By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – The most recent truce agreed upon between Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia while in Minsk appears to be threatened yet again by intensified fighting in Eastern Ukraine. In the past week, 8 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, as well as 40 other Ukrainian soldiers wounded.

The truce, made only three months ago, is at risk of collapsing due to increased fighting. Shyrokyne, a village just 12.5 miles east of Mariupol where both sides anticipate a large fight may be looming, has been shelled over the past several days more than at any point since fighting began in that area in mid-February. Donetsk also saw 550 explosions in just one day, according to OSCE monitors who also reported a “seriously deteriorated” security situation at the rebel-controlled airport in Donetsk. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and NATO military chief Gen Philip Breedlove reported on Wednesday and Thursday that they worry the pro-Russian forces are preparing for an offensive to begin in a couple weeks and that these forces have been taking preparatory action “consistent with the possibility of an offensive.”

A landmine in Luhansk, which is also heavily controlled by pro-Russian rebels, killed two Ukrainian soldiers today. One civilian was also killed by rebel shelling of a Ukrainian army checkpoint in Marinka, which lies just four miles west of Donetsk. In addition to this location, 16 army positions have been shelled in the past 24 hours by guns of a caliber of at least 100mm, which were supposed to be pulled away from the front based on the Minsk agreement from February.

This adds to the nearly 6,200 already killed in fighting since last year between the rebels and Ukrainian soldiers. In response to renewed fighting by both sides, there will be a meeting in Belarus on Wednesday including representatives from both sides to discuss the intensifying situation.

For more information, please see:

Fox News – 2 dead as fighting in Ukraine intensifies – 4 May 2015

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – Two Ukrainian Soldiers Killed By Land Mine In Luhansk – 4 May 2015

Yahoo News – Ukrainian soldier and civilian killed in intensifying clashes – 3 May 2015

The Guardian – Upswing in fighting in Ukraine sends civilians fleeing and puts truce in doubt – 3 May 2015

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Following the disasters in the Mediterranean Sea over the past week that saw over 1,000 migrants killed when two separate ships capsized, the European Union has come together to work on a solution.

After European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker brought together EU leaders to discuss the disaster, four “priority areas for action” were agreed upon: “to strengthen the EU’s presence at sea, to fight the traffickers, to prevent illegal migration flows and to reinforce internal solidarity and responsibility.” The idea behind these focal points is to not only address the situations as they arise, but also to try and combat the problem at the source. The European Commission aims to release its European Agenda on Migration on May 13^th.

One issue that must be resolved is where the migrants will go once they are saved, and the Commission has stated that it seeks to work on quota issues throughout the EU. Ireland has already stepped up and agreed to take 220 Syrians after they have been recognized as refugees by the United Nations refugee agency, in addition to the 114 refugees Ireland has already agreed to take in under the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Programme.

With over 10,000 migrants saved from the Mediterranean between Italy and Libya just over the past week, this is a pressing issue that must be solved now. According to the International Organization for Migration, 1,727 have died already this year trying to cross the Mediterranean, as opposed to 56 last year by this time. The EU members have already agreed to triple funding for border operations from 2.9 million euros a month to nearly 10 million. In addition to this increased support for saving migrants in the Mediterranean, there is also a movement for “declaring war on smugglers,” according to the EU Commissioner for Migration. Military action against the traffickers may take a few months to work out, but the EU has assigned EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to fine possible military actions the EU may take.

For more information, please see:

RTE News – EU to triple funding for migrant search and rescue missions – 24 April 2015

European Commission – EU leaders agree actions to tackle Mediterranean tragedy – 24 April 2015

Fox News – EU leaders commit ships, aid for action on migrants – 23 April 2015

USA Today – EU agrees to send more ships to stem migrant crisis – 23 April 2015

The Wall Street Journal – EU to Triple Funding for Sea Patrols in Migration Crisis – 23 April 2015

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ROME, Italy – A boat leaving Libya with around 700 migrants has capsized in the Mediterranean south of the Italian coast. So far only 28 survivors have been pulled from the water, along with 24 bodies; the rest are still missing with hundreds presumed dead.

 

The boat was 20 meters long and capsized 70 miles north of Libya. A Portuguese ship was directed by Italian authorities to go save the migrant ship after those aboard sent out a distress signal. When the Portuguese vessel neared the migrant ship, a large number of those aboard rushed to the side of the boat facing the Portuguese ship and their boat capsized. Four days earlier, another migrant boat capsized off the Libyan coast leaving 400 dead in addition to the 144 that had to be rescued. On April 6, 7 drowned near Turkey after a boat containing 29 Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Over 900 migrants have already died this year in the Mediterranean attempting, with some days requiring up to 20 migrants boats and 8,000 migrants in need of help.

French President Hollande and Human Rights Watch both called on the European Union to help in the rescue more, claiming that these deaths are preventable. Pope Francis also called on the EU to take action “decisively and quickly to stop these tragedies from recurring.” The EU in return is organizing to prepare a European Migration Strategy to be adopted by mid-May. Italian Prime Minister Renzi focused the blame on human traffickers for using ships of such poor quality to send over migrants. The International Organization of Migration estimates 3,072 migrants drowned last year, following 700 from 2013.

While it appears that this instance involved a prompt response, EU’s foreign policy chief, Italian Federica Mogherini, says “Now is time for the European Union as such to tackle these tragedies without delay.” Pope Francis also demanded decisive and quick responses for those “looking for a better life.”

For more information, please see:

The New York Times – Hundreds Feared Dead After Boat Filled With Migrants Capsizes in Mediterranean – 19 April 2015

The New York Times – Hundreds Feared Dead After Boat Filled With Migrants Capsized in Mediterranean – 19 April 2015

CNN – ‘Genocide’ charged as boat capsizes in Mediterranean – 19 April 2015

Fox News – Migrant boat capsizes off Libya, 400 feared dead – 15 April 2015

Sunday’s Zaman – 7 drown as migrant boat capsizes near Datca – 6 April 2015

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – Following a long period of relative rest in Eastern Ukraine, there has been another spike in reported use of heavy weapons on the frontline by both sides, in violation of the second Minsk agreement. As a result, France, Ukraine, Russia, and Germany will once again meet to try and work out a way to restore and keep peace.

The current ceasefire agreement requires both sides to pull back weapons with a caliber over 100mm from the front line. The rebels are accused of multiple incidents of 120-122mm attacks on government troops, and Kiev is accused of firing tank and artillery repeatedly at rebels. Pro-Russian senior commander Eduard Basurin claims two journalists were wounded in an attack by the government when troops fired around Pisky, near Donetsk. Kiev also claims one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and six wounded by the rebels while in the east.

One area under great risk of heavy fighting is the port city of Mariupol, which has seen scattered fighting already in the regions nearby. The city saw heavy fighting at points last year when the conflict was hot throughout the east, but has since been essentially fortified by Ukrainian troops. Mariupol’s position on the water with access to the Black Sea, as well as its position on land between rebel-held land and Russian-held Crimea, makes it a likely target for the rebels or Russia should they make a big push. Further, the 500,000 civilians within Mariupol are divided: 75 percent support Kiev, while 25 percent support separating from Ukraine. More than 1,000 Ukrainian troops have been deployed to Mariupol since last summer.

There have been over 6,000 killed in the conflict since it began over a year ago, and while many parties have tried to find a solution that results in peace and stability for all, nobody seems to have a permanent answer. Constant smaller violations of the current ceasefire, as well as the occasional serious violations as we have again seen recently, allow the peace to remain a fragile façade that both sides wear while continuing to act in furtherance of their ultimate goals with no resolve for the greater peace. Barring a large-scale conflict and renewed heavy fighting that proves successful for one side, either both sides must be willing to give, or fighting will continue as we have seen: indefinitely and with no hope for peace in sight.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Violence escalates in east Ukraine ahead of talks – 14 April 2015

The Wall Street Journal – Diplomats Seek Withdrawal of Heavy Weapons From Ukraine Front Lines – 13 April 2015

Ukraine Today – ‘Normandy Four’ meeting today in Berlin for talks on fragile east Ukraine ceasefire – 13 April 2015

The Wall Street Journal – European Officials Push for Lasting Peace Deal in Ukraine – 12 April 2015

The Daily Signal – Visit to a Mariupol Hospital Lays Bare Ukraine War’s Toll – 12 April 2015

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – As the unrest in Eastern Ukraine continues on, those living in the east are facing severe problems that compile more by the day. In particular, economic woes are plaguing Eastern Ukraine, as well as a constant military threat and plenty of destruction to civilian areas. Many from the east have been displaced in the past year and more continue to look elsewhere to escape the instability, but nearby countries are beginning to close up their borders to Ukrainian refugees.

Over 1 million people have been displaced since fighting began over a year ago in Eastern Ukraine, and applications for refugee status have typically been denied in countries around Ukraine. Only 70 people sought asylum in Lithuania, but only 31 were granted that status. Further, Lithuania states that it is suspending asylum applications from Ukraine due to the increase (Lithuania typically only receives around 5 asylum applications per year). A U.N. refugee agency claims that non-EU countries like Moldova and Belarus received 300,000 applications for asylum, while even further EU countries also received numerous applications. For example, France received 1,415 asylum applications last year, and only accepted 35. Russia also saw roughly 300,000 refugees seeking asylum who fled east after the conflict sparked up.

While fighting in Eastern Ukraine appears to have died down some momentarily, both sides appear to be taking the down time to fortify and dig in. This may actually be an opportunity for both sides to bulk up, as is furthered by a new report claiming that both pro-Russian rebels as well as Kiev and the United States believe a major offensive by Russia is due to occur within the next two months. 60,000 Russian troops are along the border with Ukraine, and Mariupol may be the target of an impending attack. While over 6,000 have been killed in fighting over the past year, only about 100 have died since the February 12^th ceasefire deal in Minsk was agreed to.

Given that the situation in Eastern Ukraine is already bad, compounded by the impending reawakening of heavy fighting, many civilians are fleeing before things heat up again. Times are already tough as is, and the future looks dark for now. Other countries, however, are unsure of what will come of all this fighting and unrest, and so they are even more hesitant to take action, much to the dismay of those seeking asylum.

For more information, please see:

Newsweek – Pro-Russian Rebels Told: Major Attack on Ukraine Imminent – 8 April 2015

IBT – Lithuania Suspends Asylum Applications for Ukrainians Fleeing War – 8 April 2015

The Local – Norway sees Ukrainian asylum seeker boom – 31 March 2015

The Local – France rejects hundreds of Ukrainian asylum bids – 26 March 2015

The Local – Sweden sees Ukrainian asylum seeker boom – 26 March 2015

Gulf Times – Ukrainian refugees facing dwindling options in Poland – 26 March 2015

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – Russia Says Almost 300,000 Ukrainians Asked For Asylum – 16 February 2015