Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1517379
Despite all that, the situation on the fron- tline remained challenging. The Russian forces had operational freedom in some areas, not facing any serious Ukrainian forces. They were approaching Mariupol, the second biggest city in the region that had been recaptured earlier, by the Ar- med Forces of Ukraine supported by the Azov battalion. The situation required the Ukrainians to regroup and send extra for- ces to Donbas. As a result of the above, the Minsk memorandum was signed. It was to introduce a ceasefire. However, this did not happen. The Ukrainians gathe- red new forces and brought the experien- ced units to order, and in the winter of 2014–2015, the fights started again, just at a few locations, including the Donetsk airport taken by the Russians, following a battle that lasted a couple of months, and Debaltseve, an important railway node and Ukrainian stronghold targeting other Donbas agglomerations. During that battle the Russians were re- cruiting the locals to serve in the „Don- bas Militia Corps", sending these people to participate in a bloody assault targe- ting the Ukrainians near Debaltseve. The battle ended, when a regular unit of Rus- sian armor flanked the Ukrainian forces, cutting them off from the only hardened road that they were using to provide sup- plies. The Ukrainian units had to fall back, using narrow dirt roads, under fire, le- aving the heavy assets behind. Ceasefire was being discussed in Minsk at the time. Both parties to the negotiation were wa- iting for information from the frontline, to reinforce their position. As a result, the Minsk-II memorandum was signed, and a roadmap was described, leading toward a political resolution of the conflict and la- sting peace. Both parties considered this memorandum to be a success. The Minsk memorandum never entered force, as both parties needed time to get ready for another battle. Minsk-II was only a brief break. Not only was Russia interested in Donbas, but Moscow wanted to create chaos within the entire Ukrainian terri- tory. Kyiv, meanwhile, wanted to fully re- capture the territory that had been lost. ANALYSIS