Kyiv, 31 December 2014 – The situation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone overnight was not subject to considerable change. “Militants continued conducting sporadic armed provocations firing at Ukrainian servicemen with small arms, grenade launchers and mortars. Bandits opened fire 11 times at the positions of our servicemen,” reported Leonyd Matyukhin, ATO spokesman via Skype at a briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Hottest situation was observed at the Donetsk direction. At night illegal armed groups fired twice at Maryinka. Terrorists opened fire to provoke, fired twice from grenade launchers and mortars at the Donetsk airport, at Pisky and Hranitne localities. “It was not calm at other directions as well. Bandits fired at Proletarska coal mine in Luhansk region with a grenade launcher, at the outskirts of Debaltseve and Ridkodoob with small arms. After 19.00 a UAV was deployed to conduct aerial reconnaissance near Vynohradne locality,” added ATO spokesman.
In the area of Mariupol all checkpoints but Hnutove are closed. It is a temporary measure to prevent the terrorist groups from getting to our territory and to ensure security of the civilians.