Kyiv, November 10, 2015. Militants are firing upon Ukrainian positions in the anti-terrorist operation zone. They used grenade launchers of various calibers, anti-aircraft mounts, large-caliber machine guns and small arms over the last day, said Captain Leonid Matyukhin, ATO Staff spokesman at a press briefing via Skype at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. He noted that most attacks by militant groups happened in the Donetsk sector. “Militants used weapons mounted on BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns and small arms to fire upon Ukrainian positions in the area of Avdiivka and Pisky, as well as upon Verkhnyotoretske, Krasnohorivka and Opytne. Grenade launchers were in use during militant attacks upon Maryinka, Avdiivka, Troyitske and Krasnohorivka. The latter was also shelled with an 82-mm mortar,” elaborated Captain Matyukhin.
He also said that in the Artemivsk sector Zaitseve, Mayorsk, Shumy and Dzerzhynsk were fired upon from automatic and antitank grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles. Popasna and Bohuslavske were shelled twice from 120-mm mortars. In the Mariupol sector Russia-backed militants were firing from grenade launchers, machine guns and small arms upon Hranitne. Shyrokyne was fired upon by a sniper as well as by 82-mm mortars prohibited by the Minsk agreements. In the Luhansk sector, Ukrainian positions in the area of Shchastia were hit from grenade launchers and small arms.
ATO Staff spokesman yet again notes that militant groups keep firing upon peaceful towns. “They shelled Novoselivka Druha from a 82-mm mortar at around 9 p.m.,” he explained. Moreover militants opened fire upon Mayorsk and Zaitseve using 82-mm mortars that were supposed to be withdrawn according to the Minsk agreements. “Ukrainian intelligence detected two militant tanks that in violation of the Minsk agreements have not been withdrawn from the contact line. One was seen in a schoolyard, another one in the woods on southeastern outskirts of Zaitseve,” added Captain Matyukhin. At the same time the Ukrainian side finalized withdrawing weapons of caliber under 100mm.
Captain Matyukhin said that in the area of Mayorsk a group of around 20 militants tried to storm Ukrainian positions. “They came within 100m of Ukrainian positions and were firing upon Ukrainian troops. It was decided to open warning fire from small arms.,” explained the ATO Staff spokesman. He emphasized that even “in such a situation our troops kept abiding by the Minsk agreements, firing only from small arms.”
