Ukraine rebels hunker down ahead of Kiev offensive
July 12, 2014, 5:24 am

Pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk say they will make their stand in the city [Xinhua]

The pro-Russian rebels say they will not surrender the city. On Thursday they attacked the regional airport, a position they had retreated from in May. Ukraine’s military forces pushed them back and have been gaining leverage in their siege of the city.

According to Ukraine National Security and Defense Council chief Andriy Parubiy, Kiev’s forces control 13 of 18 districts in Donetsk region.

The rebels have been withdrawing ahead of Ukrainian military advances in other towns such as Slovyansk, and Kramatorsk.

Rebel leaders say that they are urging civilians to leave Donetsk and have hinted that they could force a refugee crisis on Moscow in order to procure military supplies.

In the meantime, the Ukrainian military earlier this week reported that at least 19 of its soldiers, in addition to four border guards, were killed when their army encampment was shelled near the village of Rovenky.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine, which declared independence after Russian forces seized the region of Crimea, intensified since Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko decided against extending a unilateral ceasefire last week.

Poroshenko’s move prompted criticism from Moscow.

“Unfortunately, President Poroshenko has resolved to resume military action, and we failed – when I say ‘we’, I mean my colleagues in Europe and myself – we failed to convince him that the road to a secure, stable and inviolable peace cannot lie through war,” Putin said.

“We also failed to agree to make public the statement approved by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine on the need to maintain peace and search for mutually acceptable solutions,” he added.

On Thursday, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Putin to pressure the rebels to put down their arms.

For his part, Poroshenko says he has not seen any serious move from Russia to deescalate the fighting in east Ukraine. Putin has said that he has seen no push for negotiations from Kiev.

Source: Agencies