One Government Soldier Reported Killed In Eastern Ukraine
Ukraine says one of its soldiers has been killed in clashes in the country's east.
The Defense Ministry says Russia-backed separatists used grenade launchers and assault rifles in two attacks on July 17, killing one Ukrainian soldier.
The ministry said earlier on July 17 that the separatists violated the cease-fire 19 times during the previous 24 hours, injuring one Ukrainian soldier.
Meanwhile, the separatists claimed that Ukrainian government forces violated the cease-fire seven times, wounding a civilian.
Since April 2014, more than 10,300 people have been killed in fighting between Kyiv's forces and the separatists who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Cease-fire deals announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed to resolve the conflict -- have failed to hold.
A new cease-fire agreement was reached in late 2017 and was meant to begin on December 23, but both sides have accused each other of repeated violations since then.
With reporting by Interfax and TASS
OSCE's Ukraine Observer Mission 'Concerned' About Reported Russian Spy Leak
By RFE/RL
KYIV -- Russian intelligence has acquired internal documents of the international team monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including dossiers with personal information about its hundreds of staff members, from a spy, likely a staff member, according to German broadcaster ARD.
In a report aired on July 16, ARD’s Fakt program reported that Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), was now in possession of the data.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) in Ukraine on July 16 expressed concern over the alleged spy activities.
“The mission is concerned about any alleged breach of its security and is determined to examine all the allegations thoroughly in accordance with established procedures," the Ukraine mission said in a statement.
Reached by RFE/RL via e-mail, the OSCE SMM declined to provide further comment.
The dossiers reportedly contained personal information about monitors, including their telephone numbers and habits, the types of women they were attracted to, their financial situations, and whether they were susceptible to alcohol.
“Without proper verification, the OSCE SMM cannot comment or speculate on documents of unknown origin,” the Ukraine mission said. “However, the mission is concerned that alleged breaches may carry a potential risk for its staff, compromising their privacy and security.”
The OSCE’s Ukraine monitoring mission is the largest field operation within the pan-European security body, focused on monitoring and reporting on the security situation in Ukraine. Its role is to observe the conflict between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions and facilitate dialogue.
More than 10,300 people have been killed in the regions since the Russia-backed separatist insurgency began in April 2014. The conflict erupted after Moscow’s forcible annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, a move condemned by the international community.
There is no end in sight, despite a cease-fire deal known as Minsk II.
The OSCE SMM said in its report on July 15 that over July 13-14, it had recorded "more cease-fire violations" than the previous reporting session.