Kyiv, July 12, 2015. Russia-backed militants keep violating Minsk agreements using heavy weapons against Ukrainian troops. “Ten attacks have been conducted with 120-mm mortars and nine with 122-mm and 152-mm artillery over the last day,” said Colonel Andriy Lysenko, spokesman of the Administration of the President of Ukraine on ATO related issues, as the press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. According to Col. Lysenko, militants used tanks twice as well as shelled Ukrainian troops stationed near Tryokhizbenka, Luhansk region with 122-mm Grad-Partisan portable system. Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed in action and five got wounded in action in the last day.
In the Luhansk sector, militant groups fired at the Ukrainian military positions near Krymske, Novotoshkivske and Tryokhizbenka. They have also targeted of Ukrainian military convoy near Syze using SPG-9 anti-tank gun. Two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded and several pieces of military equipment damaged as a result.
Most of militant attacks were registered in the Donetsk sector. Col. Lysenko noted militants repeatedly used of mortars, grenade launchers, artillery and small arms. “The enemy subversive groups tried to get into the rear of Ukrainian positions twice near Verkhnyotoretske and Avdiivka. Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully stopped their activities,” said Col. Lysenko.
Donetsk airport areas as well as the western and northern outskirts of Horlivka remain the key hotpots in the region. Ceasefire was generally holding in the vicinity of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka.
In the Mariupol sector, skirmishes occurred only in the area of Starohnativka village. “Militants used 152-mm artillery, which is a brazen violation of Minsk agreements,” noted Col. Lysenko.
Ukrainian border guards noted six flights of enemy UAVs in Donetsk and Luhansk regions over the last day.
Ukrainian troops detected minefield on the frontline area where militant subversive groups have been operating. Ukraine’s military “Krit” unit took part in neutralizing unexploded ordnance left after Ukrainian positions were shelled in the area of Pobeda near Maryinka.
Col. Lysenko also said that many local residents of Antratsyt, Luhansk region are dissatisfied with so-called “LPR” leaders: “The reasons for people’s discontent are lack of food, medicine and money as well as high crime rates. Residents of the town who had courage to protest were immediately suppressed by armed militants.”
