烏克蘭政府軍攻入盧甘斯克

Ukraine said its army advanced into the eastern city of Lugansk yesterday, marking a breakthrough in a four-month campaign against Russia-backed separatists.

烏克蘭表示，該國軍隊昨日攻入東部的盧甘斯克市，這標誌着烏克蘭在這場持續已四個月的打擊俄羅斯支持的分裂分子的戰役中取得了突破。

Diplomatic efforts to prevent a further escalation of the conflict – and direct confrontation between Ukrainian and Russian forces – gathered pace, with the countries’ foreign ministers meeting in Berlin with French and German counterparts.

另一方面，爲阻止衝突進一步升級——以及烏克蘭和俄羅斯部隊的直接對抗，各方仍在加緊外交努力。烏克蘭和俄羅斯外交部長正在柏林與法德兩國的外長一起開會。

But intense fighting continued to rage across parts of Ukraine’s breakaway eastern regions and Kiev and Moscow were still locked in a dispute over a humanitarian aid convoy destined for Lugansk that remained stuck at the Russian border.

不過，在烏克蘭東部部分地區，激烈的戰鬥仍在繼續。與此同時，烏克蘭政府與俄羅斯政府仍在爲被困在俄羅斯邊境、欲抵達盧甘斯克的人道主義救援車隊陷入爭論。

A Ukrainian army spokesperson said government forces defeated pro-Russian rebels in Lugansk’s Zhovtnevy neighbourhood, taking the local police station. “They raised the state flag over it,” he added.

一名烏克蘭軍方發言人表示，政府軍擊敗了盧甘斯克Zhovtnevy區的親俄叛軍，佔領了當地警察局。他補充說：“他們在警察局升起了國旗。”

Lugansk is one of few remaining rebel strongholds in eastern Ukraine and has been encircled by Ukrainian forces for several weeks, leaving its remaining residents without power and running water. Some areas have been heavily shelled.

盧甘斯克是叛軍在烏克蘭東部的剩餘據點之一，幾周以來該市一直被烏克蘭政府軍包圍，市內剩餘居民處於斷電斷水狀態。該市部分地區受到猛烈炮擊。

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, said government forces had also closed in on rebels in their main stronghold of Donetsk, taking the strategically important town of Yasynuvata, a suburb on the northeastern outskirts of the city, where plumes of smoke could be seen hanging overhead.

烏克蘭總統彼得羅•波羅申科(Petro Poroshenko)表示，政府軍也在逼近頓涅茨克這個叛軍主要據點，佔領了戰略要地、頓涅茨克東北郊的Yasynuvata鎮。那裏可以看到空中飄着大量濃煙。

Rebels in Donetsk posted a message on their website urging residents to report by telephone the presence of any Ukrainian troops. The separatists also demonstrated their own firepower by downing a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet over the Lugansk region.

頓涅茨克叛軍在其網站發佈信息，敦促居民們用電話報告烏克蘭軍隊的蹤跡。此外，分裂分子還在盧甘斯克地區擊落了一家烏克蘭的米格-29戰鬥機，展示了他們擁有的火力。

Kiev said on Friday it had attacked and destroyed part of a military column that had crossed the border, raising fears of direct conflict between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

上週五，烏克蘭政府表示曾向越過俄烏邊境的一個軍車車隊發起攻擊，擊潰了車隊的一部分，這引發了烏克蘭和俄羅斯部隊可能會直接衝突的擔憂。

Speaking as he prepared to host the new round of peace talks, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister, said: “We urgently need new political impetus – otherwise we run the danger . . . of re-entering an intensified escalation spiral.

在準備主持新一輪和平談判之際，德國外長弗蘭克-瓦爾特•施泰因邁爾(Frank-Walter Steinmeier)表示：“我們迫切需要新的政治推動力，否則我們可能會……再次面臨局勢進一步惡化的螺旋式局面。

“It is all about a road map to a sustainable ceasefire and a framework for effective border controls.

“這一切的關鍵在於達成一份路線圖，以實現可持續停火，並商定有效邊境控制的框架。

“Only in this way can eastern Ukraine achieve peace.”

“只有這樣烏克蘭東部才能實現和平。”