Events in Ukraine on 16 June 2015.

Briefly about the most important today's events in our digest of events

that have happened in Ukraine today

Medvedev called the IMF loans for Ukraine as a large-scale theft

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev defined the IMF loans granted to Ukraine as “a large-scale theft,” according to his posts on Facebook on Monday.

He produced comments amid Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s claims that the Russian Federation bribed Viktor Yanukovych’s regime in exchange for his refusal to sign the Association Agreement.

"If the $3 billion sovereign loan received from Russia is a bribe according to Poroshenko, then the billions negotiated with the IMF is an arrangement of a large-scale theft", a statement reads.

As reported earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Monday that Russia’s $3-billion-dollar loan granted to his country was a "bribe to secure a deal" with at that time Ukrainian President Yanukovych.

OSCE counted about 800 explosions in the ATO area over the weekend

During the weekend, fighting intensified in Donetsk, with substantially more shelling observed. The level of violence in areas around “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk airport remains high.

Over a period of two days, the SMM at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) observation point at Donetsk central railway station (“DPR”-controlled, 8km north-west of Donetsk city centre) observed a total of at least 594 explosions caused by incoming and outgoing artillery and mortar fire, as well as small arms and light weapons (SALW), including heavy machine-gun fire. The SMM concluded that the explosions occurred at locations to the north, north-west, north-east, west, and south-west and at distances ranging between 2 and 10km from its position.

At the JCCC headquarters in government-controlled Soledar (77km north-north-east of Donetsk) the SMM was presented with separate ceasefire log files covering 11 June by representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and representatives of the Russian Federation Armed Forces. The Ukrainian Armed Forces had logged 99 violations and reported six Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers killed and eleven wounded in action, and the Russian Federation Armed Forces had logged 103 violations. While the majority of violations in the Ukrainian Armed Forces log targeted Ukrainian positions in and around Donetsk airport, violations were also recorded in Gorlivka (“DPR”-controlled, 37km north-east of Donetsk) and in the Luhansk region. 

From observation points located 1.5 and 3.5km west of Shyrokine (20km east of Mariupol), over two days the SMM observed a total of 180 explosions caused by 82mm and 120mm mortars, automatic grenade launchers and artillery, as well as small arms, including heavy machine-gun fire. An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted six mortar positions in Shyrokine on 13 June.

ATO press-centre reports intensified rebel activity

Rebels carried out app. 30 attacks on army positions and peaceful inhabited settlement in the antiterrorist operation area on the night of June 16, the ATO press centre reports.

Gunmen assaulted Ukrainian positions near Donetsk, namely near Pisky, Doslidne and Starognativka with 120-mm mortars, and 122-mm howitzers.

In the Artemivsk area, the enemy mortared Troitske and Novhorodske three times in the past 24 hours.

In the Lugansk region, the village of Krymske came under fire with weapons banned by the Minsk agreement. Stanyzia Luganska and Schastya were attacked with machine-guns.

Shyrokine was bombarded seven times by rebels with 120-mm mortars.

According to reports, Illegal paramilitaries shelled Shyrokine and Zolote, Lugansk region, and Horikhove near Artemivsk with large calibre artillery systems and mortars after midnight.

Insurgents continued to attack Pisky, Doslidne, Stanyzia Luganska with machine-guns and grenade launchers.

An enemy sniper worked in Maryinka.

Enemy UAVs carried out air observation along the entire demarcation line overnight.

Two ATO fighters die near Tryokhizbenka, and two others sustain wounds

Battles raged almost along the whole demarcation line in the Lugansk region on the day and night of June 15, the governor of the Lugansk region, Gennady Moskal, reports.

A number of inhabited settlements came under rebel fire, and several clashes between Ukrainian troops and rebel commandos were reported in some areas, he posted on his webpage.

Fighting between Ukrainian soldiers and sabotage and reconnaissance groups, which crossed into the government-held territory from the right bank of the Siversky Donets occurred near the village of Kryakivka.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and two others wounded badly as a result of the battle. They are in hospital now.

IRG: Around 50 Russian military and army equipment observed near Donetsk

A division of Russian servicemen camouflaged as local separatists was observed near the settlement of Ryasne, Donetsk region, the founder of the Information Resistance Group, Dmytro Tymchuk, posted on Facebook.

"A division of Russian soldiers (around 50 people) camouflaged as local "insurgents" was spotted near the settlement of Obopilne together with 6 80-APCs and two "Mustang" KAMAZ trucks," he said.

According to him, Russian servicemen were armed with 4 VSS Vintorez suppressed sniper rifles (a Russian silent sniper rifle designed for special task forces).

General Staff: 2 service members killed

and 5 others wounded in the ATO area in the past 24 hours

2 service members were killed and 5 others sustained wounds in the ATO area in the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council, Andriy Lysenko, reported at a briefing on Tuesday.

According to him, 13 rebel UAVs were spotted on Monday conducting air reconnaissance over the ATO area.