ATO Staff spokesperson: Militants made 11 attempts to provoke Ukrainian troops to respond with fire

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Kyiv, December 15, 2015. Number of pro-Russian militants’ attacks on the ATO forces positions relatively decreased yesterday in comparison with the past week. On the night of December 15 militants made 11 attempts to provoke Ukrainian troops to respond with fire, said Major Anton Myronovych, ATO spokesman, via Skype at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

“For instance, two incidents involving use of anti-tank guided missiles by Russia-backed militants on our positions near Luhanske not far from the temporarily occupied Horlivka were recorded yesterday night,” said the spokesperson. Number of random and precision shooting involving heavy armament prohibited by the Minsk Accords relatively decreased in the past three days. “There was no use of artillery systems by pro-
Russian militants on December 14. Nevertheless, they opened fire in the Luhansk sector which had not happened for several past days. Moreover, two sight shootings from grenade launchers took place in Tryokhizbenka,” said Major Myronovych. He informed that hybrid militant groups controlled by Russian authorities continue using small arms, grenade launchers and large machine guns along the entire frontline. Militants’ sniping fire became more intensive and better targeted. “In total, there were about 120 attacks at ATO forces positions, inhabited localities and objects of infrastructure along the entire contact line. There were 51 attacks on Saturday and 49 on Sunday. The least number of attacks, 18, happened yesterday,” said the ATO spokesperson.

At the same time, Major Myronovych said that air defense forces recorded several reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles launched from the territory of the Russian Federation. “It is possible that, in addition to air reconnaissance of Ukrainian troops’ positions, these aircrafts were collecting information on location and proceeding of hybrid insurgent troops, weapons and military equipment within the temporarily occupied territory in the east of Ukraine,” said the spokesperson.