A pro-Russian rebel picks up a Ukrainian flag on February 7, 2015 in the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuglegirsk in the Donetsk region. Kiev on on February 7 accused pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists of massing forces for fresh offensives, with seven civilians and five soldiers killed in the latest fighting in the east. AFP PHOTO/ ANDREY BORODULIN
A man looks at his house after shelling destroyed several homes in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on February 3, 2015.
© AFP
Military spokesperson: shelling in Donbas continues on Feb. 8
Over the past 24 hours 37 eastern towns and villages were shelled 111 times by Russian troops, spokesman of the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas, Andriy Lysenko, said on Feb. 8. In addition, Russian military launched two aerial surveillance drones from the territory of annexed Crimea peninsula, that illegally flew 600 meters into Kherson Oblast.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France aim to meet in Minsk on Feb.11 to continue work on resolving the crisis in Ukraine after holding a conference call on Feb. 8, a German government spokesman said in a statement, according to Reuters report.
According to Lysenko, two informants who supplied pro-Russian rebels with military information, were arrested. They provided army of so-called Donetsk People's Republic with details of defence equipment movement and helped to engage targets as spotters. The arrested individuals jointly with Russian-backed militants were behind the shelling of thermal power plant in Shchastya, Luhansk Oblast.
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Ukraine rebel Yevgeny fights on in Donetsk airport ruins | Zee News
Last Updated: Sunday, February 8, 2015 - 17:06
Donetsk: As soon as
Yevgeny left hospital after being wounded in the battle for
Ukrainian rebel stronghold
Donetsk airport, he made his way back to the terminal`s apocalyptic surroundings and returned to fighting.
"I was wounded last month, during an assault to take the airport from Ukrainian forces," said pro-Russian separatist Yevgeny, 45, who has been fighting here for eight months.
"It was shrapnel from a tank shell. I came back here five days ago," said Yevgeny, a farmer before the war.
"I had four hectares of land, just next to the airport, in Spartak village," he said.
His village can be seen in the distance from a heavy machine gun position within the destroyed terminal.
Ukrainian forces are around a kilometre (just over half a mile) from the airport, separated by a no-man`s land littered with destroyed tanks and planes.
Donetsk airport is a ruin, gutted buildings, burnt vehicles and aircraft, twisted metal and concrete that bear no resemblance to the pristine modern buildings that were here nine months ago.The airport was the scene of constant fighting since the end of May and rebels finally took control of the site on January 23, but the shelling continues.
"We pushed the Ukrainians back just one kilometre," said Roman, 44, who commands a rebel unit at the airport.
"That doesn`t change anything for their artillery. They`re still in neighbouring villages. There`s no lull, the fighting continues as before."
Constant artillery and tank fire could be heard around the airport on Saturday.
Next to Yevgeny, two Orthodox Christian icons and a small prayer book are fastened to the wall, near a disassembled Kalashnikov ready to be cleaned and oiled.
"The Ukrainians sometimes try to send groups of 40-50 men towards our positions, under cover of tank fire," said a local commander who gave his name as "Grom" (Russian for thunder), explaining his unit`s sporadic outgoing machine gun fire.
Smoke rises in the distance from where Ukrainian shells hit Spartak village.
"They`re trying to hit our forces who are gathering intelligence over there," said Grom, 34, a former bodyguard who is now part of the Vostok battalion.
Around a kilometre from the airport, two separatist tanks fire a few rounds from behind a building before rapidly changing position.
In this neighbourhood of one- and two-storey buildings, the nine-storey building is the only place to get a good view of the area.
The top floor is leaning badly, apparently about to collapse on the battle-scarred building.
All around lie branches torn from trees by shrapnel, rubble, torn power lines, empty ammunition cases and destroyed houses.
Nearby, a red-brick building with a cross on the front bears the sign "Good news": an empty Protestant church that has also not escaped the conflict.
AFP
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OSCE SMM sees military camp with tanks on militants-controlled territory
07.02.2015
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has registered a military camp with tanks and tents on the part of Donetsk region, which is under control of the militants now.
"On the eastern outskirts of Donetsk city ('DPR'-controlled), the SMM saw one unmarked military tank (T-72) heading west towards Donetsk city. In 'DPR'-controlled territory the SMM saw a military camp with 14 tanks (T-72) and 7 BMP 1 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) all unmarked, as well as seven medium-sized unmarked tents," reads a report from the mission posted on its website.
The SMM also observed two unmarked military tanks (T-72) at a checkpoint to the west of Petrivske (70km east-south-east of Donetsk). This territory also controlled by the 'DPR' fighters.
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OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk