Andriy Lysenko: Three civilians injured and over 200 miners trapped underground after militant attack at Dzerzhynsk

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Kyiv, August 8, 2015. Russia-backed militants attacked from the artillery a government-controlled town of Dzerzhynsk, Donetsk region. As a result, three civilians were injured and over 200 miners were trapped underground. “As of now, 96 miners were rescued. The rescue mission is ongoing to get the other miners,” Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesperson of Administration of the President of Ukraine on ATO-related issues, cited the update from the Donetsk law enforcement at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

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Col. Lysenko reported that Russia-backed militants used heavy artillery, mortars and tanks in the airport area, particularly near Vodyane, Opytne, Pisky, Avdiivka and Pervomayske. Militants also launched tank attacks at Ukrainian positions in the vicinity of Maryinka, as well as fired from large-caliber machine guns close to Krasnohorivka. The militants also mortared Ukrainian positions near Zaytseve and Kirove.

In the Luhansk sector, the militants fired from a tank at Ukrainian troops stationed near Shchastya. Russia-backed fighters also used heavy arms near Troyitske and instigated a series of armed provocations by Stanytsia Luhanska.

Ceasefire was generally holding in the Mariupol sector. Only one short-term provocation was registered in the area of Shyrokyne.

One Ukrainian serviceman was killed in action and nine were wounded in action in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Security Service won a criminal court case against the militant cell in Kharkiv, which was coordinated by the Russian intelligence. “Russian officers have taught them how to work with explosives, military tactics, marksmanship and how to organize terrorist attacks,” Col. Lysenko said. Ukrainian operatives captured the subversives before they managed to conduct any attack.

Ukraine’s law enforcers uncovered two arms arsenals in Starobilsk and Avdiivka in Luhansk and Donetsk regions respectively. There were 7,000 ammunition rounds, ten RGD-5 grenades, eight F-1 grenades and eleven grenade launchers. The owner of an arms cache in Avdiika was detained.