ATO Staff spokesman: The number of ceasefire violations by the Russia-backed separatists has increased

Kyiv, 12 March 2015 – Russia-backed separatists in Donbas have violated ceasefire 25 times from 19:00 on 11 March till midnight on 12th of March, according to Anatoliy Stelmakh, ATO Staff spokesman. Yesterday the number of such violations observed over the same period of time was 10.

“Donetsk direction remains the hottest section along the delimitation line. At 19:05 illegal criminal groups struck the town of Avdiivka using 152-mm artillery systems. In addition the illegal criminal groups were shelling Pisky and Vodyane with artillery from 21:00 till 21:50. It is yet another proof that the statements by the militants’ leaders about withdrawal of all heavy weaponry by illegal criminal groups as per the Minsk agreements are not accurate”, said ATO Staff spokesman.

Pisky, Avdiivka, Opytne and Vodyane towns came under fire from mortars and grenade launchers. At the Mariupol direction the enemy was using small arms to fire at the Ukrainian positions in Shyrokyne town.  On 11 March from 16:00 to 20:00 separatists sniper was working in the area near the town. “On the Artemivsk direction illegal criminal groups fired at the village of Leninske four times with small arms and mortars. On the Luhansk direction from 20:50 till 21:50 the enemy used small arms to fire at a Ukrainian stronghold near Sukhodol,” added Anatoliy Stelmakh.