Survival on the Donbas Frontlines Switzerland, on January 21, Mr
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Part 2 of THE YEAR IN REVIEW pages 5-12 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIII No. 4 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2015 $2.00 Poroshenko demands Russians launch biggest off ensive Russian troops leave Ukraine in Donbas since September ceasefi re by Zenon Zawada war, said Volodymyr Fesenko, the director of the Penta Center for Applied Political Research in Kyiv. KYIV – Pro-Russian rebels in the Donbas, backed by the Russian officials were discouraged after failing to gain Russian military, on January 13 launched their biggest mili- concessions at a January 12 foreign affairs ministers meet- tary campaign against Ukrainian forces since the ing in Berlin. Subsequently, plans for a January 15 summit September 5 Minsk ceasefire protocols, staging hundreds in Astana, Kazakhstan, involving the French and German of attacks in a fierce attempt to take control of the territory heads of state fell through after preconditions weren’t met. of the ruined Donetsk airport. “Russia, together with the separatists, is trying to revise Besides the military offensive, terrorist attacks were the Minsk accords, while Ukraine and the EU are insisting launched throughout Ukraine. Besides the January 13 on their fulfillment,” Mr. Fesenko said. “Not having achieved Volnovakha attack that killed 13 civilians and injured 17, a their goal, Russia and the separatists want to force Ukraine January 19 explosion near a Kharkiv courthouse injured into a peace based on their conditions.” 14, four of them seriously, and a bridge was blown up the At the top of their list of demands is recognition of the next day in the Zaporizhia region as a cargo train crossed it. separatists as an official party in the negotiation process, Official Website of Ukraine’s President The rebels also launched an offensive to destroy the he said, rather than their current status as observers. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Avdiyivka coke plant in the Donetsk region, a key source of Meanwhile, Russia’s strategy on the ground is to push January 21, President Petro Poroshenko holds up a coking coal used for heating furnaces. the boundary between Ukrainian lands and the occupied fragment of a bus body that he said shows a Russian The Russian government intended its military-terror territory as far west as possible. missile attack on a civilian bus near Volnovakha. campaign to boost its negotiating position with the RFE/RL Europeans and Ukrainians in talks to resolve the Donbas (Continued on page 2) DAVOS, Switzerland – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has accused Russia of sending more than 9,000 troops into Ukrainian territory and has demand- ed that they leave. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Survival on the Donbas frontlines Switzerland, on January 21, Mr. Poroshenko demanded by Yana Sedova that Russia immediately implement all of its obliga- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly tions under the Minsk peace plan, close Russia’s bor- der with Ukraine, “and withdraw all the foreign troops PISKY, Ukraine – Hryhoryi, 54, and from my territory.” his wife, Halyna, 52, began living in Mr. Poroshenko said that in addition to the thou- their basement in the village of Pisky sands of troops in Ukraine, Russia had about “500 in mid-July 2014, when pro-Russian tanks, heavy artillery, and armored personnel carri- separatists attacked for the first time. ers.” The president asked: “If this is not aggression, They carried down their beds and what is aggression?” sacks of potatoes, and are heating the Earlier, Mr. Poroshenko said in an interview that concrete-walled cellar with a stove. Russia had sent additional Russian troops, tanks, and Firewood isn’t a problem after many armored personnel carriers into Ukrainian territory in trees were felled by shells; candles recent days. He said the Russian military deployments and kerosene lamps provide lighting. were clearly a form of aggression. Since then, the frontline between Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov dis- them and Ukrainian forces has missed those allegations as baseless. crossed through the village numerous Mr. Poroshenko’s statements came ahead of a January times, leaving devastation in its wake. 21 meeting in Berlin of the foreign affairs ministers of Its population of more than 2,000 has Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany to discuss the con- dwindled to only 70 – mostly elderly flict in eastern Ukraine. In announcing the meeting on folks who have no place to go or sim- ply don’t want to leave the only place January 20, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Maia Mikhaluk Steinmeier said the resurgence in fighting during the they’ve ever lived. Halyna (left) from Pisky accepts candles from volunteers who deliver food last few days has led “to a threatening situation.” “You’ve come back,” said Halyna and other supplies to the village. “The chief aim now is to prevent a further deterio- upon seeing a group of volunteers ration of the military conflict and a renewed political arrive on January 10, wondering how against attempts by pro-Russian sepa- December 29, 2014, we took pictures escalation between Kyiv and Moscow,” Mr. Steinmeier we got to the village amid the bombs ratists backed by Moscow to expand and recorded how people live, with and bullets flying about. We were said in a statement. The group last met in Berlin on westward the territory under their Halyna asking if she could send a delivering food (buckwheat, sugar and control, despite the agreement setting video greeting to her children who January 12. sunflower oil), blankets, coats, wax boundaries that were not supposed to have taken refuge in the Kyiv region. Speaking in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela candles and paraffin lamps from the be crossed. Standing near a Christmas tree in Merkel said on January 21 that she hoped the talks Wings of Generosity and Care charity The frontline has crossed through her basement, all she could manage to would lead to improving the ceasefire in eastern launched in Kyiv to help the war’s Pisky several times, with the village say amid tears was, “We are fine. We Ukraine but that “I don’t want to get hopes up too afflicted civilians. being mostly under the control of are fine. We will have some meat and much.” She added that the ceasefire was becoming Pisky is just nine miles from the Ukrainian forces as of January 19, salad for our New Year’s dinner. Do “more and more fragile.” Donetsk airport, which has been the when the latest battle was raging. Its not worry about us.” Ukraine said on January 20 that its troops had been frontline of the Donbas war ever since capture is important since it offers the The volunteers found her children, attacked by regular Russian army troops in the north- the failed Minsk ceasefire protocols only northern route that enables sup- played them the greeting and offered (Continued on page 13) were signed in September 2014. plies to be delivered to the airport. Ukrainian forces have been fighting The first time we were in Pisky, on (Continued on page 13) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2015 No. 4 escalation violated a December 9, 2014, Russians launch... artillery ceasefire agreement, Mr. Poroshenko said. (Continued from page 1) The aim of the Russian-backed military “They are trying to throw as far back offensive “is to definitely disrupt the Minsk from the capitals of the separatist repub- accords” and try to force its renegotiation, Ukraine mentioned in SOTU address Europe (PACE) has asked the Kremlin- lics, so that the border is as far as possible Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo WASHINGTON – Delivering his sixth allied speaker of Russia’s Duma to help from Luhansk and Donetsk,” Mr. Fesenko Klimkin told the Kyiv Post in an interview State of the Union (SOTU) address, secure the urgent release of Ukrainian mili- said. “That’s why they’re storming the published on January 19. President Barack Obama mentioned tary pilot Nadia Savchenko. PACE President Donetsk airport, shooting up Debaltseve U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Russian aggression in Ukraine. He stated: “... Anne Brasseur also expressed concern over and trying to get as close as possible to Pyatt confirmed on January 20 that the we are demonstrating the power of the health of 1st Lt. Savchenko, who has Mariupol.” escalated fighting was provoked by the American strength and diplomacy. We’re been on a hunger strike in a Russian jail Debaltseve is a key transit hub, located Russian government and pro-Russian upholding the principle that bigger nations since December 15. Ms. Brasseur made the 46 miles northeast of Donetsk. Mariupol is fighters. can’t bully the small – by opposing Russian appeal in a letter to State Duma Speaker a key port city on the Azov Sea and the That strategy won’t work because aggression, supporting Ukraine’s democra- Sergei Naryshkin, PACE said in a statement location of two large steel-producing Ukraine and the West are committed to the cy, and reassuring our NATO allies. Last on January 21. It said Lt. Savchenko, who plants. And although the Donetsk airport, Minsk agreement, which calls for a cease- year, as we were doing the hard work of was elected to the Ukrainian Parliament in constructed in 2012, is largely ruined, cap- fire, withdrawal of Russian troops, an end imposing sanctions along with our allies, October 2014, should be released to enable turing its territory would allow the sepa- to the Kremlin’s support for its separatist some suggested that Mr. Putin’s aggression her to attend the opening of a PACE session ratists to keep their military hardware and proxies and secure borders monitored by was a masterful display of strategy and in Strasbourg on January 26.