Russia declares more “humanitarian aid” amid renewed fighting in Donbas

The tenth Russian humanitarian convoy arrived at the Russian-Ukrainian border on Dec. 21, reported the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry the same day. It consists of 180 vehicles, divided into two columns entering Ukraine at two different border crossings. The customs procedure has already begun without the involvement of the International Committee of the Red Cross, reported on Dec. 21 the National Security and Defense Council. “Since Red Cross representatives aren’t participating in the transfer of the cargo, Ukrainian border guards and customs officials are conducting only a visual monitoring of the trucks passing through the state border, without fulfilling regulatory functions,” the Council reported. The same day, the State Border Service reported it wasn’t able to conduct an inspection of the convoy’s trucks.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed on Dec. 21 a resolution creating a government committee to offer humanitarian aid to those suffering from fighting in the Donbas region. The commission was created “in relation to with humanitarian situation that emerged in the southeastern districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and mass appeals from citizens and organizations to offer humanitarian aid to damaged territories.” A Russian Duma MP proposed to create a support fund for Russian mercenaries fighting in the Donbas region, as well as their families, reported on Dec. 19 the Dozhd television network (tvrain.ru). Frants Klintsevich echoed Russian President Putin’s claim that they’re volunteers, not mercenaries, who aren’t getting paid, the report said. “It’s they’re free choice,” Klintsevich said. “But the issue is about our people, and we can’t abandon them on their own.”

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told the National Security and Defense Council on Dec. 20 said the 2015 budget is being planned for the possibility of a full-scale invasion of Russian forces at any moment. “The military threat from the east remains the main challenge to our security,” he said. He asked that the Council to find the balance that would allow the country, in conditions of limited financial ability, to secure the military-security complex without ruining the economy.  The same day, Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov announced the security and defense budget would be increased to 5 percent of GDP.

Five Ukrainian soldiers died and seven were injured in the last 24 hours of the morning of Dec. 19, reported Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the anti-terrorist operation. Gunfights in the city of Horlivka in the Donetsk region resulted in a nine-year-old girl killed and her mother wounded, reported on Dec. 20 the City Council website. Pro-Russian separatist fighters engaged in nine attacks on targets between 18:00 on Dec. 20 and 6:00 Dec. 21 using rifle fire, artillery, grenade launchers and mortars, reported the Anti-Terrorist Operation press center on Dec. 21. The separatist forces have increased their use of sniper fire, the press center also reported.

Zenon Zawada: After two weeks of relative calm, fighting has renewed itself in the Donbas region, which will serve as an unneeded drag on the Ukrainian economy. An economic report published this weekend noted that almost no international investment has flowed into Ukraine this year, which could certainly be attributed to the war, among other factors. Meanwhile, it has yet to be determined what the Russians are transferring in their massive “humanitarian convoys.” Somehow, the separatists aren’t running out of weapons and supplies. We believe all this plays into Russian President Putin’s strategy of exhausting the Ukrainian economy and setting the preconditions for an internal collapse. It just might work.