrovka districts in Donetsk city.
Rebel artillery units struck back at Ukrainian army targets, but no casualty counts have emerged.
According to the OSCE, an observer team near that location was told that despite artillery hitting residential areas, no casualties were reported.
According to vesti-ukr.ru news website, truce talks took place in central Donetsk city at the Park Inn Hotel on Monday, shrouded in secrecy as to who participated in the negotiations.
According to a quote from the head of the Donetsk national security council, Andrew Purgin, that meeting was where the ceasefire agreement was officially announced two days ago.
According to the vestui-ukr.ru article, an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observer team had just completed a tour of the airport area as the agreement was announced.
A Ukrainian Army press spokesman identified as Vladislav Seleznev said that as soon as the team left the airport shelling resumed.
One of the reasons given for the Donetsk city ceasefire in Monday's announcement was to end the fighting at the airport, which had been costly for both sides. According to the vesti-ukr.ru article, rebel commanders complained that the new ceasefire agreement interfered with their operations to take the airport, and that they were forced to retreat from the area of operation before their operations were completed.
It is unclear at this moment how Ukrainian and Russian officials intend to enforce the ceasefire. According to Russian press, Tuesday a Russian military official threatened to withhold or delay Russian humanitarian relief efforts if the rebels did not stop fighting.
Rebel commanders and politicians have complained since the implementation of the Minsk ceasefire agreement that the line of demarcation was hastily drawn and ill thought out, as it left a large part of western Donetsk city in Ukrainian hands.
Donetsk city is the capital city of the nascent Donetsk republic.
Two months before, however, Ukrainian military officials offered to withdraw from the western suburbs of Donetsk city, if the rebels withdrew from areas around the Sea of Azov port city of Mariupol. The rebels passed on the offer, instead opting to make a two month long campaign of taking areas in and around Donetsk city held by Ukrainian military units.
According to data supplied by the OSCE website, a total of 79 violations of the ceasefire occurred in Donetsk oblast (province). An OSCE UAV drone was fired on by, presumably rebel 23mm AAA a few kilometers north of Mariupol.
The new ceasefire agreement around Donetsk city did not hold as of December 3rd, and likely will not hold despite the best efforts -- and threats -- of the Russians and Ukrainians.
Preparations for the Lugansk ceasefire
Russian, Ukrainian, OSCE and Lugansk officials held more talks Wednesday, intending to fully implement a ceasefire, especially in northern Lugansk where in recent weeks the fighting has been steadily intensifying.
Tuesday, according to a rebel news account, a six man Ukrainian strike team was eliminated by rebel units as it attempted to set explosive charges on the bridge of the Northern Donetsk river near Stanitsa Luganskaya.
The battles at Stanitsa Luganskaya have been intensifying as well, as rebel units sought to force a crossing and force Ukrainian army units from the town. Instead, Ukrainian military units held fast to the northern parts of the city, using their artillery to pound rebel positions to the south and southeast.
Meanwhile, near the highway T1303, pro rebel Cossack mortar teams shelled Ukrainian checkpoint 29. No casualties were reported.
Ukrainian military units said that rebel artillery attacks were recorded all along the T1303 area including at Sokolniki, Krimskoye, Donetsky and Tryokhizbyonka.
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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