Heavy Fighting: Ukraine Attacks Areas Around MH17 Crash Site

Rebels Accuse Ukraine Military of Trying to Destroy Evidence

Several east Ukrainian villages are under attack today by the Ukrainian military, despite being not only within the 40-km perimeter around the MH17 crash site, but being much, much closer.

The Ukrainian offensives once again delayed international access to the site, and while Ukraine’s military denied attacking the site directly, some officials reported they had actually seized a portion of the crash location.

East Ukrainian rebels were harshly critical of the latest offensive, both for violating Ukraine’s own promise not to operate within the 40-km perimeter, and for what they said was “tampering” with evidence of the shoot-down.

The Ukrainian military did not offer any explanation for why they are suddenly operating aggressively within the perimeter, though they seem to be trying to attack the rebels on multiple fronts at this point, hoping to get more gains before any UN effort to renew a ceasefire can get momentum.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.