Russian troops rotate in temporarily occupied Donbas, 450 new troops arrive – Colonel Motuzyanyk

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Militants actively use mortar launchers in the Mariupol sector, launching almost 90 shells in two hours. In the Donetsk sector only light weapons were used. Ukrainian law enforcement prevent smuggling in the ATO zone.

Kyiv, September 6, 2016. According to the Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, rotation of Russian troops from the 331th unit took place in the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas, said Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on ATO related issues at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. He said that this subdivision’s home base is Kostroma town in Russia, and in the occupied  territory of Ukraine it is located between Horlivka and Maiorsk. “Moreover, another 450 Russian soldiers from so far unidentified subdivision came from Russia through Snizhne to Donetsk. 115 militants arrived from Donbas to the occupied Crimea to the home base of the 810th separate marine brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for joined exercise,” added the spokesman.

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One Ukrainian serviceman was killed in action in the ATO zone over the last day, two other soldiers and one police officer were injured. According to the available information, one militant died and three were wounded.

Militants violated the ceasefire in Luhansk, Maiorsk and Avdiivka in the Donetsk sector, mostly during daylight hours. They used light weapons only. “In total, 13 hostile attacks took place in the Donetsk sector in the past 24 hours,” said Col. Motuzyanyk. Two attacks took place in the Luhansk sector, in Stanytsia Luhanska and Novozvanivka. “Both attacks were quite extensive, but the adversary used no heavy armor,” elaborated the spokesman.

Militants violated the armistice in Vodiane-Shyrokyne area in the Mariupol sector, actively using mortar launchers. “Almost 90 mortar shells were launched at Ukrainian positions during two hours just after the sunset. It happened inTalakivka and Shyrokyne,” said Col. Motuzyanyk. In total, six attacks took place in the Mariupol sector; four of them involved use of heavy weapons. Moreover, a total of five flights of militants’ unmanned aerial vehicles were registered in all sectors.

Col. Motuzyanyk also informed that field investigators detained a resident of Luhansk who was trying to take out 10 million Russian rubles and 100 thousand US dollars to the temporarily occupied territories through Zaitseve checkpoint. Moreover, a weapons smuggling channel from the ATO zone was blocked. “An arms trader was detained when he was selling two grenade launchers and six grenades with blasts,” elaborated Col. Motuzyanyk.