ATO spokesman: Over the night Russian-backed militants fired at Ukrainian positions 19 times

WATCH IN ENGLISH

Kyiv, 6 February 2015 – The night from 5 to 6 February in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone was tense. “Ukrainian positions were fired upon a total of 19 times. At the same time militants concentrated their malicious efforts at the Luhansk direction,” said Anatoliy Stelmakh, spokesman for the ATO Staff via Skype at a briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Over the night the enemy was firing with artillery, mortars and tanks. “Stanytsia Luhanska, Novotoshkivske and Tryokhizbenka were fired upon twice. Shchastia also came under fire,” added the ATO Staff spokesman.

At the Donetsk direction militants fired twice at Novolaspa and Petrivske. The intensity of shelling at the Debaltseve direction has decreased, in the last few days it used to be the hottest spot in Eastern Ukraine. “Nevertheless over the night the enemy shelled the city three times with BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher systems and mortars. Hirske town also came under mortar fire,” noted Anatoliy Stelmakh. At the Mariupol direction the enemy fired at Lomakino and Pavlopil.

As per the re-conformed intelligence information on 4-5 February ATO forces destroyed 60 Russian-backed militants, 4 tanks and 2 self-propelled artillery systems. In the area of Bryanka Ukrainian troops blasted 7 ammunition storage facilities of the illegal armed groups. “To stop the enemy’s advance servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces returned precision fire inflicting losses on the enemy,” emphasized the ATO Staff spokesman. Yesterday anti-aircraft systems detected an enemy target – a UAV conducting reconnaissance over Olenivka, Oleksandropol, Tarasivka and Berezivka. The enemy’s UAV was downed by the air defense units.