Russian-backed fighters launch missiles, accuse Ukraine of attacks

Russian-backed fighters launched nearly 250 Grad missiles at the Donetsk region towns of Avdiyivka and Opytne, the press center of Ukraine’s Anti-Terrorist Operation reported on its Facebook page on Nov. 5. “Cynically violating the Minsk Accords, the illegally armed formations of certain districts of the Donetsk region are threatening the lives of their peaceful residents once again,” the report said. In a separate incident, two Ukrainian soldiers were injured this weekend by heavy artillery fire on the Mariupol front, the press center said.
 
Also on Sunday, shells were fired from residential areas of occupied Donetsk and Makiyivka, from where they were also fired in response, reported the ostro.org news site. The media of the Russian-backed forces blamed the recent escalated violence on the Ukrainian army. In turn, the Anti-Terrorist Operation said the Ukrainian army never targets residential areas of peaceful residents.
 
Zenon Zawada: This looks to be fighting that flared up independent of Kremlin orders, which happens often. We also expect the Kremlin to be ordering attacks when it’s convenient to have such reports in the global mass media, as has been its tactic throughout the Donbas war. We believe the Kremlin will also use the war to influence the election campaign next year, in hopes that voters will turn to Russian-oriented parties.
 
What’s also significant about these renewed attacks is that the Presidential Administration faces renewed aggression on the eastern front, in addition to potentially violent opposition in the capital city, where a tent city of activists and Donbas war veterans is about to reach its third week. It’s been established that at least one Ukrainian former MP, currently residing in Russia, is involved in financing the protest. So the country is now entering a very turbulent period that will extend into the 2019 parliamentary elections, scheduled for October.