ATO Staff: Four Ukrainian troops were wounded as a result of attacks of Ukrainian positions

WATCH IN ENGLISH

Kyiv, September 29, 2015. Situation in the ATO zone remained stable on September 25 to 28. Russia-backed militant groups keep shooting sporadically at Ukrainian positions. “According to the intelligence reports , it is an initiative of militant groups beyond anybody’s control,” said Lieutenant Colonel Anatoliy Stelmakh, ATO Staff spokesperson, at Ukraine Crisis Media Center via Skype. He also notes that armed provocations usually happen at night.

According to the ATO Staff spokesperson, militants shot at Ukrainian strongholds near Zaitseve, Leninske, Kirove, Lozove, Maiorsk, Stary Aidar and Mariinka. Four Ukrainian troops were wounded in Maryinka.

“The enemy continutes to instigate provocations, shooting towards the frontline and expecting the Ukrainian Armed Forces would return fire to accuse Ukriane of undermining peace accords.

“They often do so to create the required propagandist picture for Russian media,” said Lt.Col. Stelmakh. According to him, militants used small arms on the temporarily occupied territory near Troitske, and pro-Russian militants shot from grenade launchers near Mariupol in the direction of Ukrainian troops in Novotroitske. Grenades fell 50 to 60 meters from Ukrainian positions. Militants also shot from heavy machine gun near Luhanske.

Russia-backed militant groups violated ceasefire 15 times on September 25-28.

Lt. Col. Stelmakh also informed that the crime rate on the territory of the self-proclaimed republics drastically increased. Armed militants, being beyond their chiefs’ control, are assaulting civilians, looting and plundering. According to the ATO Staff Spokesperson, chiefs of the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ (DPR) and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ (LPR) commenced filtration activity. “In fact, we are speaking of elimination the Russians beyond the ranks of the regular Russian Army from the militant groups. Officers of the self-proclaimed ‘DPR’ and those having information on the presence of regular army of Russian Federation in Donbas are terminated,” said the ATO Staff spokesperson.

Meanwhile, members of the Russia-backed militant group Vostok are deserting the unit explaining it as prohibition of shooting upon  Ukrainian positions and poor level of financial support. Miners in Sverdlovsk and Krasnyi Luch are growing dissatisfied with non-payment of salaries. People are threatening the authorities of the self-proclaimed ‘LPR’ with industrial action,” added Lt. Col. Stelmakh.