Ukraine At War

The Ukrainian military reports that Russia-backed fighters conducted 51 attacks yesterday.

Heavy fighting was reported on Christmas day, and Mariupol appears to be the epicenter of a new wave of shelling

Three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in battle today. Heavy snowstorms have closed roads in Odessa and other provinces and power is out in some areas. But water was restored to some areas of Lugansk Region after the Russia-backed separatist authorities paid part of their bills.

The presence of Russian military drones in eastern Ukraine is clear proof of Russia’s direct involvement in the war.

Russia-backed forces reportedly used heavy 152 mm artillery for the first time yes year.

Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s foreign minister, said that the OSCE would expand their monitoring mission to cover the entire Donbass.

Avraam Smulyevich, a leading Israeli specialist on ethnic issues in the former Soviet space, says that Kyiv might be forced to agree to a Trump-Putin deal on Crimea but that such a deal would “only convince the Russian dictator that he had invade other countries without being punished”

The Front National leader claims that the internationally condemned referendum in March, 2014, was legal.

The Ukrainian military reports 38 attacks yesterday.

Ceasefire continues to be broken as new year begins