11 August 2014
The current situation in Eastern Ukraine remains highly tense due to permanent terrorist and subversive activities of separatists, their continuous armed assaults on ATO units as well as direct involvement of the Russian military in active hostilities.
Over the last two months, the ATO zone has reduced by three quarters. Recently, the ATO forces have liberated more than 65 towns and villages in Eastern Ukraine from the terrorists.
Since early July, Ukrainian military and border guards have been regularly shelled from the territory of Russia. This led to numerous casualties among the ATO forces.
Every day Russian military carry out from 3 to 5 bombardments of the Ukrainian border guard units on the average. The total number of armed attacks from the territory of Russia has already exceeded 100.
The Russian Federation Armed Forces use all types of small arms, NSV heavy machine guns "Utjos", sniper rifles VKS “Vykhlop”, grenade launchers, Akatsia self-propelled Howitzers, and multiple launch rocket system BM-21 ("Grad").
To allow Russia to “return fire” and, thus, instigate its direct military aggression against Ukraine, terrorists at times shell the Russian territory near Ukrainian border checkpoints while Ukrainian military have never fired at the territory of a neighboring state.
For reference: Russian military shelled the ATO forces and Ukrainian border guards from multiple launch rocket systems BM-21 ("Grad") which illegally crossed the Ukrainian border and returned to Russia after performing their mission. We recorded such infiltration into the Ukrainian territory near the town of Amvrosiyivka (Donetsk region) on July 16 and near the village of Shevchenko (Donetsk region) on July 21.
Over the last week, the Ukrainian border guards were shelled 25 times, including 13 times from the Russian territory. Russian helicopters violated Ukrainian airspace 9 times.
Among last episodes, it is necessary to mention the following:
On August 10, at 11.00 p.m., Ukrainian military got under shellfire from Russia near the border checkpoint “Krasna Talivka”.
On August 10, the village of Stepanivka (Donetsk region) was completely destroyed by MLRS “Grad” shelling from Russia.
On August 11, 12.05-12.30 a.m., the Ukrainian National Guard unit near the town of Amvrosiyivka was shelled with MLRS"Grad" from Russia.
On August 11, at 2.20 a.m., Ukrainian military near the border checkpoint “Uspenka” were shelled with mortars from the Russian territory.
Over the last day, Russians shelled Ukrainian border guards near the border checkpoints “Krasna Talivka”, “Milove” and “Ivanivka”.
Over the last day the positions of the Ukrainian Army were shelled 26 times.
As a result of hostilities during this period 6 military men were killed, 24 military men were wounded.
As a result of blatant terrorist attacks on medical vehicles during the CTO period, 6 medical officers were killed, 17 medical officers were wounded.
Since the beginning of the ATO, over 560 military men were killed and over 2100 military men were wounded.
We are alarmed by the information that Russia actively pulls its troops and military hardware to the Ukrainian-Russian border not only along Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but also along neighboring Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
As results from available data, Russia has concentrated 45 000 militaries, 160 tanks, 1360 armored battle vehicles, 350 artillery systems, 130 multiple launch rocket systems, 192 military aircraft and 137 military helicopters along the Ukrainian state border.
The Russians proceed with infiltration of militants and inflow of arms and heavy weaponry into Ukraine. Every day there are usually several attempts by the Russian heavy weaponry and militants convoys to break into the Ukrainian territory. We have relevant documentary evidence of these facts.
We constantly record the violations of the Ukrainian airspace by Russian helicopters and drones (UAVs).
For reference: over the last day, 5 Russian UAVs violated the Ukrainian airspace.
The Security Service of Ukraine disclosed data collected in July 2014 which testifies that Russia carries out military aggression against Ukraine, illegally conveys weapons and infiltrates criminal subversive groups to the Ukrainian territory.
In particular, satellite surveillance of the ATO area in the border territory of the Donetsk region allowed the Security Service of Ukraine to detect an illegal supply corridor of Russian military hardware, weapons and mercenaries through the Ukrainian fields.
The illegal armed groups use the fascist tactics of “scorched earth” and terror against the civilian population in order to reduce resistance of local residents.
In order to discredit the ATO forces, the terrorists shell the residential areas with tanks and MLRS "Grad".
The Ukrainian military do not use weapons against civilians!
Ukraine calls on the international community to recognize self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics terrorist organizations.
We urge the Russian Federation to refrain from any unilateral attempts to send humanitarian convoys to Ukraine!
Under the international law, a request from Ukraine as the host state is required for humanitarian aid to be provided. The list of humanitarian aid items must be approved by the Ukrainian authorities, and their delivery to Ukraine must be arranged via channels of the United Nations or the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In this regard, we urge our international partners to convince Russia to avoid any steps that could lead to the deterioration of the situation in Donbas.
At the same time, it is necessary to emphasize that the President of Ukraine has recently announced plans to provide assistance to the city of Luhansk at a national level as well as attract international humanitarian aid under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross. He also offered the US to join these endeavors.