Anti-Terrorist Operation: Liveblog (July 8)

08/07/2014

1 minute read

Following the refusal of Russian-backed insurgents to lay down their arms or cooperate in a unilateral ceasefire, President Petro Poroshenko announced the resumption of the Anti-Terrorist Operation of the Armed Forces & National Guard on late on June 30.

We will attack and we will liberate our land. – President Petro Poroshenko

Since July 1 the campaign has been ongoing (you can follow our Liveblog series here). The assault by the Armed Forces has concentrated itself in air strikes and artillery, and sources within ATO command have estimated combined losses to pro-Russian forces the first two days to exceed 600, while losses to Ukrainian forces are claimed to have been minimal. Over 100 military attacks were recorded on Wednesday in the renewed offensive. By Saturday, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk were liberated as the Ukrainian military routed Russian forces that had been occupying those cities. Militants are now primarily concentrated in Donetsk while a number of leaders have reportedly fled to Moscow.

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February 26: 75 military from the UK will be deployed to Ukraine in the upcoming weeks to train Ukrainian military

February 25 – 75 military from the UK will be deployed to Ukraine in the upcoming weeks to train Ukrainian military, – saidPrime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron.

February 25 – Canada could send military instructors to train in Ukraine, reports thestar.com citing Canada's Minister of Defence Jason Kenney. The Minister also mentioned that the the US and the UK have already made similar decisions.

February 25 – In Donetsk, Ukrainian partisans of the group named "Tini" ("Shadows") who are fighting in the occupied areas, have blew up a military warehouse of the militants.

February 25 – European Commission proposes to discuss the possibility of separate accounting for Russian gas supplied to "Naftogaz of Ukraine" (Ukraine) and to occupied Donbas. Russian "Gazprom" would like to supply gas directly to Donbas and to force Ukraine to pay for it – this is what business Russian style looks like.

February 25 – Moscow City Court decided to leave Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko in custody until May 13th (Savchenko was abducted from Ukraine). She has been on hunger strike for 75 days. Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko made a speech during the trial in Moscow. "Deceitful bastards from the Investigative Committee are keeping me here illegally and are forcing me to starve", – she said.

February 25 – Ukrainian hryvnia has slightly strengthened after its dramatic decrease in value on Monday-Tuesday. The Government and the National Bank have limited the purchase of foreign currency and introduced a number of restrictions that eased the "currency rush". National Bank Chairman and Finance Minister have held a press conference and described the steps that will be taken. The Ministry of Finance does not intend to review the average exchange rate of hryvnia (21.7 UAH to 1 USD), which was used to prepare the amendments to 2015 state budget.

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