Ministry of Defense: A slight de-escalation recorded in eastern Ukraine

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Russia-backed militants committed 13 ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine yesterday. They fired a total of fifteen 152-mm and ten 122-mm artillery rounds, and over eighty 120-mm and 82-mm mortar rounds, reported Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesman on ATO Colonel Dmytro Hutsulyak at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

In Luhansk sector, the militants violated the ceasefire 12 times. In the evening Russian proxies fried fifteen 152-mm artillery rounds near Pidlisne. In Luhanse area, the militants fired ten 122-mm artillery rounds, and employed 120-mm and 82-mm mortars, IFVs, ZU-23-2 antiaircraft mount, grenade launchers and other infantry weapons as well.

In Troitske area, Russia-backed militants used 120-mm mortars and IFV mounted weapons. “Ukrainian troops’ positions near Zaitseve, Novohorodske, and Novoaleksandrivka came under hostile fire of grenade launchers and heavy machine guns,” the ATO spokesperson added.

In Donetsk sector, Russian proxies delivered an attack on Ukrainian troops’ positions near Novotroitske using 120-mm mortars, grenade launchers and other infantry weapons. The attack started at 22:00 and continued for nearly two hours.

Ukrainian troops returned fire seven times using weapons not proscribed under the Minsk agreements. Fortunately, Ukrainian troops incurred no losses over the last day.

Report on the military developments as of February 23 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.