UKRAINE-CRISIS/WITHDRAWAL Volunteer battalion pulled back from Shyrokyne village in east Ukraine

Record ID: 146010

  • Title: UKRAINE-CRISIS/WITHDRAWAL Volunteer battalion pulled back from Shyrokyne village in east Ukraine
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: MARIUPOL, UKRAINE (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WITH UKRAINIAN FLAG STANDING ALONG ROAD AND WAVING AS MILITARY VEHICLES DRIVE ALONG MAN IN CAMOUFLAGE CLOTHING WAVING UKRAINIAN FLAG, MILITARY VEHICLES STATIONED IN BACKGROUND, PEOPLE CHANTING OFF CAMERA (Ukrainian): "GLORY TO UKRAINE, GLORY TO HEROES" VARIOUS OF UKRAINIAN VOLUNTEER DONBASS BATTALION SOLDIERS, AFFILIATED WITH NATIONAL GUARD, MILLING ABOUT NEAR CAR TWO MEN HOLDING UKRAINIAN FLAGS AND TALKING TO DONBASS BATTALION SOLDIERS AS THEY STAND NEAR MILITARY VEHICLE DONBASS BATTALION SOLDIERS SPEAKING SOLDIER HOLDING CIGARETTE VARIOUS OF DONBASS BATTALION SOLDIERS WITH UKRAINIAN FLAGS POSING FOR PICTURES WITH MARIUPOL ACTIVIST GALYNA ODNOROG (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MARIUPOL ACTIVIST, GALYNA ODNOROG, SAYING: "We ask the president that you stay with us. We ask the whole of Ukraine to support us so that you remain with us, in our town, to defend us. We believe in you, we know that for half a year you have been holding positions in Shyrokyne with your blood, your lives. My dearest, boys, beloved, we will raise the question and will ask the president to leave you in our town." SOLDIERS WALKING ALONG ROAD VARIOUS OF DONBASS BATTALION SOLDIERS BOARDING INTO THE BACK OF MILITARY VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN VOLUNTEER DONBASS BATTALION SOLDIER, NOME DE GUERRE 'HUNTER', SAYING: "We are against leaving that territory, because how many lives were devoted. What is all this work for? What were we there for? We left behind our families, came here to hold the city. Now what? Do we need to withdraw from Shyrokyne? Excuse me." SOLDIERS IN BACK OF VEHICLE DOOR OF VEHICLE BEING CLOSED CARS DRIVING AWAY LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH UKRAINIAN FLAGS STANDING ALONG ROAD
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAB3BGD54UYQXDLKA3OJ8CI18LC
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Ukraine has pulled back fighters from the volunteer Donbass Battalion, affiliated with Ukraine's National Guard, from the eastern village of Shyrokyne near the strategic port city of Mariupol.
    A convoy of military cars could be seen driving through the streets of Mariupol in the early hours of Tuesday (July 29), with fighters in military uniforms waving at local residents who cheered them along.
    The withdrawal of the fighters comes as part of Kiev's demilitarisation efforts on the frontline in the east, where its forces are pitted against pro-Russian separatists, in a bid to implement the a ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk, Belarus.
    Despite the February truce, shooting has continued around the coastal area of Shyrokyne, with Kiev fearing separatists may try to seize the port to help cement a long-term hold on eastern districts of Ukraine.
    Galyna Odnorog, an activist in Mariupol, said many people were nervous at the prospect of demilitarisation.
    "We ask the president that you stay with us. We ask the whole of Ukraine to support us so that you remain with us, in our town, to defend us. We believe in you, we know that for half a year you have been holding positions in Shyrokyne with your blood, your lives. My dearest, boys, beloved, we will raise the question and will ask the president to leave you in our town," said Odnorog, as she took pictures with fighters in uniform.
    Donbass Battalion fighters appeared reluctant to leave when travelling in Mariupol on Tuesday. One fighter, who gave his nome de guerre as 'Hunter' said he was against the withdrawal from Shyrokyne.
    "We are against leaving that territory, because how many lives were devoted. What is all this work for? What were we there for? We left behind our families, came here to hold the city. Now what? Do we need to withdraw from Shyrokyne? Excuse me," he said, as his fellow fighters climbed into the back of a vehicle, before driving on.
    Ukraine has announced heavy weapons will be withdrawn from Mariupol, as part of demilitarisation efforts, but can be quickly redeployed if needed.
    "We must calm the citizens of Mariupol, the public and the defence headquarters in that Ukrainian servicemen are not leaving Shyrokyne, they remain there. We expect a signing of the respective agreement on the creation of a buffer zone. It will mean the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the separation line at a distance of 15 kilometres by each side. It will mean mutual withdrawal. If the enemy does not pull back, we will not pull back large-caliber weaponry without reason and open our front line," said Ukraine's military spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, at a briefing in the capital, Kiev.
    A permanent observation post will be set up in Shyrokyne for the OSCE's special mission to Ukraine (SMM) and the Joint Center for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC).
    On Monday (July 27) a patrol leader of the special mission was wounded during an exchange of fire near Shyrokyne.
    The mission said in a report that the patrol leader was struck by concrete debris caused by an explosion which hit the mission's car.
    The SMM has accused both sides of failing to respect the ceasefire by not fully withdrawing their heavy artillery as required by the peace agreement, which was brokered in February to end a conflict in which over 6,500 people have been killed.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register