Skirmish breaks out in Ukraine during peace deal push.

File photo of Ukrainian troops fighting from 2015. BBC/AFP.

A skirmish has broken out between the forces of Ukraine and the rebels. BBC. Ukraine claims that one of their soldiers died and four more were wounded while claiming to kill four rebels and wounding six more. The rebels claim that the Ukrainian forces tried to pass into their territory and walked into a minefield. There was heavy shelling on both sides. The incident occurred near Zolote which is in the northern part of rebel territory. The incident might derail progress in ending the war that began in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with Vladimir Putin and progress has been made with a major prisoner exchange.

My Comment:

It's hard to tell if this exchange was on purpose or not. From my viewpoint it kind of looks like a patrol of Ukranian soldiers got lost, wandered into a minefield and then started a skirmish after they blew up some mines. That caused an artillery exchange and several deaths. 

However, it's very possible that this was a deliberate escalation from one or both sides. I don't really trust the reporting from either the Ukrainian government or the rebels as both sides have long had a shaky relationship with the truth and it's very possible that both sides are lying. 

I don't think it would make any sense for either side to start the fighting up again though. Both sides seem to want to end the war and it sounds like both sides would get something out of the deal. The rebels would get more autonomy and wouldn't face any more anti-Russian language laws while the Ukrainians get better relations with Russia and an end to the war. 

It's possible that this was a rogue operation from a local commander on the ground on either side. Though peace is a goal for many, there are those that will feel that too much blood has been spilled for the war to end in anything but total victory. It's possible that one of these commanders on the ground started this skirmish on their own in an effort to derail the peace process. 

Still, I doubt that this skirmish means much in the end. The conflict in Ukraine has been at a stalemate for years now and neither side has the ability to beat the other. Both sides recognize that the war should end and I think they are working hard to do so. 

I personally think that the war should have ended a long time ago. I always thought it was one of the dumber ones we have seen in recent history. The Ukrainian government went out of their war to provoke the people of the region and Russia itself. This led to violence and a major war that pretty much accomplished nothing.