Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
27 February 2015, 8 PM Kyiv time
1. Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported at 12:30 PM Kyiv time that Kremlin-backed terrorists are undertaking redeployment and regrouping forces in several directions, and there is a threat of offensive actions towards Stanytsia Luhanska, Shchastya, Lysychansk and Mariupol. The RNBO reported that the arrival in Ilovaisk of trains from the Russian Federation with military equipment, ammunition and fuel. Kremlin-backed terrorists shelled and attacked Ukrainian positions near Opytne, Vodyane and Adviyivka. The attacks were repelled. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, 3 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 7 were wounded. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that the withdrawal of artillery by Ukrainian forces from the contact line continues, as agreed to in Minsk on 12 February. The RNBO stated that Kremlin-backed terrorists are only partially withdrawing their heavy weapons.
2. State Security Service of Ukraine: Kharkiv terrorists received instructions, tools and money from Russia
The State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the General Prosecutor of Ukraine stated that they have detained members of the terrorist group who carried out the terrorist attack in Kharkiv on 22 February, which killed 4 people and injured 10. It has been established that they are all residents of Kharkiv and Kharkiv oblast. The head of the SBU, V. Nalyvaychenko stated that the attack, “was committed by one of the cells of the terrorist organization ‘Oplot.’ They received instructions, tools and money from Russia.” The SBU stated, “The members of the criminal group were recruited in the spring of last year by the Main Intelligence Service of the General Staff of the Russian Federation. The criminals travelled to Belgorod (Russia) to receive instructions from Russian special services to instigate diversions and terrorist attacks in Kharkiv. […] After the ‘successful’ completion of assignments, they were promised both financial rewards and the organization of their escape to Russia, and so-called ‘security guarantees’.”
3. KHPG: Ukrainian churches facing imminent ban in Crimea
The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG) reported that, “As feared, the demand that religious communities re-register according to Russian legislation is being used as a weapon enabling an effective ban on Ukrainian churches and religious organizations functioning in Crimea.” Legal entities must bring their founding documents into line with Russian legislation and submit applications to the Single State Register of Legal entities as branches of a foreign legal entity by March 1 or they “will not be able to operate in Russia (including Russian-occupied Crimea) and will be dissolved.” KHPG reported that the Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF) “points out that the difficulties with re-registration are clearly aimed at forcing Ukrainians in Crimea to take Russian citizenship and come under the jurisdiction of Russian religious centres.” KHPG stated, “Crimean Muslims have suffered most from abuse of Russia’s law on extremism, as well as its enormous list of prohibited literature. Anti-extremism legislation has been cited and used without any justification since the peaceful protests against the ban on veteran Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemiliev returning to his homeland, and especially in the offensive against the Mejlis or representative body of the Crimean Tatar People. There have been frequent armed searches of homes, mosques and religious schools.”
4. US Mission to OSCE: Separatist movement is a de facto extension of the Russian military
On 26 February, at the OSCE Permanent Council, US Chargé d’Affaires K. Byrnes stated, “while the United States hopes that this time Russia and the separatists will follow through on their commitments, we must also remain clear-eyed about the situation in eastern Ukraine. The Russia-backed separatists now have a fighting force numbering in the hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles, heavy artillery pieces, and other military vehicles. Pro-Russia separatists now have a larger and better equipped fighting force than many of the countries represented around this table. The separatist movement at this point is a de facto extension of the Russian military and an instrument of Russian national power. The Russian military has put in place a robust command structure in eastern Ukraine, ranging from Russian General Officers overseeing operations down to junior officers. Russian personnel conduct communications, intelligence gathering, direct military operations, and help correct artillery fire. Separatist fighters have publicly acknowledged that they are operating under instructions from Moscow.”
