Michael MacKay, Radio Lemberg, 08.02.2018

Putin’s War is raging in the heart of Europe. That should be the top news everywhere, but to go by the mainstream press it is not newsworthy. The mainstream press is completely failing in its duty to report on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After some interest in 2014 (when Putin’s War in Crimea and Donbas was reported in false, Kremlin propaganda terms) Western media gave up on reporting the invasion at all.

The war is about to enter its fifth year. Russia is invading the largest country that lies wholly within Europe: Ukraine. Russia has been attacking militarily every day since 20 February 2014, and will continue to attack because nobody except Ukrainians makes any attempt to stop Putin and his senseless war.

Here is the war news that the mainstream press is not reporting, considering only what happened on 7 February 2018 on the the battlefront in Donbas where Russia is invading Europe:

The Russian occupation army is increasing its attacks against Ukrainian defenders compared to previous weeks. On February 7, the Russians used heavy mortars, tanks, and artillery – all of which is in gross violation of the Minsk Agreements. The attacks picked up after sunset, which is the typical pattern. Over the course of the day, the Russians executed 17 targeted attacks against Ukrainians defenders along the battlefront in Luhansk sector, Donetsk sector, and Mariupol sector.

The 1st Army Corps (Donetsk or so-called “DPR”) of the Russian armed forces is engaged in battle with Ukrainian defenders in Donetsk region. On February 7, the 1st Army Corps attacked the village of Pisky, which is immediately to the north-west of Russian-occupied Donetsk city. The Russians used a tank, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns in the attack against Pisky. On the Azov Sea coast to the east of the city of Mariupol (which lies in free Ukraine territory), the Russians attacked the village of Shyrokyne (which lies directly on the battlefront). The 1st Army Corps used grenade launchers and heavy machine guns in the attack on Ukrainian defenders in Shyrokyne. North of the Russian-occupied city of Debaltseve is the “Svitlodarsk bulge” in the battlefront – the Russians attacked Ukrainian defenders entrenched around the village of Luhanske with artillery and heavy mortars. West of the Russian-occupied city of Horlivka, the 1st Army Corps of the Russian occupation army attacked the village of Novohorodske with heavy mortars and light infantry weapons.

The 2nd Army Corps (Luhansk or so-called “LPR”) of the Russian armed forces attacks Ukrainian defenders and civilians in Luhansk region. On February 7, the Russians attacked Ukrainians defending the village of Troitske with artillery and mortars. 40 kilometres to the northwest of the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk, the Russians attacked the village of Krymske which is in free Ukraine. The 2nd Army Corps used mortars, light infantry weapons, and grenade launchers in the Krymske attack.

Ukrainian defenders of Europe gave up no ground to the Russian invaders. Unfortunately, one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. He is in hospital in satisfactory condition.

Ukrainian defenders shot down another Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone. This is the fourth one that Ukraine has shot down in the past one and a half months. The Russians use these drones to target their artillery strikes and sniper attacks.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (OSCE SMM) spotted seven Strela-10 surface-to-air missiles and four Grad multiple launch rocket systems outside the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk. They were spotted in Russian-occupied Makiivka, which is a firing point for Russian heavy artillery attacks against Avdiivka in free Ukraine. The OSCE SMM, using an unarmed aerial vehicle, also spotted 17 tanks near Ternove, Myrne, Uspenka, and Kruhlyk (all in Russian-occupied Ukraine).

That was February 7, the 1,448th day of Russia’s invasion of Europe in Crimea and Donbas: Putin’s War that the mainstream press is not reporting.