Dmitry Tymchuk: Updates from the ceasefire zone, 9/15

January 21 – Ukrainian army retreated from Donetsk Airport.

January 21 – 1 Ukrainian military was killed in the ATO area in the last 24 hours, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 21 – A large number of Russian soldiers in unmarked uniform was spotted near the city of Luhansk. Approximately 60 tanks, over 50 armored infantry carriers and 100 "Tigr" all-terrain infantry mobility vehicles have appeared in the city of Krasnodon. In the of Horlivka, militants of a terrorist group "People's Republic of Donetsk" are being replaced with military of regular Russian Armed Forces. Approximately 100 Russian tanks are located near the cities of Shakhtarsk and Torez, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 21 – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has spoken about two thousand Russian soldiers crossing Ukrainian border. In addition, he said, more military equipment, including 20 tanks, were relocated to Ukraine from Russia.

January 21 – A bridge over Sieverskyi Donets river in the village of Stanytsya Luhanska was blown up at approximately noon on Wednesday, – informed the Head of Luhansk Oblast State Administration Gennadiy Moskal.

January 21 – Ukraine has requested an explanation from the Russian Federation on the reasons behind stationing over 50 thousand Russian soldiers near the border with Ukraine, informed the spokesman of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Yevhen Perebyinis.

January 21 – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has called upon the civilized world to support Ukraine in its fight against terrorism and Russia's aggression when speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. The President noted that according to Ukrainian intelligence, 9000 Russian soldiers, 500 tanks, heavy artillery and armored vehicles are currently located in Ukraine. "If this is not aggression then what is?", – asked Poroshenko.

January 21 – 8 Ukrainian soldiers were captured by terrorists at Donetsk airport, – informed the Advisor to the President of Ukraine and Assistant to the Minister of Defense Yuriy Biryukov.

January 21 – Broadcasting via TV station "Luhansk 24", the terrorists of "People's Republic of Luhansk" have called upon the residents of the city of Shchastya and the village of Stanytsya Luhanska to rally and demand that Armed Forces of Ukraine leave the abovementioned municipalities, otherwise they will shell them with artillery, – informed the Head of Luhansk Oblast State Administration Gennadiy Moskal. Stanytsya Luhanska and Shchastya are under control of Ukrainian Armed Forces.

January 21 – President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ann Brasser asked the Speaker of the State Council of the Russian Federation, Serhiy Naryshkin to help free the Ukrainian air pilot and deputy Nadiya Savchenko from Russian Prison. This is the content of the letter to the Head of the Russian Council, informs the PACE site. In her letter Brasser asked that Savchenko be released "in a timely fashion, so that she can be present at the opening of the January session of the Assembly that will take place on January 26th." In her letter, Basser noted that the state of Savchenko's health is critical as a result of the hunger strike and reminded that the Minsk protocol, approved by Russia and Ukraine, foresees the immediate of all prisoners and illegally detained people. "Therefore I ask you to pursue all avenues together with your managers in order to guarantee her immedia framework of the Minsk protocol either on humanitarian or other grounds," states the letter. She noted that Savchenko was elected to the Ukrainain Parliament, while additionally also being a member of the Ukrainian delegation in PACE.

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January 2 – One Ukrainian military was killed and 5 were wounded in the ATO are in the last 24 hours, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 2 – Russian terrorists have carried out 16 provocative shooting attacks on Ukrainian military positions, – informs ATO press center. By using small arms, rocket launchers and mortars, the terrorists fired at Donetsk airport (during the night), and by using small arms only – are near Chornukhyne village. The villages/towns of Stryi Aydar, Zolote, Popasna, Vuhlehirsk, Chermalyk have also suffered the effects of mortar attacks.

January 2 – The enemy began to group its battle formations and is relocating them closer to advanced positions of Ukrainian troops in the ATO area, – informs "Information Resistance" group.

January 2 – 2 new enemy formations, which include up to 200 people and 6 armored vehicles, have been recorded near the city of Volnovakha.

January 2 – Aamphibious self-propelled howitzer 2S1 "Gvozdika" has been recorded south of Starobeshevo (4 "Gvozdika" howitzers and several KAMAZ trucks with ammunition).

January 2 – Close to the town of Tryokhizbenka the terrorists have again started to practice "wandering tanks" tactics (they are using these tactics near Donetsk airport as well). Tank crew mostly consists of regular military of Russian Federation.

January 2 – The enemy has relocated an artillery group to its first line near the town of Granitne.

January 2 – Among the terrorists killed during an attack in the village of Pisky (close to Donetsk airport) 4 marines of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were identified, – informs "Information Resistance" group.

January 2 – Pro-Russian terrorists of the so-called "DNR" are mobilizing underage children into their gangs. This was announced by ATO spokesman Andriy Lysenko during the traditional Friday briefing: "According to the reconnaisance, with the goal of completing the evident gang formations, which the leadership of the so-called "DNR" is carrying out on the occuppied territories of the so-called "volunteer" mobilization of the local residents between the age of 16-18," he said.

Lysenko reminded that the involvement of under-age children in participating in the army actions and army services is a deep violation of the International Humanitarian Legal Law, especially Article 38 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children.

Janaury 1 – In 2014 Russia established a series of anti-records. The gross national product of Russia, as of November 2014, for the first time since 2009 went into a minus level, the decrease constituted 0.5%.

This is not the only anti-record of the year – on December 15th, the exchange rate of a ruble to he dollar of the year had n a few hours decreased more than 8.5%. Until that moment the Russian money from the beginningof the year had devalued almost twice the amount.

The devaluation of the Russian ruble was preceeded by the lowering of gas prices throughout five months – due to the strengthening of the sanctions by EU and USA and Russian "anti-sanctions".

The decisions of the countries of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to not decrease the quota of procuring gas, deteriorated the situation. After that the price for raw materials decreased, speeeding up the loss of capital from Russia and the inflation of the ruble.

The devaluation of the Russian ruble was preceeded by the lowering of gas prices throughout five months – due to the strengthening of the sanctions by EU and USA and Russian "anti-sanctions".

The decisions of the countries of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to not decrease the quota of procuring gas, deteriorated the situation. After that the price for raw materials decreased, speeeding up the loss of capital from Russia and the inflation of the ruble.

The gold currency reserves of Russia continued to decrease, while the rating of support for Putin's actions, increased. This year the ministry of the Economic Development of Russia examined the official prognosis about the inflation of the ruble three times. The beginning prognosis to the end of the year was increased almost twice – from 4.8% to 9%. Realistically, as the Russian Minister of Finances Anton Syluanov stated on December 25th, "according to the year's summary, most probably the inflation will quickly rise to 11.5%, and possibly even somewhat higher."

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