July 2015 - Ukraine Special Weapons News

Shelling by Kiev army kills over 160 in east Ukraine: Donetsk Press TV 31 Jul 2015 -- More than 160 people have been killed in shelling attacks by Kiev's forces in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine over the past six months, pro-Russian officials say.
Russia's UN Veto Of MH17 Tribunal Condemned RFE/RL 30 Jul 2015 -- There has been widespread condemnation of Russia's decision to veto a UN draft resolution to create an international tribunal over the downing of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine last year, with a number of countries pledging to explore other ways to ensure justice.
Ukraine Charges Captured Russian Army Major With Terrorism RFE/RL 30 Jul 2015 -- Ukraine's state security service identified a Russian army major who was detained with a cargo of military explosives in eastern Ukraine July 26 and said he has been charged with terrorism.
Security Council fails to adopt proposal to create tribunal on crash of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 UN News 29 Jul 2015 -- The United Nations Security Council was unable to adopt a new resolution today following Russia's negative vote on a measure that would have established an international tribunal to prosecute persons responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed on 17 July 2014 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.
Russian Veto Of MH17 Tribunal Would Leave Few Good Alternatives RFE/RL 29 Jul 2015 -- Russia's anticipated veto of a UN Security Council resolution to establish a criminal court for Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 would block the best chance the international community has of forcing states to cooperate in finding who was responsible for the downing.
Russia Vetoes UN Resolution on MH17 Crash VOA 29 Jul 2015 -- Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have set up an international criminal court to prosecute those responsible for shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine a year ago.
U.S. Slams Russia's 'Unpredictable, Irresponsible' Actions In Ukraine RFE/RL 28 Jul 2015 -- The United States says Russia 'continues to fuel the conflict' in Ukraine despite a cease-fire agreement signed in February in Minsk.
Kiev to Begin Withdrawing Under 100-mm Arms Once Agreement Signed Sputnik 28 Jul 2015 -- Ukrainian forces will withdraw weapons less than 100mm caliber from the line of contact in southeastern Ukraine conditional to signing a buffer zone agreement and its implementation by the Donbas militia, head of Kiev special operations in southeastern Ukraine Andriy Lysenko said Tuesday.
Kiev Dumps Soviet Traditions to Make Its Army More 'NATO-Like' Sputnik 28 Jul 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has reportedly called for the introduction of new military ranks in his country's army.
Ukraine Detains Alleged Russian Officer In East RFE/RL 26 Jul 2015 -- Ukraine's border-guards service says it has detained a Russian officer who was driving in a military truck packed with ammunition in the country's war-torn east.
Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania Set Up Joint Military Brigade Sputnik 24 Jul 2015 -- Defense Ministers of Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania will sign an agreement Friday to set up a joint military force, which is expected to hold its first drill early next year.
Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova Should Form Joint Battalion - Lithuanian Official Sputnik 24 Jul 2015 -- The creation of a joint force will prove the three countries' ability to cooperate, a Lithuanian politician said.
Lack Of Funds Threatens Efforts To Recover Ukraine's Dead Soldiers RFE/RL 24 Jul 2015
Ukraine Bars Communists From Elections RFE/RL 24 Jul 2015 -- Ukraine's Justice Ministry has barred communists from running in upcoming local elections after the passage of new legislation.
Pentagon Wants to Deploy Powerful Radars to Kiev Sputnik 23 Jul 2015 -- The so-called United States' war party is apparently about to score a victory as the Pentagon readies to send Kiev powerful longer-range radars, allegedly aimed at bolstering the country's defenses against the independence supporters in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine Again Relies on Foreigners for Leadership Help VOA 22 Jul 2015 -- As Ukraine is struggling to reform and survive during war, it is relying on a cohort of accomplished foreigners for leadership.
Top U.S. General Backs Giving Lethal Weapons To Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Jul 2015 -- The United States should "seriously consider" providing Ukraine with lethal weapons and putting U.S. air strike controllers near combat areas in Iraq, a top general said July 21.
Donetsk Completes Removal of Weapons From Line of Contact Sputnik 22 Jul 2015 -- The military units of the Donetsk People's Republic completely withdrew their armored vehicles with weapons with caliber less than 100mm from the contact line, the republic's defense ministry said.
Russia Wants UN Supervision Of MH17 Investigation RFE/RL 21 Jul 2015 -- Russia wants the United Nations to play a greater role in supervising an investigation into what caused the downing of the MH17 passenger plane in eastern Ukraine.
Donetsk Removing Weapons of Less Than 100mm Caliber From Horlivka Sputnik 21 Jul 2015 -- After the removal of weapons from Horlivka is finished, the process 'could be considered to be completed', a DPR representative said.
Canada Donates Ukraine Mobile Military Hospital - Defence Ministry Sputnik 21 Jul 2015 -- The Canadian Government donated the Ukrainian Armed Forces a modern mobile military hospital on Monday, Ukraine's deputy minister of defense said.
Rapid Trident: US Troops Kick Off Military Training Camp in Ukraine Sputnik 20 Jul 2015 -- The ongoing tension between the West and Russia is set to continue as US forces kicked off widespread military exercises in Ukraine, seen by many as a highly provocative gesture aimed at Moscow.
NATO Drills in Ukraine Threaten Peace Settlement - Russian Foreign Ministry Sputnik 20 Jul 2015 -- US-led NATO-Ukraine joint drills, which kicked off on July 20 in the Lviv region, clearly demonstrate the Alliance's provocative course on unconditional support of Kiev regime's policies in the south-east of Ukraine, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
NATO drills in Ukraine threaten peace settlement in the country - Russian foreign ministry TASS 20 Jul 2015 -- NATO's and Ukraine's joint military drills demonstrate the alliance's provocative course of supporting Kiev and fuel revanchist sentiment of the Kiev 'party of war,' the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday.
Multinational Exercises Start in W. Ukraine VOA 20 Jul 2015 -- A military exercise involving Ukrainian and U.S. forces, along with troops from more than a dozen other countries, opened Monday in western Ukraine, as fighting between government troops and Russia-backed rebels escalated in eastern Ukraine, despite a cease-fire.
One solider, two civilians killed in east Ukraine Press TV 19 Jul 2015 -- One soldier and two civilians have been killed in the latest clashes between Ukrainian government soldiers and pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv, Rebels Accuse Each Other Of Shelling Central Donetsk RFE/RL 19 Jul 2015 -- The Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine accused each other on July 19 of shelling residential areas in rebel-held Donetsk.
Poroshenko Hopes to Regain Control Over Donbass Before End of 2015 Sputnik 19 Jul 2015 -- Poroshenko says that Kiev hopes to regain control over the Donbass region until the end of the year.
Ukrainian Army Says Did Not Receive Orders to Withdraw Weapons in Donbass Sputnik 19 Jul 2015 -- There are no documents, order that would oblige Ukrainian army to withdraw weapons and vehicles to certain distances - weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm, according to a spokesman for the General Staff of Ukraine.
Donetsk Republic Withdrawing Weapons, Vehicles Under OSCE Supervision Sputnik 19 Jul 2015 -- Withdrawing weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm and armored vehicles from outskirts of Donetsk by army of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic is monitored by he OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.
US, Ukraine to Hold Observation Flights Over Russia Sputnik 20 Jul 2015 -- The United States and Ukraine will hold observation flights over Russia as part of the Treaty on Open Skies.
Pro-Russians in Ukraine 'to withdraw certain armored vehicles' Press TV 18 Jul 2015 -- Self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine have expressed their readiness to withdraw armored vehicles with weapons that have calibers of less than 100 millimeters from the front line in the conflict-stricken region under the terms of the Minsk II peace agreement.
Russia Calls Ukrainian Constitutional Changes Inadequate RFE/RL 18 Jul 2015 -- Russia has rejected proposed changes in Ukraine's constitution as not going far enough to fulfill Ukraine's obligations under the Minsk peace accord.
Avoiding Lustration in Ukraine: Senior Prosecutor Evades Sweep Of Yanukovych-Era Officials RFE/RL 18 Jul 2015 -- Ukrainian prosecutor Oleh Valendyuk should have been out of a job last fall, the victim of a lustration law meant to clear away members of former President Viktor Yanukovych's team after his ouster at the hands of pro-European protesters.
DPR Asks OSCE to Monitor Withdrawal of Less Than 100mm Weapons in E Ukraine Sputnik 18 Jul 2015 -- The self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) are currently awaiting Kiev's response to proceed with the agreement to observe the withdrawal of weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, according to a DPR envoy to the Ukraine reconciliation talks Denis Pushilin.
US Delivers 100 Humvees to Ukraine - Ambassador Sputnik 18 Jul 2015 -- Washington will deliver to Ukraine another 100 humvees, according to US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt.
Putin opposed to int'l tribunal on MH17 crash People's Daily 17 Jul 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed opposition to the formation of an international criminal tribunal for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 a year ago.
Damning Video Shows Pro-Russian Rebels Surprised MH17 Was Civilian RFE/RL 17 Jul 2015 -- Damning video obtained by Australian media shows pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine sifting through the wreckage of MH17 and finding to their surprise that the aircraft was civilian rather than military.
Russia's RT Spins And Spins Over New MH17 Footage RFE/RL 17 Jul 2015 -- Russia's Kremlin-controlled RT has heavily redacted previously unreleased footage of the MH17 crash site that is consistent with indications that the Malaysian airliner was mistakenly shot down by Russian-backed rebels who thought they had destroyed a Ukrainian military jet.
Australia, Ukraine, Netherlands Mark Anniversary Of MH17 Airline Tragedy RFE/RL 17 Jul 2015 -- Memorial services were being held in Ukraine, Australia, and the Netherlands on July 17 to mark the first anniversary of the MH17 airline disaster that killed 298 people.
Ceremonies Mark Anniversary of MH17 VOA 17 Jul 2015 -- Ceremonies are being held in several countries Friday to mark one year since a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet exploded over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
Pro-Russia forces shelling Ukraine army positions: Kiev Press TV 16 Jul 2015 -- Ukrainian military authorities have accused pro-Russia forces of shelling army positions in the country's conflict-ridden eastern parts despite a ceasefire deal agreed between Kiev and the pro-Russians in Belarus earlier this year.
Leaked MH17 Draft Report Blames Pro-Russian Rebels RFE/RL 16 Jul 2015 -- The Dutch Safety Board's draft investigative report on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 blames pro-Russian separatists for shooting down the Boeing 777 nearly a year ago, killing all 298 passengers and crew members, according to a CNN report.
MH17 Downing: One Tragedy, One Truth, But Many Stories RFE/RL 16 Jul 2015 -- One year after the single deadliest incident of the Ukrainian conflict - the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines jet, killing all 298 unsuspecting passengers and crew aboard Flight MH17 - the world still awaits international investigators' official findings into its cause.
Constitutional Changes Stipulate No Special Status for Donbass - Poroshenko Sputnik 16 Jul 2015 -- 'Not a single hint at federalization' - Petro Poroshenko ruled out changing Ukraine's unitary system. He said he believed that his proposed changes did not breach the Minsk agreements.
Ukraine: UNICEF appeals for help to restore damaged water facilities for 1.3 million people UN News 14 Jul 2015 -- With only 60 per cent of the pre-conflict water supply capacities still functioning in Ukraine, some 1.3 million people are struggling to cope with a "serious water crisis" because of damaged or destroyed water lines, forcing many families to travel with buckets to working wells in neighbouring villages, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned today.
Kiev breached truce 5 times in single day in Lugansk: Pro-Russians Press TV 15 Jul 2015 -- The Ukrainian army has violated the terms of the Minsk peace agreement in the eastern region of Lugansk five times over the past 24 hours, pro-Russia forces say.
Poroshenko Considers Right Sector Shooting in Mukachevo Act of Terrorism Sputnik 15 Jul 2015 -- Those behind the recent shootout in the Ukrainian city of Mukachevo are terrorists, President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday.
Putin Signs Decree on Abolishing Ministry of Crimea Sputnik 15 Jul 2015 -- Russia's Economic Development Ministry will take charge of the abolished body's functions, according to a statement.
E. Ukraine Faces Water Crisis VOA 15 Jul 2015 -- The United Nations Children's Fund warns up to 1.3 million people in battle-scarred areas of eastern Ukraine are facing a serious water crisis. UNICEF reports ongoing fighting between government forces and pro-Russian separatists are damaging or destroying water lines, leading to acute water shortages.
UK soldiers to join training exercise in Ukraine UK MOD 15 Jul 2015 -- The Prime Minister has announced that British soldiers will take part in a multi-national training exercise in Ukraine.
Right Sector Will Not Lay Down Arms by Poroshenko's Order Sputnik 14 Jul 2015 -- Right Sector is not an illegal armed formation, but a 'volunteer corps which protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian nation', Artyom Skoropadsky, press secretary for the organization, claimed.
US Considering Plans to Expand Ukrainian Troop Training Sputnik 14 Jul 2015 -- The program will focus on basic tactical activities, with focus on life-saving techniques and operations in highly contested areas, US Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said.
Ukraine: Push Launched for MH17 Tribunal VOA 14 Jul 2015 -- Ukraine says it and four other countries have launched a push for the creation of an international criminal tribunal to bring to account those responsible for the downing one year ago of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine.
U.S. Eyes Stepped-Up Plan To Train Ukrainian Army Soldiers RFE/RL 14 Jul 2015 -- The United States is considering plans to train soldiers in the Ukrainian army in the next few months, in a move that risks heightening tensions with Russia.
Biden: Russia Seeking Ukraine's Economic 'Collapse' RFE/RL 14 Jul 2015 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has accused Russia of trying to destabilize Ukraine "by any means it can," saying the Kremlin wants to see the economy of its ex-Soviet neighbor crumble.
Has The War In Ukraine Moved To A Second Front? RFE/RL 13 Jul 2015 -- If Ukraine's east is a combustive mix of languages and loyalties, its west can be even trickier. In Transcarpathia, many residents live within shouting distance of four EU countries. Inhabitants speak not only Russian and Ukrainian but Hungarian, Romanian, German, Slovak and Rusyn. Many of its 1.3 million inhabitants hold more than one passport.
Russia Says U.K. Closes State Media Giant's Bank Account Over Ukraine Sanctions RFE/RL 13 Jul 2015 -- Russia says a London bank account held by its state-owned media behemoth Rossia Segodnya has been "closed" by British authorities in a move it linked to Ukraine-related sanctions imposed by the EU.
Ukraine Nationalists: Country Headed for Coup VOA 13 Jul 2015 -- In recent days, the kind of armed violence previously limited to Ukraine's beleaguered east came within 30 miles of the country's European Union borders.
US Plans to Train Ukraine Army VOA 13 Jul 2015 -- The commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe says the United States is planning to train Ukrainian army soldiers after completing the current training of Ukraine's National Guard troops.
Right Sector In Standoff With Ukraine Authorities After Deadly Shootout RFE/RL 13 Jul 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called an extraordinary session of the Military Cabinet of the National Security Council on July 13 in an effort to end a confrontation between fighters from a radical nationalist group and police following a deadly shootout in the western city of Mukacheve.
Shooting in Mukachevo Result of Smuggling Redistribution - Poroshenko Sputnik 13 Jul 2015 -- On Saturday, several Right Sector militants clashed with police officers and local business structures in the western Ukrainian town of Mukachevo. A grenade launcher and machine guns were fired in the incident, which left 3 people dead and 13 injured, according to the latest data.
Fighting in eastern Ukraine leaves 2 soldiers dead Press TV 12 Jul 2015 -- Kiev says two of its soldiers have been killed and five others wounded in heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Russia sends humanitarian convoy to Ukraine's Donbass Press TV 12 Jul 2015 -- Russia is preparing to send its 32nd aid convoy to Ukraine's east, where ongoing clashes between Kiev's troops and pro-Russia forces have created a humanitarian crisis.
Right Sector Receives Order to 'Shoot to Kill' Ukrainian Police - Media Sputnik 12 Jul 2015 -- Right Sector head Dmytro Yarosh has arrived to the western Ukrainian city where a standoff between the group and Ukrainian police is becoming increasingly tense.
Right Sector Threatens Bringing Fighters Into Kiev After Deadly Standoff Sputnik 12 Jul 2015 -- Following the deadly standoff in Western Ukraine's Mukachevo, Right Sector's spokesman threatened to bring fighters to Kiev while the country's security forces say that they do not intend to negotiate.
Right Sector Leader Calls for Protests Until Interior Minister Resigns Sputnik 12 Jul 2015 -- The leader of Ukraine's ultranationalist Right Sector movement has called on his fighters to continue protests and political actions across Ukraine until those responsible in the deadly shootout in the Ukrainian town of Mukachevo are arrested and the country's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov steps down.
Clearer picture on possible cause of MH17 crash: Malaysian PM People's Daily 11 Jul 2015 -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said here Saturday that the criminal investigation team now has a clearer picture on the possible cause of the crash of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17, and is carefully looking into and investigating all scenarios.
Ukraine Wants 1,000 Javelin Systems in Exchange for Nuclear Warheads Sputnik 11 Jul 2015 -- Ukraine should have the right to receive at least a thousand US-made anti-tank Javelin missiles in return for nuclear warheads, the country's newly-appointed Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly said.
As Ukraine fighting continues, UN warns of worsening humanitarian crisis UN News 10 Jul 2015 -- The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is continuing to deteriorate as the number of Ukrainians in need of assistance has now reached a total of five million people, a spokesperson for the United Nations relief arm reported today.
Four Ways Ukraine Isn't Greece RFE/RL 10 Jul 2015 -- Both Ukraine and Greece are seeking debt relief from foreign creditors as the two countries teeter on the brink of insolvency. Officials in Kyiv and Athens say their nations' debt levels are unsustainable and must be restructured, an assessment echoed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). But while both countries push to stave off bankruptcy, here are four differences between their respective financial predicaments.
Poroshenko, Merkel, Hollande Discuss Implementation of Minsk Agreements Sputnik 10 Jul 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande agreed on the need to intensify efforts to achieve a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine Settlement Stalled But Success More Likely Than Failure - Putin Sputnik 10 Jul 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said that there is no other solution to the Ukraine problem than to peacefully resolve it through a full and unconditional implementation of the agreements reached in Minsk.
Right Sector Refuses to Leave Shirokino Despite Demilitarization Offer Sputnik 10 Jul 2015 -- Ukrainian volunteer battalions have reportedly refused to leave the village of Shirokino in eastern Ukraine, which had been declared a demilitarized zone.
Joint Chiefs Nominee Calls Russia #1 Threat, Proposes Arming Ukraine Sputnik 09 Jul 2015 -- During the course of his confirmation hearing before the Senate to become the next Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. stated that Russia poses 'the greatest threat' to US national security, adding that it would be 'reasonable' for the US to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons, AP reports.
Lavrov: For Russia, Issue of Crimea 'Closed' VOA 09 Jul 2015 -- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has reiterated Russia's position on its annexation of Crimea, saying that Moscow considers the matter "closed."
Ukraine Ramps Up Arms Production Amid Crisis Sputnik 08 Jul 2015 -- Since January Ukrainian armorers have built 36 times more weapons than they did during the same period of last year, the country's top arms maker announced on Wednesday.
Ukrainian Military Requests Additional US Training - Carter Sputnik 07 Jul 2015 -- The Ukrainian military is primarily requesting additional training from the United States, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
US Company to Build Humvees for Ukraine Within $372Mln Contract - Pentagon Sputnik 07 Jul 2015 -- The AM General Company in South Bend, Indiana will build High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), or Humvees, for use by the Ukrainian Army as part of a giant contract for 2,082 of the vehicles, the US Department of Defense said in a statement.
Five Ukrainian servicemen killed in mine blast near Lugansk Press TV 05 Jul 2015 -- At least five Ukrainian servicemen have been killed in the zone of military operation in the restive eastern part of Ukraine, a military spokesman says.
Russia warns of sabotage of Minsk agreements, peace progress in Ukraine People's Daily 04 Jul 2015 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday warned that the Minsk agreements should not be violated by any country, nor should the peace progress in Ukraine be undermined.
Ukraine routinely passes up chances of peace: Russia Press TV 03 Jul 2015 -- Russia's foreign minister has accused Ukraine of routinely missing the opportunity of reaching an agreement with pro-Moscow forces on the implementation of the Minsk peace deal.
Malaysia Pushes For UN Tribunal On MH17 Downing; Russia Balks RFE/RL 03 Jul 2015 -- Malaysia told the United Nations Security Council July 2 it plans to push for a UN-backed tribunal to prosecute those suspected of shooting down a passenger airliner last year in eastern Ukraine.
Who Are The Russian Generals That Ukraine Says Are Fighting In The Donbas? RFE/RL 03 Jul 2015 -- The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has prepared a dossier laying out evidence for what it calls 'Russian aggression against Ukraine.'
Ukraine: UN scales up food assistance in country's crisis torn eastern region UN News 01 Jul 2015 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today it will scale up its emergency operation in eastern Ukraine to provide 500,000 conflict-affected people in the region with food assistance until the end of the year.
Donetsk People's Republic Announces Demilitarized Zone in Shirokino Sputnik 01 Jul 2015 -- The authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic have unilaterally declared the village of Shirokino in eastern Ukraine a demilitarized zone.
Russia ready to return over 20 Ukrainian ships based in Crimea to Ukraine TASS 01 Jul 2015 -- Russia is ready to hand over more than 20 Ukrainian warships that are still based in Crimea to Ukrainian military when such a decision is made, a source at the General Staff of the Russian Navy told journalists on Wednesday.
Russia supplies no military products to Kiev that may be used for aggression - deputy PM TASS 01 Jul 2015 -- Russia has terminated military cooperation with Ukraine back during the anti-government protests in Independence Square and it does not supply to Ukraine any military products that may be used in operations against civilians, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told the State Duma during question time on Wednesday.

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July 2015 - Ukraine Special Weapons News