Ukraine attacks rebel positions, sparks criticism
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UKRAINIAN forces struck at bases of pro-Russia militants in eastern regions with air and artillery strikes yesterday after President Petro Poroshenko said he will not renew a cease-fire but go on the offensive to rid Ukraine of “parasites.”
His decision quickly drew fire from Russian President Vladimir Putin who said Poroshenko had disregarded the advice of himself and German and French leaders. Poroshenko will now have to bear full responsibility for veering off the road to peace, he said.
Putin said Moscow will continue to defend the interests of ethnic Russians abroad.
Within hours of Poroshenko’s early morning announcement, his military went into action against rebel bases and checkpoints.
“The terrorists’ plan to escalate armed confrontation has been disrupted and the threat of losses to the civilian population and service personnel has been liquidated,” the defense ministry said.
Poroshenko, who accuses Russia of fanning the conflict and allowing fighters and equipment to cross the border, turned his back on another renewal of a 10-day unilateral cease-fire after the phone talks involving Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France’s Francois Hollande.
Impatient at what he heard from Putin, Poroshenko said Ukraine had not seen “concrete steps for de-escalating the situation, including strengthening controls on the border.”
Saying the military will act to answer the “terrorists, militants and marauders,” Poroshenko accused rebels of failing to follow a peace plan he had outlined.
Later on his Facebook page, the 48-year-old leader warned the future will be difficult, adding: “we must be united, because we are fighting to free our land from dirt and parasites.”
Putin suggested Poroshenko had been isolated in Monday’s phone-in with himself, Merkel and Hollande.
“Unfortunately President Poroshenko took the decision to restart military operations and we could not convince him that the road to stable, strong and long-lasting peace does not lie through war,” he said.
“Up until now (Poroshenko) was not directly linked to the order to start military operations but now he has taken on this responsibility fully,” Putin said yesterday.
Earlier in Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry hinted that the United States stood behind Poroshenko’s decision.
“There is an impression that the change in Kiev’s position could not have come about without influence from abroad, despite the position of leading EU member states,” it said.
“After the president’s (Poroshenko’s) speech, the ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation) went into action. We opened artillery fire, carried out air strikes at the strategic points of the terrorists and places where they are concentrated,” military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkovsky said.
Rebels fired on an SU-25 attack aircraft, but the plane managed to land at its air base, he said. He denied a report that a helicopter had been shot down.
One Ukrainian serviceman has been killed and 17 wounded in the past 24 hours, he said.
Poroshenko expressed willingness to return to a cease-fire if all sides are ready to adhere to the peace plan, including the freeing of hostages and creating effective border controls.
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