Meeting with Tripartite Contact Group commences Today subject logo: DONBASWAR
2014-12-24
Posted by: badanov

For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately.

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A teleconference including the presidents of Russia, Germany and France has led to renewed preliminary talks about the Minsk Ceasefire agreement, it is being reported in Russian language news accounts.

A report in verti-ukr.ru said that a brief Skype teleconference settled on two more meetings-- Wednesday and Friday -- between the President of Ukraina, Piotr Poroshenko, the President of Russian, Vladimir Putin, the president of France Francois Hollande and the chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel over the issues of prisoner exchanges and humanitarian relief for civilians residing in he war zone.

As of this moment none of the representatives of the two breakaway republic of Donetsk and Lugansk have commented on the meeting, nor have they made any demands for further talks.

Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin reported said that the main issue in the talks surround the worsening humanitarian situation in southeastern Ukraine. Yesterday it was reported that industrial production for the region was down by about 30 percent. Added to that, Poroshenko stopped payments to pensioners in the region as part of its "economic blockade".

Indications are that the humanitarian situation is so bad, even the Ukrainians are considering sending relief supplies into the region.

Rebel media is reporting that basic needs of civilians suffering are being met through a scrip system established by the rebel government of Lugansk and Donetsk, although reports do not make clear if the system is region wide or just in major towns.

Reports sympathetic to the Russian backed rebels are that rebel units are aiding civilians in their area of operation, although it is not clear the provenance of the aid. A few days ago Russia sent in its 10th humanitarian relief convoy into the region.

Talks on further resolving the civil war have clearly stalled with the rebel demanding a restoration of pensions payments among other demands, including the lifting of the economic embargo of the region.

Fighting in Lugansk and Donetsk

According to data supplied by former FSB Colonel Igor Girkin, Ukrainian artillery units have been shelling points in Donetsk city as late as Tuesday, including the Kuibyshevsky district of the city and at the airport, where a months long standoff between Ukrainian troops and rebel units continues. A resident said that artillery firing from the Ukrainians continued for almost 20 minutes.

The pro rebel Voice of Sevastopol reported that small arms and artillery fights took place at Peski on Sunday, where the Ukrainian Army has sited artillery. Rebels reported artillery was firing from Opytnoye and Peski. The rebels said they did not return fire. The engagement at Peski was said to have lasted several hours.

Also on Sunday, rebels reported Ukrainian artillery fire at Gorlovka -- northeast of Donetsk city --, which has been especially hot recently.

Near Stanitsa Luganksaya in Lugansk, rebels said Ukrainian artillery hit the nearby settlements of Sokolniki and Prishib, and on points along T1303.

On Monday the fighting at Peski continued, according to the Voice of Sevasotpol, where rebels and Ukrainian military units exchanged small arms, mortar and RPG fire. The rebels said they moved reinforcements towards the front to counter a Ukrainian mobile threat, said to be a local reconnaissance in force operation.

Artillery fire was reported in Kievsky, Petrovskiy and Kuibyshevsky districts by locals.

In Lugansk on Monday, rebels reported five separate artillery attacks, none of which they said their side responded to. Another artillery strike was fired by Ukrainian along highway T1303. Ukrainian artillery reported was fired at locations in the town of Slavyanoserbsk, which is on the right bank of the Northern Donetsk River, and less than five kilometers west of Schastye, which is a Ukrainian stronghold. That artillery fire the rebels said they did respond to.

According to pro Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk, rebels are concentrating their units along highway T1303 including a company tactical group and an artillery group.

Tymchuk also reported that additional units from Andrei Mozgovoi's "Ghost" Brigade were being sent into the region to include a total of 600 effectives, seven tanks, a mixed artillery battalion, a rocket artillery battery -- probably BM-21 Grad -- and about 25 armored fighting vehicles.

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.

If you have something to add, Fire Away!

Number of Comments so far: 0

Click here for a list of stories in the The 2014 War in Ukraina category