Fresh Fighting In Pisky, Eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian government forces traded fire with Russian-backed separatists in the village of Pisky, near the rebel-held city of Donetsk, late on August 18. The clash took place amid escalating violence in recent days along the front lines in eastern Ukraine (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, after analyzing shelling in Sartana village, close to port city of Mariupol, has concluded that on August 16 it was shelled from the east.
Observers, who studied 11 impact sites, think that they were caused by 122-mm or 152-mm artillery rounds that were “mostly” fired from the east where separatist positions are located. Such artillery is banned under the Minsk agreements.
Two people died in the Sartana shelling. Doctors also had to amputate a 10-year old girl’s foot.
That wraps up our Ukraine Live Blog for August 18, 2015.
Ukraine spent more than 38 million dollars on fortifications. All in all, about 268 fortification facilities were built in eastern Ukraine, says the country’s Ministry of Defense.
According to a Ministry official, Serhiy Martsenyuk, fortifications have proved to withstand fire of all types of small arms, grenade launchers, mortars and heavy artillery.
“During the battles of Maryinka where fortifications facilities were built, the enemy suffered heavy losses, but could not break through our line of defense,” said Martsenyuk.
(Earlier this year RFE/RL reported on fortifications in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine that did not appear to always live up to the lofty words of officials)
Vladimir Putin graffiti in Crimea's Simferopol gets creative.