Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk: Militants’ UAVs conduct eight reconnaissance flights in the ATO zone  

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Armistice holds in some areas in the Donetsk and Mariupol sector, while heavy armor was used by militants in the others. Ukrainian Armed forces incur no losses, but there are injured soldiers.

Kyiv, August 10, 2016. Militants continue actively using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to conduct reconnaissance. “Adversaries organized eight reconnaissance UAV flights yesterday: four in the Donetsk sector and four more in the Mariupol sector,” said the spokesman of Presidential Administration on ATO-related issues Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk.

Militants delivered 62 attacks in the ATO zone in 24 hours using heavy armor. The least attacks – six – took place in the Luhansk sector and equal number of attacks – 28 happened in the Donetsk and Mariupol sector each. Ukrainian Armed Forces incurred no losses in combat yesterday, and five troops were wounded.

Russia-backed militant groups violated the ceasefire in Zolote, Novooleksandrivka and Popasna; the armistice held in other frontline area. All the hostile attacks took place during the hours of darkness; one of them involved use of mortar launchers. “A motor road Popasna-Pervomaisk was damaged as a result of adversary’s aggressive actions,” added Col. Motuzyanyk. In total, militants delivered six attacks in the Luhansk sector yesterday, one of them from heavy armor.

Active hostilities continue along the entire frontline in the Donetsk sector except the Donetsk airport where the ceasefire held yesterday. Just after the midnight militants delivered brief but intense artillery attack at Ukrainian positions near Luhansk. “Russian proxies repeatedly used mortar launchers in Novhorodske-Avdiivka frontline area in 24 hours, but only during the hours of darkness. Intense firefights between ATO troops and the adversaries continue in the same area,” said the spokesman. In total, 28 militants’ attacks took place in the Donetsk sector yesterday, and 10 of these involved use of heavy armor.

Krasnohorivka, Mariinka, the vicinity of Dokuchaevsk and Talakivka-Shyrokyne frontline area were the central flashpoint in the Mariupol sector yesterday. Militants were actively using mortar launchers and snipers there. Ukrainian troops repeatedly responded with fire. The armistice held yesterday in Novohnativka-Pavlopil area yesterday. “In total, 28 militants’ attacks took place in the Mariupol sector, six of them from heavy armor,” added Col. Motuzyanyk.

Five militants died and seven were wounded yesterday. So-called “3rd”, “4th”, “100th brigade” and “9th regiment” of militants’ troops incurred losses. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, a colonel of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Dmytro Bondariev, Yevhen Kovalenko in cover identification documents, was dismissed from the post of commander of so-called “9th separate assault motorized rifle regiment” (Novoazovsk) due to inability to secure proper level of combat training and morale of troops. “Prior to arriving at the territory of Ukraine, this officer was a commander of the 51st airborne regiments of the 106th sky-borne division of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (home base – Tula). It should be mentioned that Col. Bondariev heaped unprintable words on the Russian command and suggested Russian government should “…go and fight our Slav brothers in the east of Ukraine”. This Russian officer is known to have participated in both Chechen wars, so he is well aware of what is a ruthless and deadly war unleashed by Kremlin for the motives of reinstating its imperial greatness,” said Col. Motuzyanyk.