Refugee bus from southeast Ukraine attacked near Donetsk, casualties reported
The militia claim there was no ceasefire in Donbass. “Hostilities are under way in Kramatorsk. The Ukrainian army has ceased fire near Krasny Liman and the Seversky Donets river only to relocate the troops to the other side of the river,” leader of the people’s militia of the Donbass, Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Miroslav Rudenko told Interfax.
He believes, “the so-called ceasefire is a preparation for a blitzkrieg”.
“They have already begun to relocate their vehicles over the bridge, to the other bank of the Seversky Donets,” he added.
Rudenko has also quoted the Commander-in-chief of the DPR army, Igor Strelkov, who said that there would be no ceasefire until Ukrainian law enforcers withdrew their troops to a distance of ten kilometers from the deployment site and stopped the relocation of machinery.
Truce in Ukraine may be prematurely terminated
Ukrainian authorities reserve the right to terminate the truce if its terms are violated, states the website of the President of Ukraine on Saturday. Construction of fortifications or structures that prevent a peaceful life in Donbass is considered a violation. Earlier, the President of Ukraine Petr Poroshenko extended ceasefire in eastern Ukraine until Monday evening.
“In case of non-compliance of use of force prohibition regime, Ukraine reserves the right to terminate this regime in the areas where the ceasefire will not be kept,” it is said in a statement. The President also noted that the construction of fortifications and structures will interfere with the peaceful life of the inhabitants of Donbass and thus would violate ceasefire.
On Friday evening, truce agreement between the Ukrainian authorities and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic has expired. Agence France-Presse, with reference to European diplomatic source reported that Poroshenko intends to extend the truce for 72 hours. Militias have expressed readiness to follow the truce.
Later Poroshenko said that he will make a decision on further steps on the cease-fire after returning to Kyiv on Friday from Brussels, after consultation with the security forces. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Friday that the Ukrainian troops are set to tough action after the ceasefire in the east of Ukraine.
After this announcement Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow would welcome the extension of the truce, saying that it should not defer the ultimatum.
Poroshenko extends truce in eastern Ukraine until June 30
Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko on Saturday extended a truce with self-defense forces in eastern Ukraine by another 72 hours, the Ukrainska Pravda news site reported. The decision was reached following urgent consultation Poroshenko held with top Ukrainian defense officials on his arrival in Kyiv from EU summit in Brussels at which he signed a trade and political association pact.
The one-week truce had been due to expire on Friday at 19:00 GMT
Ceasefire regime in Ukraine’s east expires
The ceasefire regime in Ukraine’s eastern regions declared by Ukraine’s President Petr Poroshenko expired at 23:00 (19:00 GMT) on Friday. Currently, Poroshenko is having a meeting with chiefs of law enforcement agencies and top-ranking military on the situation in the country’s eastern regions, Poroshenko’s press secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko said late on Friday. “Upon arrival from Brussels, the president headed for a meeting with police and army chiefs,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, Poroshenko said in a news conference in Brussels that as soon as he arrived in Kyiv, he would look into extending the ceasefire regime in Ukraine’s eastern regions for another 72 hours.
“I must return home and hold consultations with the military and the government. Ceasefire regime will be in force till evening and by that time a decision will be passed,” he said. The ceasefire regime was in force from evening of June 20, Itar-Tass reports.
Poroshenko to decide on ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Friday
President of Ukraine Petr Poroshenko has said he will decide on a ceasefire, between government and militia forces in eastern Ukraine, on his return to Kyiv on Friday. “The decision will be made by me on my return to Ukraine after consultations with the Minister of Defence, Commander of the national guard, Minister of Internal Affairs, Chief of the General Staff and other members of the NSDC. But of course, since the ceasefire deadline is at 22.00 today, the decision will be made today,” Poroshenko told a news conference in Brussels.
On 22 February, a coup d’état took place in Ukraine, but a number of South-Eastern regions did not recognize the legitimacy of the new authorities, and rallies of supporters of independence started there. In the middle of April, the Kyiv authorities began a special military operation against them with the use of aviation and armored vehicles. Moscow has called this special operation, which had already led to numerous victims, punitive and encourages Kyiv to immediately stop it.
Armistice between Ukrainian forces and militia to end today
The armistice between Ukrainian forces and the militia that was declared by Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko is to end on June 27. The ceasefire order came into force on June 20 at 21:00 GMT. The document signed by Poroshenko stipulated that the fire could be opened only “if the militia attacks Ukrainian forces or civilians,” ITAR-TASS says.
However, the Ukrainian government didn’t fulfill the ceasefire order, Denis Pushilin, chairman of the Supreme Council of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), said. Ukrainian forces shelled the village of Semenovka, near Slavyansk, killing five people, he said.
“This is a real value of the Ukrainian government’s promises. I guess that the Ukrainian government regards its own promises as formality that is needed to sign a European Union Association Agreement,” Pushilin said. Kyiv needed to declare the armistice officially, but Ukrainian forces continued to shell the region.
Open all references in tabs: [1 – 6]