Today, probably, every Ukrainian knows such terms as “ATO”, “war in Donbass”, “martial law”. In order to be convinced of this, you can simply turn on the news bulletin of any media or look at some photos of the ATO in Ukraine. But, despite numerous disputes, few are guided in this subject. In this article you will find the answer to the question: "What is ATO in Ukraine?" - as well as an analysis of important aspects of this problem. The events of the last year in Ukraine have caused a huge public outcry and require a meaningful assessment. The article will contain several photos of the ATO in Ukraine.
The first mention of the term ATO
As you know, after the turbulent events of "Euromaidan" and the coup d'état in Kyiv, the government completely changed. This caused mass rallies and demonstrations in the southeastern part of the country, which were accompanied by the seizure of government institutions. What is ATO, learned in Ukraineafter the statement of the deputy of the Supreme Council Gennady Moskal that the former head of the SBU planned the ATO to clean up the Maidan. Now this word has a completely different meaning for Ukrainians and is associated with trouble. This was especially felt by residents of the eastern regions.
Definition of concept
If we talk about a clear and precise definition of the word "ATO", then this is an abbreviation that stands for "anti-terrorist operation." This abbreviation means a set of measures and methods aimed at preventing or suppressing terrorist acts or crimes that are committed with terrorist intent.
In the Ukrainian legislation there is a corresponding law, which is called "On the fight against terrorism". On the basis of this law, the country's parliament decided to conduct the ATO in the east of Ukraine. But many experts criticized this decision, citing the fact that it is still necessary to prove who the terrorists are in this situation and on what basis the anti-terrorist operation will be carried out. It should be noted that at that time (March-April 2014) there were many disputes about the legitimacy of the Kyiv authorities.
Conditions for conducting an antiterrorist operation
Speaking from the point of view of legislation, the ATO is carried out in order to save the lives of ordinary civilians from the criminal activities of terrorists. The aforementioned law clearly spells out all the conditions for conducting anti-terroristoperations. Among them is the presence of a real immediate threat to the he alth and life of people, the interests of the whole society or country.
The Ukrainian government saw anti-government rallies and demonstrations in the south-east of the state as a threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Separatist slogans in the east were indeed present, but they were proclaimed by the citizens of the country who gathered at the rallies, who thus expressed their political position. Therefore, it is rather difficult to judge how justified the actions of the authorities are.
Agency involved in ATO
Again, from the point of view of the legislation, the ATO should be carried out by special forces to combat terrorism. In this case, it is the SBU. But, despite all the norms of the law, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the border service, the Ministry of Defense and the regular Ukrainian army were involved in the anti-terrorist operation in the East of Ukraine. Separately, we can talk about volunteers (a phenomenon out of the ordinary when conducting an anti-terrorist operation). These include the National Guard of Ukraine, as well as a huge number of volunteer battalions. Among the main and more famous are: Aidar, Dnepr-1, Azov, Donbass and many others.
At the beginning of the campaign, the chief policeman of Ukraine, Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov led the anti-terrorist operation. This also raises doubts about the justification of the ATO, since special services should be in charge of such operations. What is ATO in Ukraine? Is this a police action?
The powers of the military in the ATO zone are very significant. During the anti-terrorist operation, the security forces are allowed almost everything. From the usual checking of documents of suspicious citizens to detention and even murder. During the operation, the military can enter private buildings and territories. Use people's personal funds to prevent terrorist attacks.
Territory of the antiterrorist operation
Also, a rather interesting point in the conduct of the ATO is the fact that such operations are local in nature, which means that the ATO cannot be carried out in such a large region as the East of Ukraine. Such operations are carried out to free hostages from a building occupied by terrorists, a water area, a vehicle, a plot of land, or, at a maximum, to clear a city area from criminals.
Many cities of Ukraine fell under the antiterrorist operation. In the ATO zone at the moment there are: Donetsk, Luhansk, Alchevsk, Gorlovka, Avdiivka, Artemovsk, Happiness, Anthracite and many others.
Beginning of the armed conflict in Ukraine
As mentioned earlier, the events of the antiterrorist operation in Ukraine were associated with protests and demonstrations in the east of the country. On April 7, 2014, the People's Republics were proclaimed in Donetsk and Kharkov and announced their intention to hold a nationwide referendum on the self-determination of the regions. The beginning of the ATO in Ukraine is directly related to the statement of the acting President of the country Oleksandr Turchynov. He announced the startanti-terrorist operation with the participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Almost immediately, the Ukrainian army moved to the Donbass. The first blood was shed in Slavyansk: Gennady Bilichenko, commander of the Alpha special unit, was killed.
It should be noted that the state did its best to attract volunteers. In the media, everyone who went to fight in the Donbass began to be called "heroes of Ukraine." The ATO was gaining momentum, armed units began to form on both sides, the conflict entered its most acute phase.
Acute phase of the antiterrorist operation
The period of spring and summer of 2014 in Donbass is very eventful. Therefore, the most important of them should be considered. To better understand the situation. The first and very bloody confrontations were in Slavyansk, Mariupol. The Ukrainian army pushed back the militia forces in these regions. Long and no less bloody were the battles for the Donetsk airport, which eventually passed into the hands of the militia. Since June 2014, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been pushing the supporters of the DPR and LPR on all fronts, trying to cut off the republics from the border with Russia, as well as divide them themselves.
Very important and bloody battles began in August. The people's republics were on the verge of defeat, but, having successfully defended their positions on Saur-Mogila, as well as in the battles near Ilovaisk, having surrounded and actually destroyed a large grouping of troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they launched a counteroffensive and, capturing vast territories, reached the Sea of Azov. Losses of Ukraine in the ATO after the Ilovaisk cauldron werefor thousands. This forced the leadership of the state to enter into peace negotiations.
Peace process and conflict escalation in winter 2015
After a series of agreements (Minsk agreements of September 5, 2014) there was a slight lull. But the shelling of the peaceful cities of Donbass did not stop. This led to renewed conflict in the winter of 2015. As a result of long and difficult battles near Deb altseve, the city was taken by the militia. The Ukrainian army was again in the cauldron and suffered horrendous losses. The authorities of Ukraine and the People's Republics, with the assistance of the presidents of Germany, France and Russia, again concluded a truce on February 12, 2015 in the city of Minsk. The peace agreement is not respected, but there are no significant military clashes yet. Talking about the future of the conflict is very difficult.
Ukraine's losses in the ATO
It is rather difficult to calculate the exact number of losses of the Ukrainian side due to the fact that it consists of a large number of armed formations that do not depend on each other, and some even on the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the current president of the country, Petro Poroshenko, the losses of the Ukrainian army as of the beginning of May 2015 amount to 1,549 people killed. But the figure looks clearly implausible. Therefore, one should resort to the reports of international organizations on this issue. According to the UN, the losses of the Ukrainian side are more than 4,500 people killed and about 10,000 wounded. Regarding military equipment, about 1000 units were destroyed. ManyATO participants must receive appropriate social security. Benefits to the participants of the ATO Ukraine, represented by almost all politicians, has repeatedly promised. Judging by the losses, we can say that the conflict is really significant and deep.
Such a detailed answer can be given to the question: "What is ATO in Ukraine?". This armed conflict divided the Ukrainian society after the revolutionary events in February 2014 in Kyiv. Significant losses of the parties, a massive flow of refugees indicate that Kyiv's policy is not as justified as it seems to many Ukrainians. Any government must understand that it is not personal interests, not the territorial integrity of the state that have value, but first of all - human life.
