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WORLD NEWS Saturday 4 February 2017

Worst fighting in east Ukraine since 2015; 33 dead this week

INNA VARENYTSIA 2015 peace deal that en-
Associated Press visaged their pullback.
AVDIIVKA, Ukraine (AP) “We have seen the whole
— International monitors range of heavy weapons
on Friday strongly urged in the area here, starting
the warring sides in east- from the smaller caliber
ern Ukraine to silence their mortars to larger caliber
guns as heavy artillery and artillery to multiple launch
rocket barrages continued rocket systems in the areas
to pummel residential ar- where they shouldn’t be,”
eas. Hug told reporters in Avdi-
At least 33 people includ- ivka. “We have seen them
ing civilians have been inside Avdiivka. We have
killed and several dozen in- seen them in Yasynovata.
jured in fighting this week in We have seen them in
eastern Ukraine between Donetsk city.”
government forces and Ukrainian President Petro
Russia-backed separatist Poroshenko has cast the
rebels — the worst violence outburst of fighting as an
in the region since 2015. argument for continuing
The death toll in the fight- Western sanctions imposed
ing that began in April 2014 on Moscow for its actions in
has now exceeded 9,800, Ukraine. New U.S. President
according to U.N. figures Donald Trump’s repeated A Ukrainian serviceman gives free food to local residents at the humanitarian aid center in Avdi-
and a tally of recent fight- promises to improve rela- ivka, eastern Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. Strong shelling hit both government- and rebel-con-
ing. tions with Russia have fu- trolled areas of eastern Ukraine in a continued escalation of the country’s fighting.
“Unacceptable! ... Sides eled concern in Ukraine (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
have to stop fighting!” the that Washington would
monitoring mission of the back off some of the sanc- first since Trump took office. The new U.S. ambassa- nexation of Crimea will
Organization for Security tions. Putin on Thursday accused dor to the United Nations, remain until the peninsula
and Cooperation In Europe The upsurge of hostilities the Ukrainian leadership of Nikki Haley, on Thursday is returned to Ukraine. But
said on its Facebook page. around Avdiivka coincided ordering the attack in the condemned Russia’s “ag- speaking for the first time
While the warring sides with last weekend’s phone east to pose as a victim to gressive actions” in east- at the Security Council, she
have regularly exchanged conversation between secure U.S. and EU support ern Ukraine and warned tempered the criticism, say-
gunfire despite a February Trump and Russian Presi- and prevent a thaw in Rus- Moscow that U.S. sanctions ing “we do want to better
2015 peace deal brokered dent Vladimir Putin, their sia-West ties. imposed after its 2014 an- our relations with Russia.” q
by France and Germany,
this week has seen a sharp
spike in hostilities. Fight- Europe plans to cut migrant influx by working with Libya
ing has raged around the
government-controlled in- FRANCES D’EMILIO meeting in the Mediterra- Tripoli-based government thousands setting off from
dustrial town of Avdiivka, RAF CASERT nean island nation of Malta only controls part of the Libya, it will also reduce the
just north of the main reb- Associated Press were voicing hopes that sprawling country. Libya is tragedies in which thou-
el stronghold of Donetsk, VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Eu- the strategy would help beset by rival governments, sands of migrants die every
catching residential areas ropean Union leaders at stop the loss of thousands militias and tribal factions year in the Mediterranean
in the crossfire. a summit Friday devised of lives yearly when flimsy that were unleashed in — including at least 5,083
“We have seen on both a plan involving largely trafficking boats from Libya 2011 after the ouster and last year.
sides an incredible amount lawless Libya to try to shut flounder or sink, concerns slaying of longtime strong- In the last few years, Italy’s
of cease-fire violations,” down the smuggling of arose that the plan risks man Moammar Gadhafi. coast guard has coordinat-
said Alexander Hug, dep- hundreds of thousands of seeing thousands of peo- “Naturally, we’re hoping ed the rescues of hundreds
uty head of the OSCE’s migrants from North Africa ple marooned in inhumane for results,” Italian Premier of thousands of asylum-
monitoring mission. across the Mediterranean conditions in Libya. Paolo Gentiloni told report- seekers and other migrants
Each side blamed the Sea to Europe. Much of the plan’s suc- ers Friday. “There won’t be who were then brought
other for the upsurge of The vast human tide has cess will depend on if Libya any miracles, but better to safety on Italy’s shores.
violence, but the Ukrainian helped boost anti-Europe can be helped by Europe management and reduc- Most don’t want to stay
military says its troops have populist parties across the to deter smugglers from tion of illegal migrants are in Italy but hope to reach
gained some ground. continent that have ex- operating along its poorly what we’re working to- families or find potential
Associated Press report- ploited the immigration cri- patrolled coastline. That’s ward.” jobs in Germany or other
ers saw heavy weapons sis to gain voters. a big unknown, given that He said if the plan can cut wealthy northern European
on both sides of the front But even as EU officials the internationally-backed down on the hundreds of countries.q
line, in clear violation of the