https://www.unian.info/war/1877761-...ain-thing-not-to-leave-own-border-behind.html
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov has said that the ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation) forces did not surrender one meter of Ukrainian soil over the past year.
"We have no other alternative but to win," Turchynov said in an interview with the BBC.
"Last year was the first when we did not surrender one meter of our soil. On the contrary, we gained dozens of kilometers," he said.
"Therefore, I believe that our task is to move east, meter by meter, kilometer per kilometer, minimizing our losses," the NSDC secretary said.
"The main thing is not to leave our own border behind," Turchynov added, jokingly.
Earlier, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that the Ukrainian security forces should already be ready for the return of the occupied territories of Donbas.
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https://www.unian.info/war/1877211-ukraine-reports-2-wias-amid-65-enemy-attacks-in-last-day.html
Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 65 times in the past 24 hours with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.
"The Mariupol sector remains the center of fire confrontation. The enemy used 122mm artillery systems, 120mm mortars, infantry fighting vehicles and heavy machine guns against our soldiers near the village of Vodiane," the press service said. The defenders of the village of Shyrokyne came under fire from 120mm mortars, infantry fighting vehicles, ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, grenade launchers and small arms.
"The Russian occupation forces fired 120mm mortars and small arms on the Ukrainian Marines near the village of Hnutove, as well as 82mm mortars and anti-tank grenade launchers near the village of Talakivka. The militants also shelled grenade launchers of various systems on the Ukrainian positions near the village of Pavlopil, and the towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka.
In addition, heavy machine guns were used against our defenders near Maryinka, and the villages of Chermalyk and Hranitne. Furthermore, the enemy fired small arms on the defenders of the village of Starohnativka. Snipers were also active near the villages of Vodiane, Talakivka, Pavlopil and Novotroyitske," the headquarters said.
In the Donetsk sector, the Russian-backed militants opened fire from 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various systems and heavy machine guns on the Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka.
The defenders of the village of Luhanske came under 82mm mortar fire. "The invaders opened fire from an anti-tank missile system, 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and infantry fighting vehicles on the defenders of the village of Opytne. Grenade launchers of various systems were used near the village of Nevelske, while ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns were used to attack the Ukrainian positions near the village of Kamianka.
Moreover, the enemy fired small arms and heavy machine guns on the defenders of Butivka coal mine," the report says. In the Luhansk sector, the militants shelled grenade launchers of various systems on the defenders of the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka and Katerynivka.
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https://www.unian.info/war/1877274-...visers-instructors-underway-in-dpr-media.html
Unscheduled rotation of Russian military advisers and instructors is now under way in the divisions of the "1st Army Corps of the ‘DPR’" in a number of locations along the contact line (Horlivka, Dokuchaivsk, and Novoazovskiy district), as reported on Facebook by the coordinator of "Information Resistance" online community Dmytro Tymchuk.
In a number of units, officers of the Russian armed forces who arrived from Russia provided a 100% replacement," the statement reads. “The officers who were replaced are being sent back to Russia," reads the message.
At the same time, according to the IR, at the end of 2016, Russian officers in Donbas were informed that their deployment will last at least until the end of 2017.
"The reason for the emergency rotation of advisers and instructors is currently unknown," Tymchuk said.
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https://www.unian.info/kiev/1877674...n-home-of-russian-citizen-in-kyiv-region.html
Law enforcers in Kyiv region have detained a 33-year-old Russian national, who stored in his apartment a number of weapons, a TNT block stuffed with screws, lock-picks, and drugs, according to the National Police press service.
The man was detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, the report said. "Currently, we are verifying the way the detainee crossed into Ukraine and the actual purpose of his visit. In addition, we are investigating into his participation or involvement in plotting terrorist acts or sabotage, as well as if he had any accomplices, and who were his supervisors," the police said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, during a routine inspection in the lobby of one of the subway stations in Kharkiv, the police detained an individual, seizing from him three RGD grenades and fuses to them.
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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/416025.html
Four Ukrainian servicemen have been wounded in shellings by militants in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (АТО) zone since the beginning of Friday, the press center of the ATO headquarters reported.
"Since the beginning of the day, as of 15:00, Russian-terrorist units have violated the announced silence regime 24 times... Four servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were wounded in hostilities," the press center said on its Facebook page.
The enemy used 120 mm mortars during the shelling of Ukrainian positions near the town of Vodiane, 82-mm mortars near the towns of Verkhniotoretske, Avdiyivka, Kamyanka and Katerynivka.
Using grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns and small arms, the enemy fired at the strongholds of the ATO forces along the entire disengagement line, the ATO headquarters said.
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http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/416037.html
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has said the Donetsk Filtering Station has been shelled over 200 times since the beginning of 2017.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Kyiv, OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said the SMM has attracted significant resources trying to protect the Donetsk Filtering Station in Yasynuvata. The station, as well as the nearby power lines, which provide drinking water and electricity, have been shelled than 200 times since the beginning of the year and in eight cases this led to breakdown of power lines and blackouts for a total of 38 days, Hug said.
According to him, direct hits of projectiles at the filtering station can lead to an ecological disaster, if a projectile hits for instance the chlorine tank at the filtering station.
Hug added that the observers are trying to obtain security guarantees from both sides so that the repair crews should be able to function normally and repair the damage.
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