By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – Following another Minsk peace agreement involving leaders from England, France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia, a cease-fire has once again failed. Fighting has restarted in Eastern Ukraine, particularly in Debaltseve where it was initially unclear whether the cease-fire reigned although later discussion between relevant parties found that it did.

Sunday night at midnight, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko issued an order for Ukrainian troops to cease fire, but merely twenty minutes later pro-Russian rebel rockets caused collateral damage that made casualties of two elderly residents near Luhansk. Kiev claims more than 60 violations of the cease-fire within just the first 24 hours of the truce.

Many of the violations occurred in or around Debaltseve, where Donetsk separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko believes “[t]he Minsk agreement doesn’t” mention. A strong push by the rebels, allegedly backed by Russian artillery according to United States sources, in the two days before the cease-fire went into effect has allowed rebels to surround the town, according to rebel sources. There are reported upwards of 8,000 Ukrainian troops within Debaltseve, although Kiev has not confirmed such. Steven Pifer, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, claims that Ukrainian forces trapped within Debaltseve are hesitant to retreat because a similar situation yielding a retreat by Kiev forces from Ilovaysk in August was met by rebel artillery and rocket fire that led to many casualties.

In addition to the two elderly casualties, 5 Ukrainian security forces were reported killed along with 25 wounded by fighting with rebels at a military post near Zolote, also in Luhansk. These casualties were reported to have come from mortar shelling that occurred within 90 minutes of the cease-fire order from Poroshenko. Ukrainian defense spokesman Andriy Lysenko reports at least 129 violations have occurred since the cease-fire orders were given.

While the cease-fire still remains in power throughout much of Eastern Ukraine, and many of the violations occurred in or near a contested area that was arguably not mentioned within the Minsk agreement, the post-cease-fire incidents are causing a stir, and less than 48 hours into the cease-fire there is already a similar lack of faith in its holding as existed in prior agreements.

For more information, please see:

The Economist – Pseudo-peace – 16 February 2015

The New York Times – With Ukrainian Troops Trapped, a Cease-Fire Grows More Fragile – 16 February 2015

CNN – 5 Ukrainian security forces killed despite ceasefire, army official says – 16 February 2015

USA Today – Ukraine cease-fire ignored around key railway hub – 16 February 2015

The Wall Street Journal – Ukraine Cease-Fire Strained by Violence – 16 February 2015