Ukrainian soldiers keep warm during a meal in Volnovakha. (Photo: Olga Ivashchenko)
VOLNOVAKHA, Ukraine—On Tuesday in this embattled
front-line town in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian army’s 30th Brigade came
under 120 mm mortar fire from its enemy—a combined force of pro-Russian
separatists and Russian regulars entrenched across no man’s land about 2
kilometers away.
The indirect fire skirmishes in Volnovakha underscore a more widespread
surge in heavy fighting along the 250-mile-long front lines in eastern Ukraine,
which began on Jan. 29.
Amid the uptick in fighting, at least 35 Ukrainian soldiers and
civilians have died in the last week alone.
Meanwhile, Feb. 15 will mark the two-year anniversary of the Minsk II
cease-fire. The conflict’s recent escalation is, therefore, a stark reminder that
the cease-fire has failed, and Europe’s only ongoing land war is far from over.
No comments:
Post a Comment