Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing 11 August 2015, 7 PM Kyiv time

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported at 12:30 PMKyiv time that toward Luhansk, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions at Stanytsia Luhanska for nearly two hours last night. At Shchastya, a clash with Russian-terrorist forces took place in the morning. At Troitske, Russian-terrorists forces shelled Ukrainian positions with artillery. Towards Donetsk, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions at Mayorsk and Novhorodsk (near Horlivka). At Pisky, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions with tanks and artillery. Russian-terrorist forces shelled residential areas of Krasnohorivka with artillery. Towards Mariupol, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions at Starohnativka with artillery and Grads (truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers). Clashes with Russian-terrorist forces took place at Shyrokyne. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and thirteen were wounded.

UK Defence Secretary M. Fallon, visiting Ukraine today, announced “further enhancements of the UK training programme for Ukrainian armed forces. […]The latest additions to the UK training programme will see an increase the skills being provided, to include ground threat awareness, for example identifying mines and IEDs, defensive operations in an urban environment, operational planning, and engineering expertise,” the UK Ministry of Defence stated. Fallon stated during his visit to Kyiv, “Our training programme for the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues to be well-received and highly valued by troops and commanders in the east of the country. Since March, 13 UK training teams have deployed across 8 locations and we expect to have trained around 2,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by the end of the year. By adding further much-needed skills and stepping up the pace of our programme we can provide more and better training, improving the resilience of Ukrainian forces and further reducing casualties resulting from the on-going conflict.”

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported that “Dutch prosecutors say they have found possible parts of a Russian-made BUK missile system at the site in eastern Ukraine where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was brought down in 2014 […] A statement from the Netherlands’ national prosecutor’s office, which is involved in a joint international investigation into the MH17 tragedy, said the parts ‘are of particular interest to the criminal investigation as they can possibly provide more information about who was involved in the crash.’ The possible physical evidence of a missile was in the possession of the Dutch Safety Board.”

The Kyiv Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by attorneys of former Ukrainian president V. Yanukovych against the application of the procedure on trial in absentia against their client, Radio Svoboda reported. Yanukovych was subpoenaed to appear at the Office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine for questioning today, but did not appear. On 27 July, the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv issued a decision confirming the legitimacy of the evidence against Yanukovych and allowing for the beginning of the procedure of trial in absentia.