Ukrainian army troops began to retreat Wednesday from Debalzewe, strategic communications hub that connects the Donetsk – Lugansk – two bastions of rebels from eastern Ukraine. „Our forces withdrawal of Debalzewe occurs planned and organized”, indicated Semion Semencenko, battalion commander of the famous „Donbas”, member of the Supreme Rada in Kyiv (Ukrainian unicameral parliament) from Samopomosci formation. „The enemy is trying to block roads to prevent our troops out”, he added.
Semencenko, real name Konstantin Grisin, who was a successful businessman in Donetsk before the events of last year in Kiev, had asked President Petro Poroshenko to take a decision on the „withdrawal of troops blocked the Debalzewe”, as Russian news agencies report. Eduard Basurin, number two in the rebel military headquarters in Donetsk, said that around 3,000 Ukrainian military encirclement remain blocked in Debalzewe. In a statement released last week by the quadripartite summit in Minsk, Russian President Vladimir Putin had claimed over 6.000 Ukrainian soldiers encircled the strategic city Debalzewe. Although according to the peace agreement in Minsk, heavy artillery had to be withdrawn, eastern separatists continued fighting in Debalzewe.
On the other hand, US Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday in a telephone conversation with President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, that Russia will pay a heavy price for „painful murders in eastern Ukraine”. Biden strongly condemned the violation of the ceasefire agreement by separatists and Russian forces in the city and out to Debalzewe, facts confirmed by the OSCE. Biden agreed with Poroshenko that if Russia continues to violate agreements in Minsk, costs for Moscow will amplify.
Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Ukrainian soldiers several times to surrender weapons, as fighting will not result in a settlement of the conflict.