Reuters: Ukraine truce unravels as rebels advance into government-held town
Pro-Russian rebels fought their way into an encircled government bastion and were battling street-to-street on Tuesday, all but dashing hopes that a European-brokered peace deal would end months of conflict.
Two days after a truce went into effect, an agreement reached at all-night talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk last week was unravelling rapidly, with both sides refusing to begin pulling back heavy guns on Tuesday as required.
The failed ceasefire has left thousands of Ukrainian troops surrounded, their fate uncertain. The rebels said they had captured hundreds of them and would not let the rest escape unless they surrender. Ukraine said some of its troops had been taken prisoner but denied the number captured was that high.
WNU Editor: So much for the Ukrainian government's recent assertions that their forces were not surrounded ... when clearly they were. It is night time in Ukraine right now .... I suspect that more information on the fall of Debaltseve and the fate of 1,000+ Ukrainian soldiers trapped in this enclave will be known by tomorrow morning. My guess is that most of these soldiers are abandoning their posts and are trying to flee out of this entrapment, some are going to stay put and make a last stand, .... and the rest are probably surrendering or will be surrendering by tomorrow. This a major defeat for the Ukraine government .... there are going to be consequences .... for the Poroshenko government, Ukrainian public opinion for this war, E.U. and U.S. reaction, and more sanctions against Russia. As for the truce .... that is definitely dead .... but with a Ukrainian army that is no longer in a position to resist pro-Russian rebel advances should they decide to do so.
More News On The Battle for The Town Of Debaltseve
Ukraine says some soldiers taken prisoner in Debaltseve -- AP
Rebels Claim Control of Key Ukraine Town as Truce Shudders -- Bloomberg
Ukraine rebels claim control of most of Debaltseve -- Financial Times
Russia-backed rebels claim to capture key Ukraine rail hub -- Mashable
Ukraine Truce Hangs by Thread as Rebels Claim Key Rail Hub -- Time
Ukraine says peace hopes 'destroyed' as rebels assault town -- AFP
Heavy fighting at strategic rail hub in east Ukraine -- The Guardian
WNU Editor,
ReplyDeleteI have a somewhat different take on this.
Porshenko told a lot of fibs, and made a bunch of empty promises at Minsk I, like the Secret Addenum that gave the airport to the DPR,
He told outright lies and made more inmmediate clawbacks at Minsk II, and both the Russians and the EU seem to have hung him out to dry on them.
My guess, is after the cleaning of the Debaltseve Cauldron, the DPA and LPA will go on the Defensive.
Porshenko will have to deal with the political, economic and military consequences, internally, and externally.
Basically, a last chance has been offered for the Ukraine, the EU and the US to come to their senses.
If Azov continues to attack out of Mariupol, then the DPA and LPA will close and crush the Mariupol Cauldron.
There is still a lot of territory in Luhansk and Donestk that the pro-Russian rebels have already indicated that they want to seize. I can also see Mariupol being the next target. Everything is fluid right now .... we shall know what is going to happen in the next few days.
ReplyDeleteWNU Editor,
ReplyDeleteMy "gut" feeling is that if the UAF pulls back their heavy weapons and stops shelling the towns and cities,
The DPA and LPA will take the time to entrench, rebuild, and rearm.
If not, or if the Punative Battalions don't stand down, the. The DPA and LPA will have no choice but to clean out places like Peski.
WNU Editor,
ReplyDeleteKazurra and Fort Russ have some new vids up. The Fort Russ are not translated.
I've been noticing that the UAF troops, have started lashing logs to the sides of their BPM's and APC's with cables, as ATGL and RPG protection,
Which suggests that the fighting is at a lot closer range than the UAF is reporting.
The use of artillery has also been very effective .... but yes .... some of those vids are showing close combat.
ReplyDeleteI've seen those logs also, where they are placing them is interesting.
ReplyDeleteDonetsk PM Zakharchenko injured in mortar attack at Debaltseve.
ReplyDelete