Dmitry Tymchuk’s Military Blog: Summary – August 20, 2014

byVoices of Ukraine

21/08/2014

3 minute read

Brothers and sisters!

Here’s the Summary for August 20, 2014 (for previous summary, please see Summary for August 19).

The bad news:

1. “Humanitarian aid” from Russia is nonetheless entering into Ukraine–the last report was that the first group of trucks have entered into the transit zone of the Russian checkpoint of “Donetsk.” The National Security and Defense Council [NSDC] reported that Ukrainian customs and border control guards will start inspection and clearance of cargo “not earlier than Thursday.”

What abomination to expect from this special operation of the Kremlin’s–is anyone’s guess. Moscow still failed to explain any “water-salt” contents of the cargo and the method of withdrawal of its transport back to Russia. Nor have we heard any clear commentary on this “aid” from the Red Cross. A lot of questions and bad forebodings.

Editor’s note: recent reports say that the first 8 white trucks have crossed the border into Ukraine now. Photo: Andrew Roth, NYT Moscow Bureau tweet.

2. The Adviser to the Interior Minister A. [Anton] Gerashchenko said that the Ministry of Defense delays the issuing of heavy weapons for the Specialized Battalions of the Ministry of the Interior, whereas the latter “take the fight to the terrorists armed with Grads, canons, armored vehicles, [thus] assisting our Armed Forces.”

We clarified this situation for ourselves back in June. The Defense Ministry explained to us that for arms transfers to another agency, there is a statutory procedure, and such issues are not resolved in [only] two days. In what kind of time period is it possible to resolve this issue–we were unable to find out.

At the same time, the General Staff, in informal conversations, are of the opinion that the Specialized Battalions of the Ministry for the Interior should not operate as assault units by definition, because that’s what the army is for. And the Interior Ministry units must comply with the relevant tasks–to carry out the clearing of settlements and restore law and order in the liberated territories.

This may well be so, but it is necessary to ensure an ideal interaction between the divisions and the units of the Interior Ministry and the AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] so that every man does only his job–in particular, so that the army [can] promptly destroy any heavy equipment in the path of these same Specialized Battalions. Which, unfortunately, we do not see. So, there is one of two things remaining–either solve the problem with interaction or arm the Specialized Battalions with heavy weapons.

3. The territories controlled by the insurgents in Donbas finally plunged into an abyss of lawlessness – from terrorists thriving by looting.

According to our data, in cities occupied by terrorists, residents are trying to sell movable property for a pittance, which the fighters for Putin’s idea did not have time to “squeeze out” [from them]. A decent car can be bought from the owner for 1-2,000 Hryvnias [USD $75.50–151]. However, for a “squeezed” auto, terrorists can give a couple of cartons of cigarettes. What a sad picture of the “Russian world” …

The good news:

1. A significant part of Luhansk is under the control of our forces, the freeing of Donetsk is underway as well.

I distinguish these two red dots on the ATO [anti-terrorist operation] map for one reason: the liberation of these two towns has a huge, so to speak, military and political meaning in the context of the conflict in Donbas. Since their liberation will be a major blow to Putin’s project of “Novorossiya” [New Russia], it’s two nails with one blow in the lid of a double coffin for the DNR and LNR [Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics]. I have no doubt about the fact that this will soon happen.

Dmitry Tymchuk, Coordinator, Information Resistance
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

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Archive

February 18: Ukrainian troops left the city of Debaltseve as a result of massed intense fire by the Russian Army and pro-Russian terrorists

February 18 – Ukrainian troops left the city of Debaltseve as a result of massed intense fire by the Russian Army and pro-Russian terrorists – according to Minsk agreements Ukrainian military couldn't fire back in order not to break "Putin's ceasefire". "This morning Armed Forces of Ukraine together with the National Guards of Ukraine have completed a planned and organized withdrawal of forces from Debaltseve", – said the president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, who led the operation.

February 18 – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has spoken about the use of modern weapons by the militants of "People's Republic of Donetsk" and "People's Republic of Luhansk" against Ukrainian military near Debaltseve. He did not specify the kind of weapon.

February 18 – "I call on Russia to withdraw all its troops from the east of Ukraine, to cease all support of the separatists, follow Minsk agreements and pressure on the separatists to force them to comply with ceasefire", – said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

February 18 – 167 wounded were transported to Artemivsk from Debaltseve. It was impossible to pick up the bodies of many who were killed.

February 18 – The militants supported by Russia demonstrate a clear intention to expand their control over the region, recognizes PACE, – said the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Anne Brasseur.

February 18 – European Union should consider deploying a military mission to Donbas if Minsk agreements are not adhered to and the fighting continues, – said the representative of Ukraine to the EU Konstantin Eliseev in his comment to BBC Radio. "We must use all our efforts and capacities (not only Ukraine, but the US and the EU) to press Kremlin to stop military fighting. If this fails, we must talk about a plan "B". Perhaps, it is time for the EU to consider the possibility of a military intervention in Donbas".

February 18 – According to President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, in Debaltseve, the mission of Ukraine's Armed Forces was fully accomplished, despite the fact that the Ukrainian Army totally left the city. "This position and successes were very necessary in Minsk during the negotiations, and after Minsk. We could demonstrate to the whole world the real face of the bandits, separatists, supported by Russia, which took on the role of the guarantor and a direct participant of the Minsk negotiations," emphasized Poroshenko.

The head of the country clarified information about the encirclement of the Debaltseve fighters as well as about the massive deaths of Ukrainian soldiers. "We stated and proved that Debaltseve was under our controll, there was no encirclement. Our forces and divisions left in a planned organized fashion. They left with their full artillery, with tanks, with BNP, with SAU, with tractors, with automobile technology," stated Poroshenko. According to the President, those who left Debaltseve included the 128th Mountain Infantry Brigade, parts of the sub-divisions of the 30th Brigade, the 25th Battalion, the rest of the 40th Battalion, Special Forces, and the National Guard.

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