Hostilities escalate in the ATO zone where militants use heavy armor to attack Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian Armed forces defeat an intense subversive attack. Insurgents use UAVs to conduct reconnaissance and adjust mortar fire.
Kyiv, July 25, 2016. Ukrainian military engineers continue demining territories in the Mariupol sector. Engineering detachments are defusing about 50 explosive devices planted by militants every day. “Military engineers are following all the necessary safety regulations and are eliminating every mine and item of ammunition based on their properties,” informed spokesman of the Presidential Administration on ATO related issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko at a press briefing held at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Militants conducted intense attacks on Ukrainian troops along the entire contact line. “The first six hours of the day were especially tense. The enemy opened fire in two frontline areas simultaneously – Novohryhorivka-Starohnativka and Talakivka-Vodiane,” informed Col. Lysenko. Apart from mortar launchers, militants used cannon artillery once (Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount), launching 30 shells at ATO troops. Main hostilities took place in the south at night – Talakivka-Shyrokyne area. Militants shot from mortar launchers and armored personnel carriers there. Moreover, later that night, after 11.00 p.m, hostilities resumed in the vicinity of Dokuchaevsk, where the armistice was held before. “A series of hostile attacks took place in Mariinka vicinity during the day. In total, adversaries violated the ceasefire 35 times in the Mariupol sector and used heavy armor 15 times,” added the spokesman.
The situation was rather calm in the Luhansk sector. Militants violated the ceasefire twice in Orikhove at night (near Bakhmut road). Ukrainian troops responded with fire to the second attacks. No heavy armor was used. “The enemy reduced its activity due to serious losses incurred in their reckless attempts to assail our positions in the Popasna area. Militants attacked directly in the morning, but received aimed fore from our defenders. Occupants incurred heavy losses, with two people dead and eight wounded. Ukrainian troops found Russian weapons, mines and ammunition near liquidated subverters’ bodies,” said Col. Lysenko.
The main hostilities occurred yesterday in Novoselivka Druha-Avdiivka-Opytne frontline area in the Donetsk sector. Militants were active after 8 a.m. and continued their aggressive actions until midnight. Heavy armor – 82-mm and 120-mm mortar launchers – were deployed after 9.00 p.m. Ukrainian troops mostly responded with fire. Each attack lasted at least 15 minutes, and the longest one grew to 90 minutes. “Moreover, sporadic militants’ provocations were instigated at the Svitlodarsk bulge and near Horlivka. In total, 21 hostile attacks took place in the Donetsk sector yesterday and nine of these involved use of heavy armor,” added the spokesman. Three Ukrainian troops died in combat yesterday and three were wounded.
The military intelligence informs that militants are reconnoitering Ukrainian positions using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Two militants’ UAVs Orlan-10 were adjusting mortar fire in the vicinity of Novoselivka Druha and Avdiivka yesterday. A quadrotor flight was registered near Vodiane. “Moreover, hostile UAVs were used to collect intelligence data near Popasna and Kamianka,” said Col. Lysenko.
According to the military intelligence, four militants died yesterday and seven were wounded. These losses were incurred by so-called 6th, 9th and 11th platoons of Russian occupational forces. According to the spokesman, militants received another batch of reinforcement from Russia: four trucks carrying 110 troops and cannons arrived at Sverdlovsk.
