January 2015 Mariupol attack
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Mariupol Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...
was launched on 24 January 2015 by
Russian forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the Military, military forces of Russia. In terms of Active duty, active-duty personnel, they are the List of countries by number of milita ...
and Russia's controlled extremists against the strategic
maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...
city of
Mariupol Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...
, defended by
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
government forces. Mariupol had come under attack multiple times in the previous year in the course of the
War in Donbass War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
, including in May–June 2014, when the city was under the control of Russian controled forces; and in the September 2014 offensive. On 24 January 2015, the Mariupol city council and regional police said the city was subjected to indiscriminate rocket fire from the long-range Grad systems, killing at least 30 and injuring 128. Ukrainian officials said the rebels and the Russian military were responsible. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the attack was ordered by full-time Russian military commanders. In 2018, the Bellingcat open-data investigative group revealed evidence that officers and equipment of Russian forces were directly involved in the attack. The rebels denied the attack, but their leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, announced an offensive against Mariupol later that day. According to a spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, the Grad and Uragan rockets originated from the areas controlled by the pro-Russian forces.
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
political chief
Jeffrey D. Feltman Jeffrey David Feltman (born 1959) is an American diplomat and former U.S. Special Envoy for Horn of Africa, serving from April 23, 2021 to January 10, 2022. He previously served as United Nations Under- Secretary-General for Political Affairs. As ...
said the attacks "knowingly targeted civilians," violated international humanitarian law, and could amount to war crimes. The attack on Mariupol came 11 days after the deadly Volnovakha bus attack, when a rocket strike targeted a government checkpoint in the town of
Volnovakha Volnovakha ( uk, Волнова́ха, ; russian: Волнова́ха) is a town in Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Volnovakha Raion, one of the 18 districts of the Donetsk Oblast. Before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, ...
, hitting a passenger bus which resulted in the death of 12 civilians. Government officials attributed the incident to the separatists, but the rebels denied carrying out the attack.


Background

Mariupol and
Battle of Debaltseve The Battle of Debaltseve was a military confrontation in the city of Debaltseve, Donetsk Oblast, between the pro-Russian separatist forces of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), and the Ukrainian Armed Force ...
were high-stake arenas for pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces as both cities are vital transport hubs, described as a "gateway to a land-bridge" to Russian-annexed Crimea, and strategically crucial to the pro-Russian objective of opening up and linking areas under their control with a view to securing the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions. On 22 January, pro-Russian extremists tried to attack Ukrainian positions on North-East of the city but failed. The next day, Alexander Zaharchenko vowed to fight until he reached the border of the
Donetsk Oblast The Donetsk Oblast ( ukr, Донецька область, Donetska oblast, ), also referred to as Donechchyna ( ukr, Донеччина, links=no), is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 mill ...
. Separatists reportedly began a tank offensive, and also conducted attacks near the west of the city. The village of Talakivka was reportedly shelled hard by separatists, but Ukrainian forces were "holding on". confirmed the shelling, but said the separatists were still incapable of shelling the city itself because Ukrainian forces had not let them get close enough.
Dmitry Tymchuk Dmytro Borysovych Tymchuk ( uk, Дмитро́ Бори́сович Тимчу́к; 27 June 1972 – 19 June 2019) was a member of parliament of Ukraine, a Ukrainian military expert and blogger, an officer of the Ukrainian military reserve (''Lie ...
, a military blogger, reported on Facebook that a convoy of DPR tanks and APCs were advancing towards the city.


Attack

On 24 January, a major escalation took place after a rocket attack killed many people. Mariupol city authorities said that a Grad rocket hit a residential area in the city, and killed 20 people. Video footage showed that cars, buildings, and apartment flats were in flames as a result of the attack. The attack appeared to come from a multiple rocket launcher. One resident told
Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C ...
on the telephone that the rebels had managed to seize Mariupol Airport, although rebels made no comment about that alleged airport seizure. The airport is located some 20 kilometers behind the front line. The rebels denied any involvement in the attack. The rocket attacks came a day after the rebels rejected a peace deal and announced they were going on a multi-prong offensive against the government forces in Kyiv to vastly increase their territory. Despite rebel denials, Donetsk rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said that his forces had started an offensive on Mariupol, and rejected further talks with Kyiv; Zakharchenko said that "Today an offensive was launched on Mariupol. This will be the best possible monument to all our dead." Zakharchenko also stated that was is a provocation as DPR militants did not have the mentioned artillery systems and according to his sources the shelling was conducted from
Staryi Krym Staryi Krym (russian: Старый Крым; uk, Старий Крим; crh, Eski Qırım, italic=yes; in all three languages) is a small historical town and former bishopric in Kirovske Raion of Crimea, Ukraine. It has been illegally occupie ...
. The death count rose to 27 people, with several more injured. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called for an urgent meeting of the
UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and ...
. A Ukrainian military checkpoint was also hit in the attack, killing one soldier. The city council urged citizens of
Mariupol Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...
not to panic and said that "all units are fully battle-ready. Security measures in the city have been strengthened." The General Secretary of NATO,
Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg (born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician who has been serving as the 13th secretary general of NATO since 2014. A member of the Norwegian Labour Party, he previously served as the 34th prime minister of Norway from 2000 to ...
, condemned the attack, urging Russia to stop supporting the rebels. President
Petro Poroshenko Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko ( uk, Петро́ Олексі́йович Пороше́нко, ; born 26 September 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Poroshenko ser ...
considered the attack a "
crime against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the c ...
", and cancelled his trip to Saudi Arabia. He also vowed to deliver a "full victory" over the rebels. According to OSCE observers "Grad" and " Uragan" rockets were used in this attack, originating from villages of Oktyabr (19 km NE) and Zaichenko (15 km NE), both controlled by separatist forces. Later, pro-Russian extremists said they were not going to storm Mariupol and the offensive was only to strengthen positions around the city. The next day, President Poroshenko vowed to calm the recent fighting in the strategic port city. Speaking at an emergency meeting at the Ukrainian Security council, he said that the Minsk Protocol signed on September 5th was the only solution to end the conflict. He said intercepted radio conversations proved that pro-Russian extremists were behind the attacks, but that the conversations hadn't yet been confirmed. Russia denied involvement in the attack, saying it was a result of Ukrainian forces shelling residential areas indiscriminately. Petro Poroshenko said Ukrainian forces killed most of the rebels involved in the shelling, and put the rebel casualties at 110. Six Grad missile launchers were also destroyed according to him, and he said that the SBU brought the artillery gun spotter back to Kyiv for questioning. The
Security Service of Ukraine The Security Service of Ukraine ( uk, Служба безпеки України, translit=Sluzhba bezpeky Ukrainy}) or SBU ( uk, СБУ, link=no) is the law enforcement authority and main intelligence and security agency of the Ukrainian ...
(SBU) published a detailed timeline of the rocket attack.


Aftermath

On 27 January, Azov Battalion members started training outside Mariupol should a rebel attack occur. Two of its members were killed in an attack on a checkpoint near the city the next day. On 1 February, the villages of Talakovka and Pavlopol near Mariupol city were heavily shelled by pro-Russian extremists, according to Ukrainian forces. On 3 February, separatists reportedly tried to attack Mariupol, but Ukrainian forces claimed they destroyed two enemy tanks and a group of insurgents near the city. On 4 February, the Ukrainian SBU reported that they had successfully completed a special operation to liquidate the detachment of Russian Army which had conducted this attack. On 10 February, the National Guard and the Azov Battalion launched an offensive on the town of
Novoazovsk Novoazovsk (, ; rus, Новоазовск}) is a border town on the south-eastern tip of Ukraine (near the border with Russia),Shyrokyne , settlement_type = Village , image_skyline = Shirokino 2007.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_alt = , image_shield = Герб Шир ...
, Pavlopil, Kominternovo and Oktyabyr. Ukrainian forces managed to push the separatists back to
Sakhanka Sakhanka ( uk, Саханка; russian: link=no, Саханка) is a village in Novoazovsk Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) in Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at 126 km south from the centre of Donetsk city; the Points of the compass# ...
, where the rebels were fighting back. However, fighting continued in the area and by late April,
Deutsche Welle Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave" in English), abbreviated to DW, is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the German federal tax budget. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite television service con ...
reported that pro-Russian militants had set up positions in the centre of Shyrokyne.


International reactions

The attack was condemned in a public statement by the
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP) is the chief co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) within the European Union (EU). The position is currently held b ...
,
Federica Mogherini Federica Mogherini (; born 16 June 1973) is an Italian politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019. She previously served as I ...
. The condemnation by the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
was vetoed by Russia on the ground that the condemnation sought to blame Alexander Zakharchenko's announcement of beginning of the attack on Mariupol as irresponsible and condemned separatist forces which, according to Russia, are "self-defense forces". The attack and "provocative statements by self-defense leaders" were eventually condemned by UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
. The attack was also condemned by
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
.


See also

*
Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War Casualties in the Russo-Ukrainian War included six deaths during the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 14,200–14,400 civilians and military troops killed during the War in Donbas (2014–2022), and tens of thousands of death ...
*
List of equipment used by separatist forces of the war in Donbass This is a list of equipment of the armed forces of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic currently used in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Small arms Pistols Submachine guns Shotguns Bolt-action rifles Semi-autom ...
* Volnovakha bus attack *
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian forces on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Cont ...
* Izolyatsia prison * February 2015 Kramatorsk rocket attack * Novosvitlivka refugee convoy attack * Murder of Pentecostals in Sloviansk * Donetsk "Donetskhirmash" bus station attack


References


External links


Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 24 January 2015: Shelling Incident on Olimpiiska Street in MariupolList of people who suffered from the shelling of Mariupol
Argument. 25 January 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mariupol rocket attack, January 2015 Ukrainian war casualties Attacks in Ukraine in 2015 Battles of the war in Donbas Attacks in Europe in 2015 History of Mariupol 2015 in Ukraine Mass murder in 2015 Donetsk People's Republic January 2015 events in Ukraine Russian war crimes in Ukraine 21st-century mass murder in Ukraine 2010s murders in Ukraine 2015 crimes in Ukraine 2015 murders in Europe Russo-Ukrainian War crimes