Ukraine: Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine

Event

Clashes continue to take place daily between Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation (JFO) soldiers and pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Between Wednesday, May 16, and Friday, May 18, at least one Ukrainian soldier was killed and another nine wounded. During fighting on Thursday, May 17, the Donetsk Water Filtration Station that supplies water to Avdiyivka shut down operations after being damaged by artillery shells. According to government officials, residents will have limited water supplies provided by a reservoir. It is unclear when the station will resume operations. On the same day, a school in Svitlodarsk (Donetsk oblast) was also shelled, leaving one civilian wounded. In Luhansk oblast, two civilians were killed and another two wounded by separatist shelling in Troyistky on May 18.

Context

Clashes between Ukrainian state forces and the separatists have been taking place on a regular basis despite a number of ceasefire agreements made since 2014. According to the UN, more than 10,300 people have died since the eastern Ukraine conflict erupted in April 2014, soon after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The fighting has displaced more than 1.6 million people. The rebels remain in control of a large swath of territory in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, which are mainly Russian-speaking regions.

Advice

Due to the ongoing conflict, many Western governments advise against travel to the far east of Ukraine, including the cities of Donetsk, Horlivka, Makiyivka, Mariupol, and Luhansk.