Ukraine Crisis -- News Updates March 30, 2015

James Carden, National Interest: Ukraine's Bloody Civil War: No End in Sight

Ukraine is falling apart at the rifts...

MOSCOW–After spending several days in and around Donetsk last week, I found it hard to escape the conclusion that the second Minsk ceasefire is rapidly unraveling. Nearly continuous artillery shelling and machine-gun fire could be heard for the better part of Thursday morning in the city’s Oktyabrskaya neighborhood, not far from the airport, where fighting is said to have continued without surcease.

The OSCE reported that the main railway station in the city was shelled on March 25, and a visit to it the day after showed that to be so. Rebel tanks could be seen participating in exercises on the rural outskirts of Donetsk on the 26th. The sound of sporadic artillery fire could be heard in the city’s centrally located Leninsky District well into the early hours of the 27th.

WNU Editor: I concur with James Carden's above analysis .... I am not optimistic for peace in Ukraine .... not even close.

Ukraine Crisis -- News Updates March 30, 2015

Russian Tanks and Fighters Enter Eastern Ukraine, Says Kiev -- Newsweek
22 Russian tanks enter Ukraine on March 28 -- Charter 97
One Ukrainian serviceman killed, three wounded, in clashes with rebels: Kiev military -- Reuters
One Ukrainian Soldier Killed, Three Wounded In East Ukraine -- Radio Free Europe
Russian-backed militants continue to attack Ukrainian army positions with Grad rockets -- Ukraine Today
Rebel Leader: Kiev Blocks Solution for Eastern Ukraine -- ABC News/AP
Ukraine prospects of peace: Monitoring a ceasefire -- BBC
U.S. paratroopers to train 900 Ukrainian soldiers starting April 20 -- Kyiv Post
US Sending Soldiers to Train Ukraine National Guard -- Daily Signal
US Paratroopers To Begin Ukraine Mission In Mid-April -- IBTimes
U.S. forces to train Ukraine National Guard in late April -- UPI
With Broken Economy And Scarce Jobs, Ukraine's Displaced People Depend On Volunteers -- IBTimes
Voices: Ukraine a country aching with anguish -- Oren Dorell, USA Today
What Will the Kremlin Do Next in Ukraine? -- Vladimir Frolov, Moscow Times