At least six dead in two days of fighting in Donbas

At least three
Ukrainian soldiers were killed and eight injured in fighting against
pro-Russian forces in the Donbas region in the last two days, as reported by
the press center of the Joint Forces Operation. It also reported the Ukrainian
army inflicted three deaths and eight injuries against the separatists in the
last two days. “The Russian occupying forces directed their targeted fire using
grenade launchers, high-caliber cannons and rifle fire, as well as armed tanks
on certain fronts,” the press center said.

Zenon Zawada: Hosting the 2018 World Cup football
tournament proved very effective in cleaning and renewing Russia’s image
throughout the world after the negative publicity surrounding its military
invasion of Ukraine. Yet the Donbar war remains active, with casualties and
injuries occurring on a weekly basis, and often daily. This fighting is
occurring at a low level, which is positive because of the relatively lower
damage being inflicted, but it’s negative because it doesn’t draw the attention
of the international mass media.

In the coming months, we expect the Russian government will intensify
the fighting at various points in order to influence the March presidential
vote. We believe this could be effective in convincing more Ukrainians,
particularly in the southeastern regions, to vote for candidates calling for
compromise, which is widely viewed as capitulation. More importantly for
Russia, these candidates will circulate these ideas among the Ukrainian public,
making them more acceptable and boosting Russian-oriented parties in the
October 2019 parliamentary elections.