NSDC: The mercenaries are opening fire at the railway and setting up firing points in schools of Donetsk oblast

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Kyiv, July 30, 2014 – The Donetsk railway near the Donetsk station has been damaged as the result of mine fire on part of the terrorists. The tracks have been temporarily closed for train circulation. This was reported by the NSDC Information Center spokesman Colonel Andriy Lysenko during a press briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “The mercenaries that came to Donetsk from the Russian Federation are setting up their barracks, basic points and firing points in schools and other education establishments. They set up their main headquarters and a infirmary on the territory of Donetsk Kalinin hospital. In Yenakiyevo the Russian mercenaries have mined the majority of agricultural lots to disrupt harvesting. Groups of mercenaries headed towards the Ukrainian state border have been traced from Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov oblast of the Russian Federation,” noted Andriy Lysenko.

Combat is currently underway near Avdiivka in Donetsk oblast. At approximately 12:45 “Grad” fire was opened at the “Marynivka” checkpoint from the territory of the Russian Federation. There are no casualties. “ATO troops are advancing from several directions simultaneously, thus narrowing the circle around the territories occupied by the terrorists in the east of Ukraine. Before noon today the aviation opened directed fire at terrorist groups in the suburbs of the town of Makiyivka. Military equipment and reinforcements of the mercenaries have been destroyed. There is information about the destruction of a “Grad” system which had been set up near the spoil tip at the Kirov mine, and about the destruction of a reinforced terrorist roadblock near Makiyivka. We are currently trying to get more details on the losses suffered by the enemy in terms of equipment and human resources,” added the NSDC spokesman.

Today the Ukrainian Security Services presented evidence that Russian saboteurs located on Ukrainian territory have opened fire at Ukrainian territory. “This is confirmed by according satellite shots made by Ukrainian special services in July of the current year near the villages of Marynivka and Grygorivka in Donetsk oblast. Traces of “Grad” battery missiles are visible in the photographs. It is obvious that to set up the batteries the Russians advanced 1-2 kilometers into Ukrainian territory. After carrying out their mission, the troops towed the equipment back to Russia,” said Colonel Lysenko.

Besides, according to the results of satellite recordings made of the ATO zone at the border territory of Donetsk oblast, the Security Service of Ukraine detected a supply corridor for Russian military equipment and weaponry, which the Russian terrorists secretly and illegally set up through Ukrainian fields. The shots clearly show armored and transportation equipment of the terrorists in Ukrainian localities imported from the Russian Federation, as well as points for the illegal crossing of the Ukrainian state border by saboteurs from the Russian Federation. The shots also testify that Russian technical intelligence vehicles illegally crossed to Ukrainian territory, which corrected the further directions of the Russian equipment and saboteurs towards the localities in Luhansk and Donetsk oblast not far from the border. “Ukrainian special services quality such actions on part of Russia as military terrorism. The evidence base collected throughout July of 2014 testify to military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, illegal transportation of weapons and sabotage groups to our territories, which open fire at Ukrainian localities and kill our people,” emphasized Andriy Lysenko.

The combat engineering groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces which are participating in the antiterrorist operation continue their work in the liberated cities and localities of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. The combat engineering specialists are forced to deal with a big amount of set-ups left behind by the terrorists, as well as mines and unexploded ammunition. Through the time of the ATO the engineers managed to diffuse 45 local infrastructure objects. The servicemen have discovered explosives everywhere: in basements of apartment blocks, in the local government buildings, schools and kindergartens. The terrorists mine water collectors and railways, other important objects. According to the combat engineering group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces involved in the ATO, throughout the period of their work, they have detected and diffused 3314 explosives.

Today the Ukrainian servicemen received a new armored medical vehicle BMM-70. “The car is fully equipped with all necessary technology and is prepared to be sent to the ATO zone. The money for its equipment was donated by Mykolayiv oblast businesses “Greentour-EX” LTD, “VIP-Trader” LLC and PAT “Mykolayivoblenergo.” The BMM-70 is capable of transporting four grievously wounded soldiers and five soldiers will less serious injuries at the same time,” said the NSDC spokesman.

The dead and wounded as of 3 p.m., July 30

                Dead since the beginning of the ATO – 363

                Wounded since the beginning of the ATO – 1434

                Dead within the last 24 hours – 1

                Wounded within the last 24 hours – 11