DONETSK, Ukraine: The ceasefire in Ukraine hung by a thread yesterday after President Petro Poroshenko accused pro-Russian rebels of endangering the peace process and ordered troop reinforcements to eastern cities.
In another sign of how far apart the two sides are drifting, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced he was cutting the rebel-held Donetsk and Lugansk regions off from central government subsidies, so as not to finance “terrorists.”
Artillery explosions could be heard early yesterday around the airport in Donetsk, where Ukrainian soldiers have been holding out for weeks against surrounding separatist forces. Following salvos of Grad multiple rockets and cannon fire, black smoke rose from the nearby government-held village of Peski.
Two soldiers were killed and nine wounded in the past 24 hours that saw “intensified” shooting incidents, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.
“Also, the delivery of significant amounts of military hardware and personnel from Russia to territory controlled by rebels hasn’t stopped,” the spokesman said, reiterating constant allegations — denied by Moscow — that Russia is fighting on the rebel side.
Two teenagers were killed yesterday when shelling hit a school sports ground where they were playing football in Donetsk, an AFP journalist and local officials said.
Two corpses lay covered by tarpaulin at the playing field close to the disputed airport in the war-torn city and witnesses said that at least four more people were wounded.
Ceasefire observers representing government forces, rebels, Russia and the European security body OSCE met in Donetsk, but there was little immediate detail available about the results of the talks. But the already tattered truce, which was signed September 5, has looked ever more fragile since rebels defied the government Sunday and held leadership elections that they described as legitimising their two self-declared independent states.
Ukrainian authorities say they are preparing for the worst, following rebel threats to expand their territory.
Poroshenko said late Tuesday he had ordered troop reinforcements to cities across the east to guard against a “possible offensive in the direction of Mariupol, Berdyansk, Kharkiv and Lugansk.” “Today, several new units and groupings have been formed, which will already allow us to stop any possible attack,”
Poroshenko said.
“The supplying of our armed forces with the very latest technology — offensive, reconnaissance, guided systems — is continuing quite effectively.”
Russia said it “respected” the rebel elections, but Kiev, the European Union and United States all said that the polls had badly damaged the peace process, which was based on giving rebel areas autonomy, not independence.
Reflecting EU concerns, new European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said yesterday that Kiev will be his first trip outside the European Union.
Addressing the meeting of defence officials, Poroshenko said that in the wake of what he called “pseudo” elections, he was asking parliament to rescind the law offering autonomy to the rebels, who are based around Donetsk and Lugansk.
The separatists adopted a conciliatory tone, saying that they were ready to try and resurrect the peace process.
“We are prepared to work on a new version of the agreement,” said the self-declared Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics in an unusual joint statement.
But Yatsenyuk likewise signalled the government was taking a tougher line, announcing an end to subsidies for the eastern regions. “We don’t want to finance imposters and conmen,” he said. “As soon as the terrorists clear out of there and we get back the territory, then we will pay every person the welfare payments they have the right to.”
“To pay today is to directly finance terrorism,” he said. “The terrorists should get out of this territory and Russia should stop supporting them.”
Gas and power supplies will continue, he said. “Our citizens are on this territory and the government will not allow these people to freeze, because this would lead to humanitarian catastrophe.” Ukraine’s small army has been badly mauled during the more than half-year of battles.
AFP
