Fighting In Ukraine Has Dropped 'Significantly' In The Past Few Days

Ukraine's voluntary militia, the Azov Battalion, holds artillery training in east Ukraine's village of Urzuf, west of the port city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea, March 19. As the Ukraine war continues to escalate and as casualties mount, the Azov Battalion remains sidelined from the conflict, the author writes, highlighting the uneasy relationship between the government in Kiev and many volunteer units. MARKO DJURICA/REUTERS

Bloomberg: Ukraine Sees ‘Significant’ Drop in Fighting During Past Few Days

Ukraine said fighting in its eastern regions eased “significantly” in the past few days as an agreement for a total cease-fire is expected to come into force Tuesday after repeated breaches to a six-month old truce.

Russian-backed rebels stopped using heavy weapons on Sunday and reduced the intensity of shelling to the lowest level since April 19, Ukrainian officials said yesterday. In the past 24 hours, rebels fired at government troops from rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers in only 19 instances.

The February truce, co-signed by Russia, hasn’t been fully implemented. Ukraine and the pro-Russian separatists its army has been battling for more than a year said Wednesday that they’d seek a “total cease-fire” starting Sept. 1. Ukrainian military officials warned rebels may resume fighting as early as Tuesday and possibly target local schools, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters on Sunday, citing security service data.

WNU Editor: I would not hold out hope that this will become a permanent trend. Both sides are still bitterly divided, and there is no progress on talks.