Shelling of Donbass. Provocations. Evacuation of residents

1 Donbass

Troops from the Southern Russian Military District, and some border servicemen of the FSB, prevented a violation of the state border in the Rostov region by a sabotage and scout group from Ukraine. During the skirmish, 2 Ukrainian IFVs entered the area on the state border of Russia for the emergency evacuation of the sabotage group. The IFVs were destroyed. 5 Ukrainian servicemen were killed. None of the Russians were hurt. Earlier there was a report about a shell, fired from Ukraine, which hit an FSB border service point in the Rostov region. The building was completely destroyed.

2 Donbass

The RIA NEWS reports that there was an explosion near the Donetsk airport. Details are being specified. A Ukrainian saboteur tried to blow up a market in Donetsk, near a railway station. He died while planting the bomb. This morning, an another group of saboteurs broke into the territory of the DPR. According to the people’s militia — they blew up a warehouse of rockets and artillery shells. The Ukrainian troops continue the shelling of the settlements of Donbass. 2 civilians and 1 soldier were killed in the DPR. Several houses and 2 schools were damaged. Over the past day, 2 residents of the LPR died, 3 were injured. The Ukrainian troops use ammunition and heavy weaponry which are prohibited by the Minsk agreements. This is being recorded by the OSCE representatives.

3 Russia

Russia is ready to accept the people, evacuated from Donbass, to 43 regions of Russia. Temporary accommodation facilities have been prepared for those people. About 10,000 people, including more than 4,500 children, have already reached the temporary accommodation centers in 4 Russian regions. According to the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia — 1,435 rescuers use 533 pieces of equipment to help refugees. The volunteers organized the delivery of more than 50 tons of food and essentials. On 18th of February, the authorities of the DPR and the LPR announced the evacuation of the population due to the escalation of the situation in Donbass. More than 60,000 refugees were taken to Russia. Donetsk has previously reported about the plans to evacuate up to 700,000 of people.

4 Donbass

On 21st of February the Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk. The fan of the main ventilation system of the Skochinsky mine was damaged — the Ministry of Coal and Energy of the DPR reported. The representatives of the Ministry added that the ventilation system, which provides clean air to all working areas, was stopped after being damaged at 12:00. The experts specified that the ventilation equipment stopped due to the Ukrainian shelling of the electrical substation, which provides energy to the mine. More than 250 people were evacuated.

5 Donbass

The DPR and the LPR need military and financial aid from Russia — said Eduard Basurin, the spokesman for the People’s Militia of the DPR. He added that the moral support is needed the most. Earlier the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission recorded an increase in shelling of Donbas. The heads of the DPR and LPR announced the almost certain risk of a full-scale war. The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently stated that the military activity in Europe is now the highest since the Cold War.

6 Russia — Ukraine

During an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council, the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that Ukraine has concentrated almost 60,000 troops near the borders of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. «They have some «Tochka-U» missile launchers, 345 tanks, 2,160 APCs, 820 artillery pieces and mortars, and 160 MLRS» — he concluded. Constantine Reztsov, specially for the ANNA NEWS