Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
14 September 2015, 8 PM Kyiv time
1. Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported at 12:30 PMKyiv time that yesterday towards Luhansk, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions at Shchastya and Sokilnyky with grenade launchers. Towards Donetsk, a firefight with Russian-terrorist forces took place near Luhanske village. North of occupied Horlivka, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near Zaytseve with small arms. There was no combat yesterday at the Mariupol sector of the front. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two were wounded. One Ukrainian soldier is missing in action.
2. EU extends Russia sanctions for six months
The European Council “prolonged by 6 months the application of EU restrictive measures targeting actions against Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. The asset freeze and travel bans against 149 persons and 37 entities have been extended until 15 March 2016.The assessment of the situation did not justify a change in the regime of sanctions nor in the list of persons and entities under restrictive measures.”
3. Canadian Armed Forces begin training mission in Ukraine
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that Canadian Armed Forces personnel began a training mission at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre of Hetman Petro Sahaydachnyi Land Forces Academy at Yavoriv, Lviv oblast, as part of Operation UNIFIER. Canada’s Department of National Defence stated on 31 August,”While the largest component of the mission will be the delivery of tactical training in Yavoriv, there are other key elements of the mission such as working on more specialized training with Ukrainian troops around the country and in Canada. One of the specialized training activities will consist of an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and improvised explosive device disposal (IEDD) program at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence Demining Centre in Kamyanets-Podilsky. Canadian engineers will be partnering with Ukrainian soldiers to enhance their existing Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) operations.” About 200 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are involved in the training mission.
4. Ukraine’s President: The war will end when Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory and we close uncontrolled part of the border
Ukraine’s President P. Poroshenko gave a joint interview to the Washington Post, the Independent and Die Welt. He stated, “End of the war would be when the Russian occupation troops leave Ukrainian territory and we close the uncontrolled part of the Russian-Ukrainian border. And it is very simple, because this not any civil conflict in Ukraine. We don’t have it at all. This is a direct foreign aggression. And I assure you that immediately when Russian troops leave my country, we will have free and fair elections on the territory which was occupied by Russia. […] If Russia tries to kill the Minsk [process], if Russia is crossing the red line, we need two things. Sanctions, and the United States it seems to me to be ready to go further for the sanctions. But for us, crucially important is to keep transatlantic unity. Unity of the European Union. And the dialogue we have now is very important. And the second one is the solidarity with Ukraine. Not only solidarity politically. Not only solidarity economically. But also solidarity in assisting us to create an effective defense force.” The full interview is available athttps://www.washingtonpost.
5. US Army to begin training Ukrainian military
After months of training Ukraine’s National Guard, the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade will begin training up to five battalions of Ukrainian soldiers in November, Foreign Policy reported. US Army spokesman Donald Wrenn stated, “The training is part of our ongoing efforts to contribute to Ukraine’s long-term military reform and professionalism and to help improve Ukraine’s internal defense capabilities and training capacity,” Foreign Policy reported. The training will take place at the same facility in western Ukraine as the previous training, but Wrenn stated that the kind of training the US Army will provide is still being worked out, Foreign Policy reported.
