Ukraine

Ukraine’s military forces announce that they are close to recapturing Donetsk and are preparing the “final stage” of the attack. A spokesman says Kiev’s troops have cut Donetsk off from the other main rebel-held city of Luhansk, 150 km (90 miles) away, on Russia’s border. He tells Reuter’s:

The forces of the anti-terrorist operation are preparing for the final stage of liberating Donetsk. Our forces have completely cut Donetsk off from Luhansk. We are working to liberate both towns but it’s better to liberate Donetsk first – it is more important.

The European Union extends sanctions to cover 11 leaders of the pro-Moscow rebellion in eastern Ukraine. Targets of the asset freeze and travel ban include two Russian spin doctors, Alexander Borodai, prime minister of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, and his counterpart in the Luhansk People’s Republic, Marat Bashirov, both formerly worked for Russian tycoons. Also on the new list were two men identified as rebel military leaders: Nikolai Kozitsyn, commander of Cossack forces, and Alexei Mosgovy, responsible for military training. The names were published today in the EU’s Official Journal; it brought the total of people affected by the EU’s Ukraine-related sanctions to 72, as well as two companies whose EU-based assets have been ordered frozen.

Explosions blow up three  bridges leading into Donetsk. Although it is not clear who caused the explosions, they are being blamed on Russian rebels, as they attempt to hold on to one of the last major cities under their control.   After being driven out of Sloviansk by the Ukranian Army, the rebels fled to Donetsk where they had previously declared their independence as Donetsk’s People’s Republic. Reuters is reporting bursts of gunfire in many of  the neighborhoods in the center of Donetsk, and is saying people are fearful of warfare breaking out between the army and the rebels.

After a night of fighting, President Poroshenko and a rebel spokesperson report the Ukranian flag is now flying over Sloviansk. The city had been under rebel control since April 12, 2014.   The military reports it destroyed a tank and four other armored vehicles during the overnight battle.  A spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council:

Sloviansk is under siege. Now an operation is going on to neutralize small groups hiding in buildings where peaceful citizens are living.

Pro-Russian insurgents release a second team of  members from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) who were being held captive since the end of May.  The release happened after a EU summit on June 27, 2014.  The first OSCE  team was released earlier last week.  The observers were released and met by organization officials in Donetsk. An OSCE spokesman says:

They’re in good health, they’re in good spirits.

Alexander Borodai, an insurgent leader says:

We have fulfilled our obligations before the Ukrainian side. All eight observers have been released.

As the cease-fire truce nears an end, thousands of Ukranian citizens flee to Russia, many vowing never to return because they feel their government betrayed them.  Over the past few months, tens of thousands have already fled to Russia seeking safety. Russia’s migration service reports they have registered the arrival of 90,000 Ukranians, with very few requesting refugee status, which would require them to stay in Russia for six months.

In a report made to an international landmine conference, Ukraine accuses Russia of using landmines in the Crimea Region.  Ukraine also says that Russia seized 605 anti-personnel landmines stored at a Ukrainian military depot in the Saki area of Crimea, which Ukraine was allowed to keep for training under the international Mine Ban Treaty. Russia is not a participant in the treaty. The report states that one Ukrainian soldier was killed and three others were wounded by mines and other explosive devices in southeastern Ukraine during April and May.