Diplomats from Russia and Ukraine agreed to a line of demarcation from which both sides should pull back their heavy weapons.  This came just hours after separatist forces deployed a shocking volume of brand-new Russian arms and manpower to an emerging flashpoint in eastern Ukraine.

Fresh after losing what little is left of the airport at Donetsk, rebels advanced in an area northwest of Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city.  The fighting is centered on two checkpoints along a strategic highway.  Western reporters saw the rebels moving nine Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and six anti-tank cannons into the area.  Later, four Grad multiple rocket launchers accompanied by four trucks carrying ammunition and 15 pristine-looking tanks followed.

“It is very clear from the capabilities that the proxies (rebels) have used against Ukrainian security forces, the type of artillery, modern equipment, the amount of ammunition that has been used,” said US Army Europe commander Lieutenant General Ben Hodges.  “It is irrefutable that they are getting direct support from Russia.”

Despite the brewing battle near Luhansk, parties at the cease-fire talks in Berlin made progress on pulling back some of the heavy metal.  The parties agreed to a plan in which Ukraine and the Russian-backed separatists would pull back their heavy arms to 15 kilometers on either side of the line that was earlier specified in the Minsk agreement of 2014.  There was no agreement on a withdrawal of all troops.