15/02/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Critical situation is developing at the Debaltseve foothold

15/02/2015 Daily Highlights by "Digests & Analytics - Ukraine" News Agency

Topics of the day

Millitants disrupted the regime of artillery silence in Donbass. Critical situation is developing at the Debaltseve foothold. The dismissal of 20% of state officials is announced.

Key Events of Ukraine

• According to the Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, Russia must be held accountable for its aggression against Ukraine and to pay reparations for the damage in Donbass. There is no question about legalizing militants and DNR or LNR enclaves, and Ukraine must take a complete control over its state border. There will be no unilateral ceasefire.
• Prime Minister Yatsenyuk announced the reduction of the state apparatus personnel by 20%. About 50 thousand state officials will be dismissed in 2015.

War in Ukraine

• Despite the declaration of the artillery silence regime, the militants continued to shell and attack Ukrainian positions by using heavy artillery systems, tanks and MLRS systems at the Debaltseve foothold and in the vicinity of Mariupol. The situation is becoming very critical at Debltseve as Russian forces and terrorists can now shoot at will at any target moving on a single connecting highway from Artemovsk. There is also no stoppage in shelling villages with many civillians dying. By provocative shelling of residential areas in Donetsk and Gorlovka terrorists are attempting to show that the Ukrainian army violates the ceasefire, however local residents report that militants fire at close range - 2-5 km from mortars, self-propelled guns and MLRS "Grad".
  The terrorists prevented the OSCE observers from monitoring the ceasefire at Debaltseve, which is a direct violation of the Minsk Agreement. The OSCE mission observers confirmed the violation of the truce by militants in Donetsk, Lugansk, Debaltseve, and Raygorodka, however they did not report on ongoing combat operations in Mariupol. The violation of ceasefire agreements is also confirmed by Russian officers from the joint group that monitors the ceasefire implementation.
• The leader of the DNR Zaharchenko issued an ultimatum to Ukraine for the immediate withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Debaltseve and leaving behind all the weapons and equipment.
• Despite these worrisome developments, the Ukrainian General Staff said that Ukraine is ready to remove its heavy weapons from the front line, and that there are no grounds for the resumption of hostilities yet.
• Another "convoy" from Russia with 176 trucks crossed into the Ukrainian territory. The Customs Service reported that there was no any participation by representatives of international humanitarian organizations in the clearance of the cargo.

Ukraine and the World

• According to the media statements, the joint declaration that Russia wants to push through the UN Security Council, is an attempt to change the purpose of Minsk Agreements and to shift the responsibility for the aggression and the restoration of the destroyed Donbass on Ukraine. The emergency session of the Security Council is postponed for a few days to continue consultations on the resolution.
• The French Foreign Minister Fabius said that Russia will be responsible for the failure of the Minsk Agreement, even if this violation comes from the Russia controlled militants. On the other hand, the compliance with the terms of ceasefire will lead to the reduction in sanctions. The German Foreign Minister Steinmeier said that the violation of the agreements will eliminate the chances of a peaceful settlement in Donbas for a long time. The British Prime Minister Cameron assured President Poroshenko that London is ready to ensure the unity in the efforts by European countries to pressurize Russia through economic sanctions.
• During a telephone conversation the presidents of "Normandy Four" confirmed that the ceasefire should extend to the entire conflict area, however Kremlin’s comments ommited any word on ceasefire at Debaltseve.

The trends

• Military experts say that the only aim of Russian participation in the Minsk negotiations was to achieve the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops and to allow pro-Russian rebels of DNR and LNR “republics” to capture more territories, and especially Debaltseve foothold.