Truce spurned in siege town

16 February 2015 - 09:37 By Reuters
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
ON THE FOOTBALL FRONT: Ukrainian servicemen enjoy a kickabout on the road to Debaltseve yesterday
ON THE FOOTBALL FRONT: Ukrainian servicemen enjoy a kickabout on the road to Debaltseve yesterday
Image: AFP

Ukrainian rebels disavowed a new truce yesterday hours after it came into force, saying it did not apply to the town in which most of the fighting has taken place in recent weeks.

Guns fell abruptly silent at midnight yesterday across eastern Ukraine as the ceasefire agreed to on Thursday night took effect after a week of high-pressure diplomacy led by France and Germany.

But pro-Russian rebels announced they would not observe the truce at Debaltseve, where Ukrainian army forces have been encircled.

"Of course we can open fire [on Debaltseve]. It is our territory," said Eduard Basurin, a rebel commander.

"The territory is internal: ours; internal is internal.

The effect across the battle zone of the disavowal of the truce is likely to be dire.

Both sides have said their forces had stopped shooting on Thursday night and blamed what firing there was on the enemy.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the truce must be implemented "unconditionally" as agreed on Thursday, but made no mention of whether Moscow believes the ceasefire applied to Debaltseve.

It is believed that more than 8000 Ukrainian soldiers are be besieged in the city.

Rebels say they have completed the encirclement of the town, putting it effectively in their hands. But Ukraine says its forces are still inside and have kept open a road to resupply it in the face of a Russian-backed onslaught.

Washington says Russia's military carried out an operation in the days just before the truce to encircle Debaltseve.

Journalists operating on the rebel side have seen armoured columns of troops without insignia arriving in the area in recent days.

Russian President Vladimir Putin denies Moscow is involved in fighting for the territory he calls "New Russia".

The Ukrainian military said yesterday that nine of its soldiers were killed on Saturday but none since the truce took effect.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said in a midnight televised speech that he had ordered troops to stop firing in line with the truce but added that if Ukraine were slapped once, it would not offer the other cheek.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now