Colonel Andriy Lysenko: Militants’ provocations recorded near Mariinka and Krasnohorivka

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Kyiv, January 30, 2016. Militants become more active in the Luhansk sector in the ATO zone. The biggest number of ceasefire violations in the Donetsk sector took place in the vicinity of the airport, while militants’ snipers were working in the Mariupol sector. “Militants used 82-mm mortar launchers and grenade launchers twice in the Donetsk sector, shooting at our positions near Novozvanivka south of Popasna. Hostile snipers were active in the Mariupol sector, where provocations were recorded near Mariinka and Krasnohorivka,” said Colonel Andriy Lysenko, spokesman of Presidential Administration on ATO-related issues at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Moreover, militants violated the ceasefire near Shyrokyne and Starohnativka, shooting from small arms and large machine guns. Russia-backed militants used 82-mm mortar launchers near Hnutove village.

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The armistice in the Donetsk sector was the most frequently violated in the vicinity of Donetsk airport and the outskirts of Horlivka. Militants used small arms, large machine guns and grenade launchers. Russia-backed militants’ sniper was working in the vicinity of Opytne. “Yesterday night militants were shooting from the prohibited 82-mm and 120-mm mortar launchers near Zaitseve, and a shelling from hostile armored personnel carrier was recorded near Novhorodske. Moreover, militants committed armed provocations in the vicinity of Luhanske village near Svitlodarsk using grenade launchers and APCs,” added Col. Lysenko. According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, a flight of militants’ unmanned aerial vehicle conducting air reconnaissance was observed near Berezove village. Ukrainian Armed Forces incurred no losses in combat yesterday, but two troops were wounded.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) found a large weapons cache near Kurakhove in Donetsk region. Law enforcements seized 47 boxes with ammunition of various caliber, two boxes with grenades, six hand grenade launchers with missiles, four improvised explosive devices, eight mortar shells and 1.5 kg of explosives.

The SBU investigators found another militant of self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) in Popasna. “He joined a militant group in June 2014 and was keeping armed watch at a checkpoint near Troitske. Later the militant fled to Russia, but returned home in January 2015, hiding from Ukrainian law enforcement,” said the spokesman.

Joint Mission of United Nations on mine action requirements is working in Ukraine. The mission evaluates mine threat in Donbas and shares their experience, allowing to lower residents’ risks of tripping mines and unexploded munitions.

Twenty seven trucks carrying food packages, medical supplies and construction materials from UNICEF representative office in Ukraine, International Red Cross Committee and volunteer organizations proceeded to the temporarily occupied territory through Novotroitske and Zaitseve checkpoints.