Kyiv, 20 January 2015 – Situation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone remains tense. Militants and Russian regular army units are making attempts to conduct local offensive operations. High intensity of shelling of the ATO positions and of localities with mortars, artillery, tanks and Grad systems stands. “Terrorists are trying to expand the territory they control as well as amend the delimitation line to their benefit. The enemy is actively re-grouping and amassing forces in the area of the Donetsk airport and on the territory of Luhansk region. No servicemen were killed in action in the last day, 19 got wounded,” reported Colonel Andriy Lysenko, ATO spokesman at a briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Due to the artillery shelling of a checkpoint near Mariupol at the Novoazovsk- Krasnoarmiysk- Talakivka direction conducted by terrorists access of persons and vehicles has been temporary stopped.
Militants continue provocative shelling of Ukrainian localities blaming it on Ukrainian military. Yesterday in Avdiivka resulting from artillery shelling 2 civilians were wounded with shell fragments. Resulting from artillery shelling 2 adult civilians and 5-year old boy were killed in Debaltseve. During the day 10 locals wounded with fragments were delivered to the central district hospital including a 8-year old girl. A row of premises at Debaltseve railway station got damaged. Resulting from shelling in Maryinka 2 people were wounded, 1 killed; in Krasnohorivka 3 people got wounded, 1 killed.
Terrorists’ crime near Volnovakha is being further investigated. As per Ukraine’s Security Service information the terrorist act in Volnovakha was planned by leaders of the DPR terrorist organization and committed at their direct order. “According to the investigation results on 13 January at 14.25 terrorists fired 88 unguided rockets from BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher systems at the access control point where checks were being conducted at a passenger bus Zlatoustivka-Donetsk with 40 civilians. One of the rockets fired from the occupied territory exploded in 12 meters from the bus. As a result of the terrorist act 10 persons were killed immediately on the spot, 3 died in hospital later. 20 wounded passengers in total were delivered to the hospitals, mostly pensioners and students. Among those killed there are 7 women, youngest was 24 years old,” explained Colonel Lysenko.
Judging by directions and angles of entry of the rockets into the ground experts have determined the exact distance – 19 km and the spot from which the attack was being conducted – the area of the Northern-Eastern outskirts of Dokuchaevsk controlled by illegal criminal groups. The shelling was conducted from not less than 3 Grad systems.