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Blasts Continue as 15,000 Residents Evacuated From Arms Depot Fire in Ukraine

According to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, some 15,000 residents have been evacuated from nearby areas as explosions of varying intensity continue at an ammunition depot in Ukraine's Kharkiv Region.

 Around 15,000 residents have been evacuated from nearby areas as explosions of varying intensity continue at an ammunition depot in Ukraine's Kharkiv Region, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said Thursday.

"From the possible impact zone (city of Balakliia and two nearby settlements in Balakliia district) an evacuation is being carried out (about 15,000 people)," the service said in a statement.

It said that "explosions of varying intensity" continue erupting at the arms depot.

Ukraine Media Centre

yiv, March 21, 2017 Most intense hostilities take place at Krymske, Novoaydar district and in Avdiivka and its outskirts – Defense Ministry

Kyiv, March 21, 2017.

Overall, the number of ceasefire violations ranged between 50 on Sunday, March 19, and 112 on Friday, March 17.

The situation on the frontline did not change significantly. “Most active hostilities, during the previous week, took place at Krymske, Novoaydar district, in Avdiivka and its outskirts and in the south of the Mariupol sector”, stated Vilyen Pidgornyy, Ministry of Defense spokesperson during a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. The share of enemy indirect fire episodes last week remained unchanged in comparison with the preceding week and amounted to 44%. In contrast, incidents of enemy sniper fire decreased in actual numbers and reached 12, comparing to 22 over the foregoing week.

Luhansk sector

Last week Russia-backed militants engaged Ukrainian Armed Forces in the sector with mortars and cannon artillery. The enemy remains consistent while choosing their target areas week after week: Krymske, Popasna area and Troitske regularly came under enemy fire of low and medium intensity. “However, on March 16 there was an unexpected development in Lobacheve. At 20:30 pro-Russia proxies opened fire with 82 mm mortars that resulted in casualties on the part of Ukrainian defenders. That day, militants treacherously used 122 mm artillery during nighttime against Troitske and Novozvanivka. The same day, the enemy fire wounded a teenager in Valuiske village of Stanytsia Luhanska district”, Mr. Pidgornyy said. On March 13, Russia-equipped militants used mortars  at Krymske three times, having fired more than 210 rounds. On March 14, the enemy has paused mortar attacks in the daytime just so that their sniper groups could advance to the front line and open direct fire against Novozvanivka, Novooleksandrivka and Zhovte. On March 18, Krymske was attacked with heavy weapons five times. Enemy artillery crews fired more than 150 mortar bombs and rounds of different caliber during one artillery and four mortar attacks. Additionally, the enemy opened tank fire. Last week, the daily number of cease-fire violations by the enemy in the sector ranged between 12 (on March 16) and 25 (on March 18).

Donetsk sector

Positions of Ukrainian Armed Forces in this sector were targeted with most intense enemy fire. Russia-backed militants opened short but multiple mortar and artillery fire along the whole front line, being most active in Avdiivka area. The militants engaged Ukrainian positions day and night. In the evening of March 15, the enemy artillery crews opened a severe artillery fire at our rear positions in Klishchiivka, south of Bakhmut, having fired nearly 80 rounds over an hour and a half. Similar to the previous week the enemy opened tank fire in Avdiivka and adjacent areas and used infantry fighting vehicles in Luhanske, Verhniotoretske and Zaitseve. Last week, the daily fire activity of the enemy ranged between 31 (on March 18) and 52 cease-fire violations (on March 17).

Mariupol sector 

Traditionally, the majority of cease-fire violations took place in the Pavlopil – Shyrokyne area of the front line. However, last week the militants several times used heavy weapons in the northern part of the sector, namely in Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Berezove and Novotroitske. In the morning of March 13, the enemy sniper groups advanced to the front line. In the afternoon, the enemy artillery crews opened indirect fire at Pavlopil. In the early morning of March 14, enemy tank engaged our positions in Maryinka and fired nearly 20 shells in ten minutes. On March 16, the enemy launched a two-hour-long combined attack on Novotroitske, having fired the total of 50 artillery rounds and mortar bombs. “March 17 was marked by the highest intensity of enemy fire.  The enemy artillery opened fire at Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Hnutove, Vodiane, Lebedynske and Shyrokyne. On March 18, Russia-trained militants used artillery at Vodiane having fired nearly 50 rounds”, added Mr Vilyen Pidgornyy. Last week, the number of cease-fire violations by the enemy ranged between 29 (on March 18) and 46 (on March 17).

According to Mr. Pidgornyy, compared with the foregoing week, the intensity of UAVs use by the militants decreased from almost three a day to the total of 9 episodes of hostile drones flights during the whole last week in the ATO area. The enemy conducted aerial reconnaissance both in the tactical rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and at the very front line near Avdiivka, at Svitlodarsk and Krymske village.

Russia delivered fuel to the occupied territories of Ukraine in 24 railroad tank cars. On Saturday, March 18, eight trucks carrying ammunition for militants crossed the Ukrainian-Russian border near Dmytrivka village, Donetsk region. Besides, on Thursday, March 16, the sixty-second so-called “humanitarian convoy” from Russia delivered unidentified cargo for the needs of militants through Izvaryne and Uspenka checkpoints that are not controlled by the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed the “convoy” consisted of 40 trucks carrying over 500 tons of cargo.  

Casualties

Last week, 7 Ukrainian servicemen were killed in action. Forty soldiers were wounded in action, including  the National Guard of Ukraine officer.

Five civilians were wounded in enemy shellings in the conflict area last week. “This includes one teenager in Valuiske, Luhansk sector, a woman in Luhanske, two women and a man in Avdiivka, Donetsk sector. One of the wounded women in Avdiivka was a volunteer. All wounded civilians received medical assistance in a timely manner”, MOD spokesperson stated.

Damage to civilian infrastructure

Twenty-nine residential buildings were damaged in the indirect fire conducted by the Russian proxies in the Donetsk and Mariupol sectors. Most of them are in Avdiivka. Three non-residential buildings were damaged by the enemy shelling in Avdiivka and Krasnohorivka. Mortar and artillery rounds directly hit a kindergarten in Avdiivka, humanitarian supplies distribution hub in Zaitseve, power line in Hnutove, and railway track sections in the frontline area in the Donetsk sector.

Defense Ministry: Ukrainian Armed Forces defeat two subversive reconnaissance groups near Vodiane, militants employ heavy artillery and MLRS

Vodiane in the Mariupol sector was the main flashpoint of the conflict area yesterday, reported Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine spokesman on ATO-related issues, during a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. In the morning, two subversive reconnaissance groups of up to 20 militants each attacked Ukrainian positions. Ukrainian troops successfully defeated the attack. “To retaliate, occupants opened massive fire from mortars, cannons and ‘Grad’ multiple rocket launcher systems, firing over 50 mortar rounds, eighty 122 mm and 152 mm shells, and 65 ‘Grad’ missiles. Security cameras recorded one of the ‘Grad’ salvos directly hitting Vodiane,” elaborated Col. Motuzyanyk. Enemy losses in the firefight are assessed at 5-8 people killed and 13-16 wounded.

Militants used mortars, cannons and tanks in cease-fire violations in Talakivka, Lebedynske and Shyrokyne, and employed mortars in Marinka and Krasnohorivka.  The enemy conducted two sniper and two artillery attacks in Novotroitske, firing over 50 rounds at our positions, mostly between 20:00 and 21:00.

In the Donetsk sector militants performed 17 ceasefire violations, using heavy weapons seven times. Most attacks occurred near Luhanske and on Kamianka – Avdiivka – Butovka coal mine frontline sector. “Russia-backed militants were active in the afternoon, employed mortars, tanks, and other armor as well as snipers. In addition, the enemy twice violated the ceasefire in Novoluhanske,” elaborated Col.  Motuzyanyk. Horlivka and the Donetsk airport area were relatively peaceful.

Fifteen enemy ceasefire violations were recorded in the Luhansk sector, with over 70% of attacks taking place in the Popasna district. Russia-backed militants shelled Troitske with 10 mortar rounds. Moreover, the truce was violated in Stanytsia Luhanska, Triokhizbenka and Krymske.  “Enemy shelling damaged Slovianoserbsk – Triokhizbenka power line and cut off the power supply 1400 consumers in Triokhizbenka, Orikhovo-Donetske and Kalaus. Repair works are in progress,” said Col. Motuzyanyk.

According to Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, militants of so-called “7th brigade” of Russian occupational troops set up engineer obstacles at the Svitlodarsk area using PMN-2 antipersonnel mines on March 16.  “This mine type is notoriously known as “Black Widow”, and is prohibited under the Ottawa convention. Ukraine signed and ratified this document, yet Russia has not,” said the spokesman.

Russian Terrorist Warns It May Shoot Down U.S. Aircraft If They Attack Syrian Forces

A Russia Terrorist spokesman suggested that Russian State Terrorist antiaircraft systems may shoot down U.S. or U.S.-led coalition aircraft if they attack Syrian forces.

The warning by Major General Igor Konashenkov (Currently wanted for War Crimes) was the harshest and bluntest remark to date by a Russian Terrorist official about the ongoing air campaigns in Syria.

It comes as bilateral ties between Washington and Moscow continue to spiral downwards. The United States earlier this week announced it was suspending talks with Russia about cooperation on Syria that were aimed at reestablishing a cease-fire that broke down on September 19.

Since then, Syrian and Russia Terrorist warplanes have conducted a campaign of air strikes on rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo, killing hundreds of civilians.

Since the weekend, Russia has deployed S-300 antiaircraft missile systems in Syria, and has sent three warships to the eastern Mediterranean. Several longer range S-400 antiaircraft systems are also in Syria and mounted on Russian warships off Syria's coast.

The Washington Post reported on October 4 that the Pentagon this week presented U.S. administration officials with several options for possible air strikes against Syrian government forces in response to the offensive on Aleppo.

Speaking at a briefing in Moscow on October 6, Konashenkov said Moscow was worried by The Washington Post report and other similar media reports.

"I would recommend that our colleagues in Washington carefully weigh possible consequences of the fulfillment of such plans," Konashenkov said.

'Unhelpful' Comments

Konashenkov also warned that the Russian State Terrorist funded military  would probably not have time to use the hotline set up earlier this year to avoid confrontation between U.S. and Russian aggression  forces if missiles are fired at targets in Syria.

"One should realize that the Russian crews manning the air defense systems will unlikely have time to find out an exact flight path of missiles and their origin through the direct [hotline]," he said.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby criticised the Russian State Terrorist Ministry spokesman's comments, saying they "weren’t helpful" for moving toward "some sort of diplomatic solution."

But Kirby said "the Russians should speak for themselves."

Kirby also said U.S. administration officials were discussing a range of options for action in Syria.

"Not all of those options revolve around diplomacy," he said.