Close the deadly ring

Separatists do not leave hope before the ICC hour to establish control of the Debaltsevo railway junction

A few hours remain until the Minsk agreements stipulated in the conflict zone in the Donbass. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that if on Sunday night, February 15, fire on both sides will not stop, Ukraine will insist on holding an extraordinary meeting of the European Council. On Saturday, clashes on the entire front line continue in the conflict zone. The most fierce battles go near Mariopol and Debaltseve.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, on the eve of the border of Ukraine from Russia, at least 50 of the latest tanks, 40 missile and anti -aircraft artillery systems and 40 military vehicles were crossed. “Indeed, the latest technique came in at night, but I regard this as further psychological pressure. The militants will try to recapture some territories. It is especially insulting that a counterattack was suddenly perfect under Mariupol and they lost some of the territories controlled by them. Yes, they will try to recapture this land, but I believe in our Azov regiment, I believe in other divisions of the police, National Guard, our National Guard The armed forces.

As the Ukrainian authorities emphasize, according to the September Minsk agreements, the action of which was confirmed this week in the capital of Belarus, the city of Debaltseve must remain under the control of the Ukrainian side. Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Peter Mehed said: he has information according to which the Russian military participating in the battles in the Donbass received orders to seize Debaltsevo and Mariupol on February 15.

Fierce battles for Debaltseve - an important transport and railway junction - have been continuing since the end of January. In the last hours, before the start of the ceasefire announced in Minsk, the threat of continuing bloodshed is stored not only here. The Azov regiment reflects the attacks of the separatists near Mariupol in the area of the villages of Shirokino and Chermalyk. Both under Mariupol and under Debaltseve, tanks and artillery are used. Fire is carried out from the complex “Grad”, “Smerch” and “Hurricane”. At a time when the Ukrainian military called for the Ukrainian military to apply an air service on the enemy’s positions around the strategic points of Donbass, Russian air defense systems were already deployed there.

In Debaltsevo, Donetsk region of Ukraine, the evacuation of local residents continues: Photo report by Peter Shelomovsky

Debaltsevsky boiler. Life between shelling

The US Ambassador to Ukraine Jeffrey Payette in his account on the social network Twitter published satellite pictures indicating that Russian air defense systems, tanks and other military equipment and weapons were placed near Debaltseve. “Now the separatists have more weapons with tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery and missile systems than some NATO and European countries,” the American ambassador notes.

Over the past day, 14 Ukrainian military were killed in the conflict zone, the militants, according to Kyiv, lost almost 100 people. At least 14 civilians became victims of artillery storage in the Donbass. A tense situation, according to the ATO headquarters, is also preserved in the Lugansk direction. Novotoshkovskoye, the village of Lugansk, and Olkhovaya suffered from shelling. In the Donetsk direction, Avdeevka, a thin, Novobakhmutovka fell under the blows. The main attention is focused on Debaltsev.

“Putin, obviously, was reported that Ukrainian troops are surrounded,” the former head of the foreign intelligence service of Ukraine Nikolai Malomuzh suggested in an interview with Radio Freedom. - The Debaltsevsky boiler is almost completely closed, and maybe only a few hours remained to take Ukrainian troops in a dense ring. That is, the separatists want to change the demarcation line and that this strategic knot is under the control of militants. These circumstances served as a powerful factor for the Minsk negotiations, because it was the possible capture of Debaltsev that the separatists, with the support of Russia, would strike a powerful blow to our army. The enemy continues to strike at Debaltsev and other points in order to move the demarcation line. It was not a question of the withdrawal of troops from the demarcation line in Minsk, but only about the withdrawal of heavy equipment. Later, there will be the discharge of the foreign military - but not representatives of the so -called DPR and LPR, who would remain in the same Debaltsev if the city were under their control.

Nikolai Malomuzh does not exclude that after the entry into force of the Minsk agreements, it will not be possible to completely cease fire: it will not be possible:

- The first point is everywhere to cease fire, but in practice, obviously, will not happen. The enemy has some of their own ideas on this score. The next stage is the withdrawal of heavy equipment, and this will not happen so simply, although the process will be controlled not only by the tripartite contact group, but also by the leaders of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia.

- Given the not very successful previous experience of the OSCE, how effective can control from this organization be for the implementation of the Minsk agreements?

- OSCE, of course, is an authoritative organization, but they are just observing the process. Their functions are very weak, the number of mission is limited - no more than 300 people. But even 500 representatives of the OSCE will be not enough throughout the distinction line. The mission should be significantly strengthened by technical means, not only drones, but also satellite control.

The administration of the Ukrainian President states that if the ceasefire is not observed, then Ukraine will receive support from Western partners at a new level - including the supply of defensive weapons.