ATO Staff Spokesperson: Militants violate ceasefire 339 times over the past four days

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Kyiv, August 25, 2015. Situation in the ATO zone remained stable over the period from August 21-24. Russia-backed militant groups have instigated provocations using mostly small arms. Nevertheless, the Minsk agreements were disregarded, as the militants used weapons with a caliber of over 100 mm, said ATO Staff spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Anatoliy Stelmakh at a press briefing via Skype at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

On August 24, the militants reduced their attacks along the frontline. The sporadic use of weapons with a caliber of over 100 mm was observed in both Donetsk and Luhansk sectors mostly at night, said the ATO Staff spokesperson.

Yesterday, Russian representatives of the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control and Coordination (JCCC) notified the Ukrainian party on the presumed intention of Ukrainian forces to use Grad multiple rocket launchers on Frunze.  “The press center of ATO Staff declares that Ukrainian troops strictly adhere to Minsk agreements. Our rocket artillery has been withdrawn to the distance of no less than 35 km from the frontline. Those statements of the Russian Federation are another attempt to justify the actions of criminals who aim to violate the ceasefire at any cost,” said Lt. Col. Stelmakh.

The number of ceasefire violations climbed up 339 over the past four days, from August 21 to 24. “Today, on August 25, militants fired upon our strongholds in Vodyane, not far from Donetsk, using 122 mm artillery around midnight. Militants’ 152 mm artillery fired upon a Ukrainian stronghold in Krasnohorivka at 4:10 a.m.,” said the ATO Staff Spokesperson. Near Mariupol, militants fired at Ukrainian troops in Lebedyne and Sopino using 122 mm artillery. Close to 5 a.m., militants used 152mm artillery to attack a Ukrainian observation post in Luhanske in the Artemivsk sector,” said Lt. Col. Stelmakh.