Kyiv, February 16, 2015. Pro-Russian militants fired from the multiple rocket launchers 31 times, tanks 4 times, artillery and mortars 56 times since the introduction of the ceasefire regime.
“Intensity of fire at the positions of Ukrainian Armed Forces has slightly decreased at the Luhansk and Donetsk directions. The enemy mainly fired from small arms and grenade launchers,” said Anatoliy Stelmakh, ATO spokesman, via Skype at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Russian regulars and insurgent forces attacked the Ukrainian Army 112 times over the first 24 hours of ceasefire.
Toshkivka, Opytne and Novotoshkivske (Luhansk region) came under militants’ mortar fire. Also, insurgents fired twice from tanks at the town of Shyrokyne.
Russian-backed militants fire at the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the Debaltseve direction. The number of attacks has increased compared to previous days. They struck Debaltseve and nearby villages 88 times using almost all types of arms available. “Insurgents shelled Debaltseve from Grad missile systems 19 times. They also attemped to storm Chornykhyne three times,” added the ATO spokesman.
Ukrainian forces noticed an active use of militant UAVs along the frontline at the Debaltseve and Donetsk directions. The intelligence reports that Russian masters of the militant groups ordered their subordinates to take over Debaltseve at whatever cost as well as to provoke Ukrainian servicemen. “Insurgents planned to fire upon Donetsk yesterday and blame it on the ATO forces in order to achieve this goal,” noted Anatoliy Stelmakh.
