Press Digest 08.02.2014
Georgians clash with pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk
NATO to send its counselors to Georgia
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Georgians clash with pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk
“Military conflict in South-Eastern Ukraine has reportedly escalated. Now, the battle is raging between pro-Russian separatists and government forces, with the insurgents aiming to take over Debaltseve, a city of great strategic importance for Ukraine.
Allegedly, Georgian volunteers are also engaged in the conflict. As Ukrainian media outlets report, in Donetsk, around the international airport, the Georgian battalion and pro-Russian Chechen separatists have already clashed with each other,”- reports the Rezonansi paper.
According to the Ukrainian journalists, following the initiative of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechen armed forces have been actively involved in Ukraine’s military activities since spring, 2014. Reportedly, Georgians and Kadyrov’s supporters encountered each other on February 3, with Georgian soldiers reportedly killing 13 Chechens, while the Chechens managed to wound only one Georgian, nicknamed “Doctor,”- says the article.
“As circulating reports have it, today around 40 Georgians are involved in Ukraine’s anti-terrorist operation. Military activities have already claimed two of our compatriots’ lives, while six of them have been severely wounded.
At this point, the separatists are trying to surround Ukrainian soldiers; they have already overrun Uglekorsk, an inhabited location in Russia; the Chechens have also taken over different military footholds and thus have endangered around 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers who are now about to come under siege.
Ukraine is in a terrible crisis today and the situation there is extremely turbulent. As the rebels inform, in a week, as many as 500 Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded or killed. People are being systematically evacuated from the conflict zone. Reportedly, about 6 thousand peaceful citizens have already been delivered to safety,”- says the article.
In parallel to this, both cities controlled by Ukrainian government forces and the separatists are being bombarded around the clock. At this point, Debaltseve is a hotspot in the conflict zone, and vulnerable to all many dangers. Allegedly, Russians want to do the same there as it did in Ukraine last year, with approximately 7000 Ukrainian forces ending up besieged.
In addition, Debaltseve is an important transportation hub, linking Donetsk and Lugansk; thus, if pro-Russian Chechens succeed in occupying the city, they will stand a very strong chance of defeating the Ukrainians.
Recent reports, that Georgian volunteers have eliminated Kadyrov’s separatist supporters must be true, since information on an alleged attack having claimed the lives of many pro-Russian Chechen soldiers has also been released by Chechens’ own information outlets. However, the number of victims is still unknown,”- concludes the author of the article.
NATO to send its counselors to Georgia
“Yesterday, at a NATO-Georgia Committee session in Brussels, the issue of implementing the Wales Summit comprehensive package was discussed.
According to the Western leaders, Georgia has moved forward with passing reforms and the country is on the right track today.
Despite tensions running high in Ukraine, representatives of the alliance as well as other aspiring states made rather optimistic statements at the session.
As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg maintains, NATO wants Georgia to get closer to the alliance by modernizing its defense system. According to him, their decision to form a group of experts within the Wales package serves this very purpose,”- reports the Rezonansi newspaper.
“Representatives of the permanent mission to Georgia’s Defense Ministry will reportedly help the Georgian authorities to pass reforms in its defense system and thus modernize this field.
Stoltenberg underscored that opening of a NATO training center in Georgia is of paramount significance for the country since Georgian as well as NATO military forces will be trained there together. As Stoltenberg says, other ally states will also train their soldiers at the center, which, according to him, is not a military base and cannot provoke Russia,”- says the article.
The NATO official also pointed out that the U.S., as well as most alliance member states will provide equipment and personnel.
This time the NATO Secretary General avoided being critical while evaluating the present political situation in Georgia.
Defense Minister of Georgia Mindia Janelidze, who is very satisfied with the session, says that the group of NATO counselors has, in fact, already been created and they are expected to visit Georgia in the immediate future,”- concludes the author of the article.
