Ukraine rebels announce new offensive as rockets kill 30

[Bosonic]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by petronius (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Last edited Sat Jan 24, 2015, 02:52 PM - Edit history (4)

Source: AFP

Mariupol (Ukraine) (AFP) - Pro-Kremlin rebels announced a major new offensive on Saturday after Grad rocket fire killed at least 30 people in a strategic government-held Ukrainian port linking separatist territory with Russian-occupied Crimea.

The local mayor's office said 97 people were also wounded in the city of Mariupol by dozens of long-distance rockets that smashed into a packed residential district early in the morning and then again shortly after noon.

"Obviously, everyone in the city is very scared," Mariupol native Eduard told AFP.

A fellow resident named Pavlo described dazed survivors helping wounded victims climb out from the concrete rubble of Soviet-era apartment blocks and navigate the shattered glass-covered streets.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/heavy-rockets-hit-government-held-ukraine-port-mariupol-084601322.html;_ylt=AwrTWfx0XcNUzjEAiFLQtDMD

---

Fifteen killed by rebel shelling in east Ukraine's Mariupol: Interior Ministry

(Reuters) - Fifteen people were killed in shelling in the east Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Saturday, Ukraine's interior ministry said, an attack Kiev blamed on separatist rebels and the Russian military.

A witness described the shelling to Reuters as enough to knock the paint off his house.

The deaths follow the separatists' rejection of more peace talks and as fighting surged to its most intense in months. The United Nations said on Friday 262 had been killed in the previous nine days.

Government-held Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, lies on a coastal route from the Russian border to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine last March.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/24/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0KX08B20150124?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=twitter

[Duckhunter935]

1. I expect some on DU will be very quiet about this

The Russian's need this port and in the long run the want the entire south of the country of Ukraine for a land bridge to Moldova and the off shore drilling rights.

I am sure some here will say Ukraine is shelling it's own people again.

[Duckhunter935]

2. more pictures if the shelling by the Pro-Russians

more shelling of Ukrainian held cities, they have also done the same thing in Debal'tseve

As of Saturday, 24 January, 14:15, as a result of shelling by the neighborhood's East in Mariupol 16 civilians were killed and another 83 were wounded varying degrees of severity.

"On the specified data as of 14:15 as a result of the morning shelling of militants in ŽMR East 16 civilians were killed and 83 were wounded varying degrees of gravity," the statement said of the Mariupol City Council.

According to the Mayor's Office, nine victims assisted and released, 76 people have been hospitalized. ' 74 people injured were hospitalized in the medical establishments of Mariupol and another nine-assist, after which people have been sent home, "the statement said.

Translated via Bing

http://nvua.net/ukraine/16-pogibshih-83-ranenyh-gorsovet-soobshchil-utochnennye-dannye-po-tragedii-v-mariupole--31016.html

[sulphurdunn]

3. A foreign policy

based upon the strategy of regime change often has unintended consequences.

[newthinking]

4. Inevitable. As long as there is still a conflict it goes either this way or to peace

I am amazed at the naievity by which some cold warriors here talk.

While there was an accord; Kiev never fully agreed with it and continued to claim they were preparing for a new offensive (Poroshenko "announced" that there will be 3 offensives in 2015). And they never pulled back heavy weaponry and continued to shell.

However justified people may believe that is, it is simply the basis of WAR that it will lead to what is happening now.

Eastern Ukraine fighters are not going to just sit there and watch Kiev bomb them and prepare for new offensives. Every announcement of "Training" operations, and every nationalistic speech proclaiming that Kiev will take back the region moves the conflict toward further battle.

Either everybody truly and fully moves to peace and some kind of stability or EXPECT the war to expand.

This is not for you, for the cold warriors

DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH! DUH!

[Igel]

6. A foreign policy based upon the assumption of universal common interests

always does.

What's worse is when they let the assumption override the statements from the other side.

"We want peace. They also want peace."

"No, we want our tanks in Kiev, we want victory."

"Obviously that's just a negotiating ploy. We want peace, they want peace."

"No, we want territory and to kill you."

"Again, that's obviously just a negotiating ploy. We want peace, they want peace."

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Rebel defence ministry: "blatant misinformation and a lie"; rebel leader: "it was us"

Interfax news agency quoted the defence ministry of the rebel Donetsk People's Republic as denying involvement.

"This is blatant misinformation and a lie. Rebel forces did not open any fire in the direction of Mariupol, especially not on residential areas," it was quoted as saying.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30964970

"Today an offensive was launched on Mariupol. This will be the best possible monument to all our dead," Alexander Zakharchenko was quoted as saying at a memorial ceremony in Donetsk.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30967949

[Adrahil]

8. Which one do you think another_poster will believe? n/t

[pampango]

7. Mariupol is on the coast. Russia needs a land bridge to Crimea. Mariupol is in the way.

Ethnic Russians were about 25% of the population in Zaporizhia Province which is Mariupol's province. Ethnic Ukrainians were about 71%.

Doubtful that will matter now that force of arms is all that matters.

[newthinking]

10. they already have a bridge planned

I do agree though, that the longer the war goes on odds the rebels will go after more territory. Not necessarily because "it was always planned", but playing a sitting duck is a losing position. It is just logical.

FYI: Mariupol is part of Donestk Oblast. Zaporizhia oblast starts further to the west.

[Bosonic]

9. Spot report by the OSCE - 24 January 2015: Shelling Incident on Olimpiiska Street in Mariupol

Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 24 January 2015: Shelling Incident on Olimpiiska Street in Mariupol

At approximately 09:15hrs on 24 January, the SMM in government-controlled Mariupol heard at its location incoming massed Multi-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) attacks from a north-east direction, consisting of an extremely heavy barrage lasting 35 seconds. Twenty minutes later the SMM received information from the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) in Mariupol and other sources, that shelling had occurred in the area of Olimpiiska Street, in Ordzhonikidzevskyi district, 8.5 km north-east of Mariupol city centre, approximately 400 metres from a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint.

At 10:20hrs the SMM went to Olimpiiska Street and saw seven adult civilians dead. The SMM observed in an area of 1.6 km by 1.1 km, including an open market, multiple impacts on buildings, retail shops, homes and a school. The SMM observed cars on fire and windows facing the north-eastern side of a nine-storey building shattered. The SMM was able to count 19 rocket strikes and is certain there are more. Four hospitals and the emergency service in the city informed the SMM that at least 20 people died and 75 people were injured and hospitalized. Ten of the wounded were in a critical condition, according to a hospital representative.

The SMM conducted a crater analysis and its initial assessment showed that the impacts were caused by Grad and Uragan rockets. According to the impact analysis, the Grad rockets originated from a north-easterly direction, in the area of Oktyabr (19 km north-east of Olimpiiska Street), and the Uragan rockets from an easterly direction, in the area of Zaichenko (15 km east of Olimpiiska Street), both controlled by the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”).

At 13:02hrs and 13:21hrs the SMM heard again incoming MLRS salvos lasting for eight seconds, from an easterly direction. At a distance of 300 metres the SMM saw smoke above the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ checkpoint number 14 (8.9 km north-east of Mariupol city centre), just several hundred metres away from where the shelling had hit in Olimpiiska Street.

http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/136061

[petronius]

11. Locking. As a result of edits, this OP evolved into a dupe of a later LBN post

by the same DUer. To streamline the conversation, please post discussion, updates, and additional sources as replies in the alternate thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014996790

Thank you!