The Ukrainian military has reported that Separatists in the country’s east have broken the ceasefire agreement between the two armies and are now attacking the city of Donetsk.
The ceasefire, now a month old, remained mostly peaceful, although there were reports of violations by both sides. In the last 24 hours, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed, with six more wounded. Three Separatist fighters have been killed and 32 have been wounded in that same time.
The main battle site has been the Donetsk airport. The airport has been the sight of fighting since the beginning of conflict in the country’s Eastern half. The airport, held by the army, is a key strategic location due to a landing strip that can move heavy aircraft.
More fighting was reported in the smaller towns of Debaltseve and Shchastye, near the Russian border.
Three civilians have also allegedly been killed in the past 24 hours. Blame for civilian casualties has been placed on both sides of the conflict. Rebels claim that government shelling kills most of the civilians, while the government strenuously denies any purposeful targeting of non-combatants.
The conflict, which has been going on since the previous Ukrainian government was toppled last February, has seen a lessening of violence in the past month. This new fighting may put the ceasefire to the test and end up breaking it altogether.
The Rebels, backed by Vladimir Putin, want an independent East Ukraine which would be heavily influenced by Moscow. The Ukrainian government, which is led by Petro Poroshenko, is completely opposed to further dissolution of Ukraine since Crimea was annexed by Russia on March 18.
The fighting has become something of a symbol of the ideological conflict between Western Europe and Russia. The new Ukrainian government was formed because many in the country’s west want closer ties to the European Union and NATO. The country’s east wants closer ties to Russia.
The United States and the European Union have backed Ukraine solidly through the imposition of sanctions on Russia, and Russia has retaliated with sanctions of its own. It now remains to be seen whether violence in the region spins out of control before the economic effects of the sanctions forces both sides to come to the table.
by Alex Marinides
