Sunday, June 14, 2015

Ukraine's Low Intensity War Continues

Members of the Ukrainian armed forces gather on the roadside near the village of Vidrodzhennya outside Artemivsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, June 9, 2015. Reuters/Oleksandr Klymenko

Reuters: One Ukrainian serviceman killed as eastern attacks intensify

A Ukrainian serviceman was killed and 21 were wounded in separatist attacks in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday, as both sides accused the other of intensifying attacks despite a four-month-old ceasefire deal.

The truce brokered by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in Minsk, Belarus, has stemmed large-scale fighting but skirmishes claim lives almost daily on both sides. International monitors have warned of the threat of a bigger flare-up.

"In the past 24 hours the number of ceasefire violations by illegal military groups has risen," Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksander Motuzyanyk said at a briefing at midday.

Two civilians were wounded in shelling of government-held Avdiyivka, he said, describing attacks on the nearby town of Horlivka, the airport of rebel-held Donetsk and the town of Maryinka as being the most intense.

WNU Editor: IEDs, sniper fire, shoot and run hits .... this is what is eating at the Ukraine military right now. And while the media focus is on what is happening on the front lines, I am continuously reading news reports (from both sides) that the security situation in the Ukraine zones of control .... especially where there are large concentrations of Russian-Ukrainians .... are becoming extremely dangerous for the security forces. But what I most depressing about this conflict is the growing acceptance (on both sides) that this low intensity warfare is probably going to last a very long time.

Update: New deaths and diplomatic warfare rattle Ukraine truce -- AFP

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