Council of Europe,NATO confirm Russian armies remain in Ukraine’s Donbas

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved a resolution on Oct. 2 that recognized the presence of Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, the Yevropeyska Pravda news site reported. “Russia is providing support to armed insurgents in eastern Ukraine, including direct military intervention in the conflict,” the document said. It calls for Russia “to halt lending any military support to the insurgents, remove its armies from eastern Ukraine and its borders, as well as refraining from any actions that directly or indirectly exacerbate the situation in eastern Ukraine.” The resolution also called for the Russian government to rescind its annexation of Crimea and return the territory to Ukraine.

Hundreds of Russian soldiers, including special forces, remain on Ukraine’s territory while about 20,000 soldiers remain positioned near the border on Russian territory, said on Oct. 3 NATO Spokesman Jay Janzen, the Reuters news agency reported. The Russian government hasn’t removed its forces during the last week, he said.

Shootings occurred in the center of Donetsk the evening of Oct. 2, reported the City Council website. Among the victims was a Swiss Red Cross worker who was killed, reported the New York Times. The prior day, nine people were killed and 30 injured in fighting in the city.

New Russian Armed Forces units and military hardware with the label “For Novorossiya” have arrived in Crimea and the Rostov Oblast and have been posted along the Ukrainian border, reported on Oct. 2 Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council. The State Border Service reported two drones conducted surveillance from Crimea, one of which flew into the Kherson region.

Zenon Zawada: The continued military buildup on Russian-controlled territory offers further evidence that this military conflict will continue further. The presence of the Russian military in Donbas indicates it’s not interested in extinguishing the conflict. In the month since the Sept. 5 Minsk ceasefire protocols, the Russian military could have used its influence to halt the attacks of the separatists.