Battle of Debaltseve Continues, Ukraine Ceasefire Ignored

Pro-Russian rebels seem to have gained control of a critical town in eastern Ukraine, cementing the demise of a ceasefire that took effect Feb. 15.

Reuters reports that the separatists claim to control around 80 percent of Debaltseve and have cornered 5,000 Ukrainian troops still in the city. The separatists say they have already captured hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers. One rebel leader told Reuters that pro-Russian forces have begun a "clean up."

The fighting was so intense that artillery shells landed in the town roughly every five seconds.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the government in Kiev to let their troops surrender peacefully and without destroying their weaponry and supplies, as is typical when a fighting force is defeated.

A rebel victory at Debaltseve would be an enormous blow to the morale and efforts of the Ukrainian Army. The city lies at a juncture of rail and road routes that connect rebel territory in the north and south. Control of Debaltseve would amount to large territorial gains by the rebels and allow them to consolidate their control. It would also make it easier for the rebels to shuttle soldiers and troops to new battlefields.

Ukraine says that their forces have not lost full control of Debaltseve, but only parts of it.

Hopes that the ceasefire would be respected were always faint, but these recent developments suggest that the end of the conflict in eastern Ukraine is no closer despite the best efforts of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.

It is unknown if the flagrant disregard for the ceasefire will impact deliberations in the Obama Administration about supplying weaponry to the Ukrainian Army. US involvement in the conflict has so far been limited to non-lethal aid such as field rations, radar equipment, and meals.