Igor Strelkov’s Briefings, June 29, 2014 (Part I)

Combined for June 28, 2014
Translated from Russian by Gleb Bazov

#1 – Morning Briefing from the Militia, June 29, 2014, 8:35
Original: Strelkov Info

The ceasefire is progressing at full strength – at night the Ukie forces shelled Slavyansk and Semyonovka. In response, they got a massive shelling of Karachun and the Kramatorsk airfield (including with tanks) – [following which] they quickly calmed down.

10:54 – Once again, Ukies started to shell Slavyansk. In response, [our] Nona started working, shelling the ill-fated checkpoint of the Nazi bastards near the Fish Farm ([according to enemy classification,] CP No. 1, which we already took once).

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#2 – Information from Slavyansk Resident, @mara_beyka, June 29, 2014
Original: Strelkov Info

11:17 – Kramatorsk was again under fire. The city lived peacefully until the hour that those on Karachun decided to blow the [water] filtration station to bits. How do you explain this? Again we have to live with explosions.

12:38 – Once again, a severe shelling of my neighbourhood. The “Lesnoy” market is burning. I have no strength [anymore].

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#3 – Briefing from Igor Strelkov, June 29, 2014, 12:00
Original: Icorpus.ru

Around half past nine, Ukies shelled the city with howitzers. Apartment buildings in the Artyom settlement and in the area of the railway terminal suffered direct hits. Also hit was the [local] market. There are victims among the civilian population.

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#4 – Information from the Militia, June 29, 2014, 12:00
Original: Strelkov Info

On June 29, at noon, a solemn consecration ceremony of the banner of the 1^st Volunteer Battalion of Slavyansk took place in the Svyato-Voskresenskiy temple in the city of Slavyansk.

Photographs of the Consecration Ceremony

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#5 – Reports from Eyewitness, June 29, 2014, 12:45
Original: Strelkov Info

At about 13:00, Ukie forces are continuing to shell Slavyansk. Once again, homes have been destroyed, there are victims among the civilian population. That’s the kind of ceasefire we have.

A shell hit the 9^th floor of a building on Olimpiyskaya street. Vera Kostenko, 53 years old, died. Her daughter and [granddaughter] hid in the bathroom and survived.

Shells continued to explode at the [local] market, the only place where people could still find food to survive.

@mara_beyka: “A woman’s head was ripped off [by an explosion] in the area of the “Lesnoy” market, in her own apartment. My hands are shaking.”

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#6 – Reports from Local Residents, June 29, 2014, 13:07
Original: Strelkov Info

While in Kiev they rally for continuation of the ATO [Anti-terrorist Operation], in Slavyansk we are counting corpses. The result of the Ukie army’s shelling of Slavyansk: 2 women and 1 man died; there are many wounded.

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#7 – Briefing from Igor Strelkov, June 29, 2014, 13:50
Original: Strelkov Info

At approximately 10:00 in the morning, the enemy conducted howitzer strikes in the area of Artyom, the railway terminal and the Central Market. As a result, 2 civilians died and several were wounded.

At 13:00, the enemy is conducting mortar strikes against the Vostochniy settlement, Semyonovka and the outskirts of Seleznyovka. Multiple instances of destruction reported.

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#8 – Briefing from Igor Strelkov, June 29, 2014, 14:10
Original: Icorpus.ru

Ukies are conducting a full-scale war. The shelling of the Vostochniy settlement and of Semyonovka with mortars and howitzers continues.

Three “Acacias” have been delivered to [a Ukrainian] stronghold at Kombikormoviy … This is right next to the city. It means that we should be expecting semi-direct strikes.

There are reports from Rovnenkov (on the border with Russia): using overwhelming forces, Ukies are closing the last “window” on the Russian border. An entire regiment, 260 various armoured vehicles are involved … That’s the kind of “ceasefire” we have …

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#9 – Briefing from the Militia, June 29, 2014
Original: Strelkov Info

The night became relatively calm as it turned to morning. Once again, there were drones in the area of military activity. The enemy is relocating its detachments. We expect that fresh detachments of the Nazi bastards from Western provinces will arrive in Krasniy Liman on July 2^nd.

10:30 (MSK) – intense howitzer and mortar shelling started from Karachun, directed against the Artyom district, near the railway terminal. Black clouds of smoke seen rising over Artyom and the “Lesnoy” market and in the vicinity. The Militia returned fire at Karachun, an artillery duel is ongoing.

12:20 (MSK) – As a result of the Ukie army’s artillery shelling of Slavyansk that lasted over an hour, a number of residential buildings were damaged: two buildings destroyed at 12 Novoslavyanskiy lane, near the “Express” store, in the Sobachevka district; people are still trapped beneath the rubble. We require help. Also, the market was hit – there are dead and wounded there.

The Artyom district and the area of the railway terminal suffered severe damage; fires and destruction in the residential neighbourhoods reported.

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#10 – Briefing from the Militia, June 29, 2014
Original: Strelkov Info

Video of a Building Subjected to Artillery Shelling in Slavyansk

Slavyansk. The building down Olimpiyskaya street following artillery shelling from Karachun by the Ukrainian army. People died here. There are many wounded.

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#11 – Revelations by a Former Ukrainian Paratrooper, June 29, 2014
Original: Strelkov Info

Video of the Statements Made by a Former Ukrainian Paratrooper

A former serviceman of the 25^th Dnepropetrovsk paratrooper brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces abandoned his battle position near Kramatorsk, where he was born and grew up, and left for Russia. He did not want to shoot his own countrymen.

“My father told me that he was going to join the Militia, and he is a man of his word. I did not want to go fight against him. And against my countrymen. That is how it happened that I resigned and left” – Yaroslav told us.

He served in the same paratrooper brigade that had six APC crews refuse to follow the orders of the Kiev government to attack the city and go over to the side of the Slavyansk Militia in April. At that time, Yaroslav was at a checkpoint near his native Kramatorsk. He says that he fellow soldiers were preparing for a battle, but did not understand whom they would be fighting: “They had no idea, really. All because we were told that [we would be fighting] terrorists and separatists, but, because I am myself from Karamatorsk, I have a pretty good idea what kind of “terrorists” they are. Listening to the officer, you’d think that my grandma is a terrorist.”

Yaroslav’s story is shocking. He heard horrific things first hand – from his fellow soldiers that fought street battles in Kramatorsk. “When they took over a district of Kramatorsk, they checked every house – to see whether there were weapons or whether [the residents] had contact with the Militia. And, if there was any link [to the Militia], they would shoot everyone – women, children, men. They executed entire families!”

The first telephone calls from Russia he placed to his relative and friends. Kramatorsk continued to fight, even when mourning. “A former classmate of mine attended two funerals. A young woman died – she simply went out on the balcony to smoke, and a man, a passerby – he had no weapon, nothing!” – told us the former paratrooper.

Yaroslav says that the Ukrainian army is finishing its last reserves. They have started on the Ukrainian rations, but even those are in short supply. But what is most important, according to the former partrooper, is that the morale in the army is not ready for combat – the conscripted/mobilized Ukrainians simply do not want to fight.

Yaroslav is sure of himself, though. He already took the most important step = he did not allow a war that is ripping apart the country also make him shoot his own father.

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#12 – Briefing from Igor Strelkov, June 29, 2014, 23:30
Original: Icorpus.ru

Ukies Have Subjected our Positions in Semyonovka to Chemical Weapons

Two of the militiamen are in critical condition (poisoning with phosphorus fumes) and have been sent to Donetsk. One of them is very critical.

Right now (it is half past ten [local time]) the shelling of Slavkurort continues. Howitzers of 240mm calibre have been used. There are several several centres of severe fires.