Ministry of Defense: Militants use multiple rocket launcher in Luhansk region

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Militants use multiple rocket launcher in the vicinity of Stanytsia Luhanska and organize new positions close to Luhanske and Novoluhanske in the Donetsk sector.

 

Russia-backed militants continue firing on Ukrainian forces in the Mariupol sector. They violated ceasefire in Mariinka and Pavlopil-Shyrokyne area. Most of the armed provocations took place at night. From time to time the militants were using mortars and armored fighting vehicles. “In total, militants violated ceasefire 20 times in the Mariupol sector, two of them involved use of heavy weapons,” said Col. Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, Ministry of Defense spokesperson on ATO related issues at a press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

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Hotspot of the Luhansk sector yesterday was Popasna. “The occupants fired from mortars several times in Troitske, they also employed snipers. The enemy violated ceasefire a number of times in Novozvanivka. In the frontline village Syze, not far from the state border, the adversary used “Grad” multiple rocket launcher,” said the spokesperson. In total, the militants violated ceasefire 11 times in the Luhansk sector, five of them involved use of heavy weapons.

The militants started active actions in all key areas of the Donetsk sector such as Svitlodarsk bulge, Zaitseve, Avdiivka and Opytne. “Almost half of enemy’s attacks involved use of mortars, they launched more than 100 mines on our positions. The situation was the most tensed in the afternoon. The longest lasting and the most powerful militants’ attacks took place in Luhanske village,” elaborated Col. Motuzyanyk.  In the vicinity of Luhanske and Novoluhanske the militants organize new positions, lay mines and send reconnaissance groups to Ukrainian positions. “In total, the enemy violated the ceasefire 15 times in the Donetsk sector over the past 24 hours,” he added.

 

Ukrainian Armed Forces incurred no losses in action yesterday, five troops were wounded. During January 2 – January 80, one militant was killed in action and ten were wounded.
According to Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, 12 militants’ UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) were registered in the frontline area in all the sectors over the last week.

Report on the military developments as of January 9 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.