June 4, 2015
(BBC News Europe) The clashes - said to involve heavy artillery and tanks - are
taking place in Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, outside the rebel-held city of
Donetsk. There were reports of multiple injuries in the towns held by Ukraine's
army. Ukraine accused the rebels of launching a full-scale offensive in
violation of a truce. The separatists deny this.
"Krasnohorivka
and Maryinka are in flames. There is a close-contact fighting taking place
along the entire line of contact. Militants are trying to break through,"
wrote Ukrainian lawmaker Yevhen Deydey, who acts as a liaison official for the
government's Kiev-1 battalion. "Praying for our boys," Mr Deydey
added on his blog. More than 20 government soldiers were wounded during the
intense fighting, unconfirmed reports say. Ukraine's military later accused the
rebels of staging a full-scale offensive, in violation of the Minsk agreements.
The exact
number of dead might only emerge with time, but both sides appear to have taken
significant losses. Who is now in control of Maryinka is unclear. Earlier,
a Ukrainian commander told us his troops had lost control of the town. Then
Ukraine's defence minister said his forces were holding their ground. But
a rebel commander has now told us that the rebels have taken control.
If
Maryinka has been taken by the rebels, it would appear to be the most
significant gain in territory since the Ukrainian military lost control of the
town of Debaltseve, just after the Minsk deal was agreed.
Wednesday's violence will sow even more distrust
and will shake the confidence of leaders and diplomats in France and Germany,
who are trying to work with Russia and Ukraine to broker real peace.
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