Russia-backed militants keep violating the ceasefire. “Despite the Easter ceasefire coming into force on midnight of March 30, as of 11:00 today Russian proxies have already committed six ceasefire violations. Ukrainian troops defending Talakivka came under the hostile mortar fire twice. Militants fired over ten 82-mm mortar rounds. They also attacked Ukrainian troops’ positions outside Avdiivka, Opytne, Vodiane and Pavlopil with small arms,” said Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesman Colonel Dmytro Hutsulyak at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Speaking of yesterday, Russia-backed militants delivered a total of 57 attacks, 55 of which were precision ones. Ukrainian troops had returned fire in 38 cases using small arms.
In Donetsk sector, Ukrainian troops recorded 55 ceasefire violations, of which 53 were precision attacks. Russian proxies used 82-mm mortars twice in Pavlopil and Shyrokyne areas. “Militants actively used grenade launchers, IFV mounted weapons, heavy machine guns, and small arms near Vodiane, Avdiivka, Talakivka, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Maryinka, Shyrokyne, Novotroitske, and Verkhniotoretske. The strongholds of Ukrainian troops outside Lebedynske, Kamianka, Pishchevyk, Opytne and Shakhta Butovka came under hostile fire,” Colonel Hutsulyak elaborated.
In Luhansk sector, Russia-backed militants delivered two precision attacks. In the afternoon, militants attacked Ukrainian troops near Luhanske with heavy machine guns and Ukrainian troops’ positions in Zalizne area (former Artemove) with grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms.
Unfortunately, two Ukrainian troops were wounded in action, one more serviceman received a combat injury.
Report on the military developments as of March 29 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
