Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk: Child wounded in Avdiivka in militants’ shelling

UCMC press center

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Kyiv, June 12, 2016. Avdiivka, the vicinity of Horlivka and Luhanske village at the Svitlodarsk bulge remained the main “flashpoints” in the ATO zone yesterday. “Militants are actively using mortar and artillery systems, violating the Minsk agreements. In total, the enemy launched 576 mortar shells and 266 artillery missiles,” informed the spokesman of the Presidential Administration on ATO related issues Colonel OleksandrMotuzyanyk at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Apart from heavy armor, militants were shooting from armored personnel carriers (APC), anti-aircraft mounts, grenade launchers, large machine guns and small arms. A child was wounded in Avdiivka as a result o militants’ shelling. “Ukrainian troops took the boy to hospital in time and his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening,” said Col. Motuzyanyk.

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Militants used 82-mm and 120-mm mortar launchers, as well as grenade launchers, machine guns and small arms in the Mariupol sector near Krasnohorivka and Mariinka. “Moreover, militants located in the occupied Dokuchaievsk shelled Ukrainian positions near Berevoce and Novotroitske using mortar launchers. Occupants launched the total of 82 mortar shells,” informed the spokesman. Russia-backed militant groups used large machine guns, grenade launchers and small arms near Taramchuk and Vodiane, and an APC was used near Hranitne.

Russia-backed militant groups shelled Ukrainian positions near Novooleksandrivka in the Luhansk sector. “Militants used small arms and grenade launchers. Moreover, one sniper’s attack took place,” elaborated Col. Motuzyanyk. Another provocation took place near Novozvanivka.

“Ukrainian Armed Forces incurred no losses in combat in the past 24 hours, 12 troops were wounded,” informed the spokesman. According to the available information, militants lost 5 people killed and 12 wounded from four different subdivisions.

Col. Motuzyanyk also informed that Ukrainian military intelligence registered new acts of supply of ammunition for self-proclaimed “Luhansk people’s republic” and “Donetsk people’s republic” from the territory of Russia. “A column consisting of 70 trucks was loaded ammunition in Russian town of Donetsk, Rostov oblast, and proceeded through Izvaryne towards Krasnodon,” he informed.

Ukrainian law enforcements detained a Druzhkivka inhabitant who had joined militants in May 2014 and was keeping watch at checkpoints carrying arms. Moreover, a Krasnohorivka inhabitant was detained. He is a militant of Vostok Russia-backed militant group and had joined it in July 2014.