ATO Staff: two firefights happened in the ATO zone. Militants try to provoke Armed Forces shortly before the meeting of trilateral working group

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Kyiv, December 8, 2015. Pro-Russian militant groups in the ATO zone are attacking in all the sectors. Grenade launchers of different types were used in Zaitseve, Luhanske, Maiorsk and Triokhizbenka, while Pisky, Mariinka, Krasnohorivka and Novhorodske were attacked from grenade launchers, large machine guns and light arms. Militants also shot at Zaitseve, Opytne, Verkhniotoretske, Zhovte and Sokolnyky from 82-mm mortar launchers.  Russia-backed militants attacked Krasnohorivka using infantry combat vehicles and mounted anti-tank grenade launchers, while a sniper was working in Novhorodske. Por-Russian militant groups used anti-tank guided missiles to shoot at the vicinity of Hranitne, said ATO Staff spokesperson, Captain Leonid Matyukhin at a press briefing via Skype at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

Militants’ tanks were found at the contact line in Ozerianivka ans Zaitseve, not far from Horlivka. Moreover, pro-Russian militant groups are actively increasing their fortifications and strengthening their positions. According to Captain Matyukhin, increase in number of provocative and precision shooting attacks was observed near Verkhniotoretske and Sokilnyky. Moreover, attacks at positions and inhabited localities involving light arms happened shortly before the meeting of trilateral working group on December 8-10 2015. Militants aim at provoking the Ukrainian Armed Forces Troops to return fire.

According to the ATO Staff spokesperson, militants also shot at Stanytsia Luhanska, Bolotenne and Zhovte in the Luhansk sector. They also assaulted Stohanivka from large machine guns and light arms in the Mariupol sector.  “Moreover, pro-Russian militants were shooting randomly from grenade launchers, large machine guns and small arms at our positions in the vicinity of Miorsk, Avdiivka, Luhanske, Pisky and Krasnohorivka,” added Captain Matyukhin.

Two firefights took place in the ATO zone in the past four days. “A group consisting of up to 100 militants assaulted our positions near Mayorsk settlement. Armed Forces troops responded with fire from small arms and large machine guns. The enemy incurred losses and retreated,” said the spokesperson. According to Captain Matyukhin, militants opened aiming fire from 82-mm mortar launchers, mounted anti-tank grenade launchers, large machine guns and small arms. “Ukrainian troops destroyed two units of equipment, a mortar operating crew and up to 20 militants. 30 insurgent more were wounded,” added Captain Matyukhin. Another firefight took place in the vicinity of Zaitseve, where up to 10 militants made an attempted an assault at a Ukrainian stronghold. “The militants’ attack was defeated and they fled the battlefield,” said the spokesperson.