ATO is commanded by a gritsak

Shooting in eastern Ukraine does not stop

The operation to liberate the East of Ukraine from separatists will be headed by Vasily Gritsak. Refugees return to Slavyansk

First Deputy Head of the SBU , Colonel General Vasily Gritsak , was appointed the new head of the ATO in eastern Ukraine. This decision was made by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. Vasily Gritsak was replaced by Vasily Krutov, Lieutenant General of the SBU in stock, who led the operation in the southeast since April this year. In Slavyansk, which the separatists left on Saturday night, refugees return.

Earlier, Petro Poroshenko changed the leadership of the Ukrainian power unit, since he "needs to strengthen and serious, complex and systemic reform." Valery Geletey was appointed Minister of Defense, who, taking office, promised Ukraine the Victory Parade in the Crimea. In the anti -terrorist operation zone in eastern Ukraine, shootouts continue, but there are no serious clashes between the military and the separatists.

In Lugansk this morning, the shell fragments fell into a minibus. Two people died, four were injured. This was reported by the city authorities. On Tuesday night, the Ukrainian military occupied the city of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region. This was told on Facebook by the head of the Information Resistance group Dmitry Tymchuk. According to him, at night, armed separatists from mortars fired at three checkpoints of the Ukrainian army. The State Border Service of Ukraine announced a shootout at the border points of Dovzhansky and Dyakovo in the Lugansk region. Eight border guards were injured.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko the day before freed the head of the anti -terrorism center and deputy chairman of the security service of the country Vasily Krutov from the duties of the head of the anti -terrorism center. His place will be taken by Vasily Gritsak. The relevant orders are published on the official website of the President of the country. The editor-in-chief of the Lugansk publication "Real Gazeta" Andrei Dikhtyarenko believes that this personnel castling will affect the course of the ATO in the southeast of Ukraine:

- I can judge as the layman, which is inside the situation, in the epicenter of the explosion.

Replacing one figure in the leadership of the ATO with another figure, it seems to me that will not cause a radical change in the situation

Replacing one figure in the leadership of the ATO with another, it seems to me, will not cause a radical change in the situation. Now, in fact, in the east of Ukraine there is a civil war, and it has already gone far in its natural manifestations. Too many people and effort are involved in this war. Although, of course, from the Ukrainian army I would like more accuracy, awareness and mobility. Because all eyewitnesses who are in Lugansk say that the separatists are easier. It is always easier to defend the city than to advance, because there is great freedom for maneuver, and the mobile units "Grad" move around the city, produce volleys near residential buildings and immediately leave this place, substituting the possible air raids of the hospital and houses. In this situation, the Ukrainian army should act more deliberately.

-Is something known about Vasily Gritsak?

- Absolutely nothing. Almost all new appointments of Poroshenko stood on the second or third roles in Ukraine, no one really knew them. Now you read some propaganda, engaged materials-they say that one candidate is replaced by another person, and the Ukrainian military specially makes such a rotation. In fact, most Ukrainians do not say anything. Everyone understands that the process is still led by the President of Ukraine and the SBU.

- What is the situation in Lugansk?

- Very heavy, most people are sitting at home. Each exit to the store or kiosk for water or cigarettes turns into torment.

Most people are sitting at home. Each exit to the store or kiosk for water or cigarettes turns into torment

The streets are empty, military equipment drives, everywhere militias, shots are heard at different points in the city. The buildings are partially destroyed, and it is very difficult to establish who exactly the building was destroyed - perhaps these are the mistakes of the Ukrainian military, or the militants shot the building. That is, people go under bullets and aircraft, and the meaning of what is happening is lost, it is not so important who is to blame and who is right.

- The Ukrainian authorities promised to create an additional corridor to evacuate civilians. Is there such a corridor?

- The main corridor is the railway message, the opportunity to leave Lugansk by train. The trains are still, fortunately, they run. Roads are unsafe. And I did not hear that some route from Lugansk is completely controlled and its safety is ensured. And in fact, I would like such a corridor, because it is also dangerous to go by train now, there are many statements that the paths are minimized. Previously, children and women were planted on the train, and things were sent by New Mail - this is one of the cargo car carriers of Ukraine. Now all the main carriers in Lugansk and the Lugansk region have stopped working, it is very difficult to take out things from Lugansk.

The day before, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko approved the plans of special operations to liberate the separatists of Lugansk and Donetsk. According to Mikhail Koval, Donetsk and Lugansk, deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, will be taken to the blockade to force the militias to surrender. Koval also said that Russian tactical units concentrated on the border with Ukraine. They cover a section of the border with Ukraine from the penetration of armed groups into Russia. In the ATO zone in the east of the country is the Radio Liberty correspondent Levko Ste. , who talked with the military and tried to understand how they relate to the change of the head of the operation:

- To be honest, when I ask questions about personnel changes at the top, speaking with ordinary fighters, they shrug and say: "And how does this relate to us?" They don’t care who will lead in Kyiv, they are far from this and are not particularly interested in this. High -ranking military says that everything is for the better, they do not criticize their appointments, but they say that there will be more effective work.

- Did you manage to visit Slavyansk and Kramatorsk after the cities were liberated by the Ukrainian military?

- Yes, I was in Slavyansk, talked with the locals. The city looks, of course, as after the war. There are very few people in Slavyansk, the majority left during hostilities. There are houses that were very damaged by shelling and bombing, there are even completely collapsed spans. All the streets are cut by checkpoints, the windows are boarded up, garbage is everywhere, and this is all escalated the situation. People say that they want peace, tranquility, they want to have water, electricity, they finally want to eat, wash themselves.

People say that they want peace, tranquility, they want to have water, electricity, they finally want to eat, wash themselves

The military bring humanitarian goods, distribute bread, cereals, and essential items. People want peace, and it is not so important for them who will bring this world to them: the DPR, Russia or Ukraine. I did not see the rise of patriotism, there are no skirmishes with the Ukrainian military either. People communicate with the military, approach them, some even say sincerely "thank you." But the most important thing for them is that they stopped shooting in their city.

- In the anti -terrorist operation zone, shootouts continue. Where does this happen most actively and intensively?

- Now there will be a great regrouping of forces. Defense redoubts partially lost their meaning, because in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk there is no great danger. As far as I heard about the plans of the ATO leadership, there will be a blockade of Lugansk and Donetsk, no one will carry out the cleansing of the city, but all ways to retreat and supply of weapons and ammunition will be blocked. They will thus try to influence the militants and win this war. And where they shoot ... In Artemovsk there is already Ukrainian authorities, a new leadership, but local shootings are still continuing there. There is no great danger, but a certain number of desperate militants are left there. And there have been no large -scale battles in the last two days.

During a special operation in Slavyansk, Ukrainian security forces freed the hostages, who were held by the militias. This was reported in the Donetsk regional administration. Among the liberated are the former mayor of Slavyansk Nelly Shtep, the director of the Suziria Theater Pavel Yurov, theater artist Denis Grishchuk, journalist Irma Kh. In the building of the Executive Committee of the City Council in Slavyansk, the security forces found a large arsenal of weapons and ammunition. On Tuesday, the mayor of Donetsk, Alexander Lukyanschenko, said the possibility of new negotiations with the separatists. According to Lukyanchenko, who visited Kyiv, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko made negotiations with a proposal to hold negotiations. They can take place in Svyatogorsk with the participation of Russia, representatives of the DPR and the LPR.

At the entrance to Slavyansk on Tuesday, a line of cars was lined up several kilometers long: these are residents of the city who left it during the anti -terrorist operation and now they want to return to their homes. Today in the evening in Slavyansk, it is expected to be resumed by energy supply, and after it the supply of water. Radio Liberty spoke with the resident of Slavyansk Peter Dudnik - the pastor of the local church "Good news", an activist of the Ukraine without orphans, a man who organized more than three thousand people during the city occupation of the city:

- Now I left the city to meet a column with a humanitarian load. The column for one of the entrances to the city is 1.5 kilometers, that is, people really return to the city. The bulk will begin to return after calls that there is water and electricity in Slavyansk again. I think that all this will be restored before the end of the week.

- At the same time, you write on Facebook that even after the separatists departure from the city, the evacuation of people continues. Why are they leaving now, after the liberation of Slavyansk?

- People have a certain fear. There are people who have nowhere to live. Today, for example, we took my grandmother from a destroyed house. From Nikolaevka we take out people, they don’t seem to shoot there, but the fear is large. We took out 60 people yesterday, today less.

- How would you appreciate the destruction inflicted on the housing fund of Slavyansk?

- In Slavyansk there is destruction in the private sector, there are among high -rise buildings. I would not appreciate them as critical as it might look in photographs. There are destruction, they need to work with them. Today the light in the city is launched, a third of the city, Artem’s microdistrict will be already with the light in the evening. Until the end of the week they promise to make lighting throughout the city. Due to the fact that there are many mined places, the restoration of lighting is slowly moving. First, it is cleared, and then the electricity is connected.

The operation to liberate the East of Ukraine from separatists will be headed by Vasily Gritsak. Refugees return to Slavyansk

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- What with water supply, managed to restore it in full?

- Not yet. To restore water, you need to give electricity. Today, after lunch, they will give electricity and then water for a third of the city. Water supply stations are also mined. I know this from the operational meeting today at the city hall. I was asked to help with providing humanitarian assistance for people.

- Who is now managing the city, because the former mayor of Nelli Shtep left Slavyansk after liberation?

- There is power in the city. All operational promotion is made by the Ministry of Emergencies, Colonel of the Ministry of Emergencies. He somehow successfully does it all, does not particularly scream at anyone, but everything moves. Of the civilians - the secretary, who was under the former mayor, now he is heading the civil authorities in the city. And somehow everything works harmoniously. I thought there would be more chaos. But to restore light in three days or in two days is serious.

- How many people did you manage to remove from Slavyansk during the fighting?

- About 4.5 thousand. In general, in my opinion, 40-45 percent of the inhabitants remain in the city, this is 40-45 thousand people.

- What did the morning look like when people realized that the separatists left the city?

- When people woke up on Saturday morning, it turned out that almost everyone left at night. Everyone was surprised that no one was strange. Here is the tea is an unfinished, here is an unnecessary piece of bread, the machine gun lies-somehow everything disappeared instantly. I don’t know how to evaluate it and why this happened, ” Peter Dudnik said in an interview with Radio Radio.