Colonel Lysenko: Information on death of two Ukrainian troops in combat does not correspond to facts

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Militants launch almost 700 mortar shells and artillery missiles in Mariupol sector, resulting in three Ukrainian soldiers injured. President of Ukraine awards veterans on occasion of Defender of Ukraine Day.

Kyiv, October 15, 2016. Ukrainian Armed Forces incurred no losses in combat yesterday. The information regarding death of two Ukrainian troops in combat, published by the Luhansk civil military administration, does not correspond to the facts, said the spokesman of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on ATO related issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “We do have information on death of two troops, however, they died not in combat but as a result of conflict between the two of them. The case is currently investigated by respective authorities,” he explained. Andriy Lysenko said that three troops were wounded in combat yesterday – two of them in the Mariupol sector, in Shyrokyne and Vodiane, and one in Zaitseve in the Donetsk sector. Another serviceman sustained blast injury as a result of militants’ artillery attack near Vodiane.

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The situation was the most difficult in the Mariupol sector yesterday. “Two thirds of militants’ attacks involved use of heavy armour – mortar launchers and powerful cannons. A tank was used once. Krasnohorivka – Pavlopil – Talakivka – Vodiane – Lebedynske – Shyrokyne frontline area was the epicentre of combat.  In total, occupants launched almost 700 mortar shells and artillery missiles,” informed the spokesman.
Militants violated the ceasefire in the Luhansk sector near Stanytsia Luhanska, Novooleksandrivka and Novozvanivka.  “Militants opened fire from light arms. Nevertheless, at night they launched four 152-mm artillery missiles at Ukrainian troops’ positions near Novozvanivka,” informed Col. Lysenko.

Russian proxies violated the armistice three times in the Donetsk sector – in Avdiivka,  Novhorodske and Zaitseve.  “Nevertheless, in Zaitseve the enemy used 82-mm and 120-mm mortar launchers, launching 12 shells,” said the spokesman.

Col. Lysenko informed that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained an informant of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Donetsk region. He was recruited in August by militants of self-proclaimed “Donetsk people’s republic” (“DPR”). “He was passing information on location of Ukrainian Armed Forces near the contact line in Yasynuvata district to his curators. Militants’ accomplice was also adjusting Russian proxies’ fire at ATO troops’ positions,” said Col.  Lysenko.

Col. Lysenko informed the President of Ukraine awarded 265 veterans of the anti-terroristic operation in the East Ukraine on the occasion of the Defender Ukraine Day (October 14). Junior sergeant Denys Hryniuk was awarded the 3rd grade Order ‘For Courage’. “In spring 2015 Hryniuk was a commander of a reconnaissance group which liquidated militants’ subversive reconnaissance group in the vicinity of Novotroitske and Dokuchaevsk.  Owing to his professionalism and leadership Ukrainian detachment returned to their positions without any losses,” reminded Col. Lysenko. Airborne troops officer, Colonel Oleksiy Shandar, was awarded a 279-km march in militants’ rear area. It resulted in militants losing over 100 pieces of military equipment.