ATO Staff spokesman: Russia-backed militants use 120-mm mortars and violate Minsk agreements

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Kyiv, April 17, 2015. Pro-Russian militant groups fired from 120-mm mortars four times along the demarcation line, which is a blatant violation of Minsk agreements, said Lieutenant Colonel Serhiy Danylenko, ATO Staff spokesman, at the press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “The enemy fired twice from 120-mm mortars at the Ukrainian military position near Pisky. Militants also fired from 120-mm mortars at the Ukrainian forces based in the area of Talakivka in the Mariupol sector at around 11 pm. They have been firing at our positions from automatic grenade launchers and machine guns near Avdiivka, Popasna and Opytne,” added Lt. Col. Danylenko.

Overall, militants have violated ceasefire 15 times from 6 pm until midnight on 16 April. They have fired twice at the residential areas; for instance, they have mortared the Ukrainian positions close to Syze village in the Luhansk region. “Shelling of residential areas is getting increasingly frequent. Militant groups shelled Pisky twice from machine guns and 120-mm mortars from 9.00 until 9.50 pm,” Lt. Col. Serhiy Danylenko noted.

Ukrainian servicemen spotted five militant UAVs, and downed one of them in the area of Butkivka, Luhansk region.