Kyiv, February 19, 2016. According to the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry several consignments of ammunition and military equipment for militants arrived from Russia. “Six tow vehicles with T-72 tanks arrived in Horlivka; three APCs, four tanks, three Grad systems, two self-propelled artillery systems as well as two trucks with towed cannons arrived in Snizhne. In Luhansk region eight tanks, 12 combat armored vehicles and 30 trucks arrived to militant positions south of Shchastia,” said Colonel Andriy Lysenko, spokesman of Presidential Administration on ATO-related issues at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Eight trucks with military personnel, three towed cannons and two fuel trucks arrived in Metalist town located north of Luhansk. Militant groups of the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) in Verhulivka village received ammunition pieces for 82-mm and 122-mm mortars.
Ukrainian troops incurred no fatalities over the last day, one serviceman was wounded in action in Maryinka, Mariupol sector, that was the epicenter of combat actions over the last day. “Adversary conducted massive attacks from small arms and grenade launchers, sporadically used armored vehicles, antiaircraft system and mortars. Exchange of fire between the occupants and ATO forces lasted over seven hours,” said Colonel Lysenko. Several attacks were also registered in the area of Starohnativka and Chermalyk. Four flights of militant unmanned aerial vehicles were noted.
In the Luhansk sector militants violated ceasefire once in the area of Popasna. “Occupants fired once from mortars and were firing several minutes from grenade launchers and small arms,” said ATO spokesman.
In the Donetsk sector militants decreased intensity of their attacks. “Adversary continues attacks upon positions of ATO forces all along the contact line, however almost does not use heavy weapons. Highest number of attacks by the occupants was registered in Luhanske, Zaitseve, Novhorodske and Pisky,” noted Colonel Lysenko.
Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reports about an incident, that happened in the so-called 9th motor-rifle regiment of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) during the visit of Colonel Dmitry Bondarev of the Russian Federation Armed Forces. “Platoon commander Lieutenant Boris Degtyaryov committed suicide. The serviceman threw a grenade inside the premises where the unit was based. As a result he killed himself and wounded three Russian troops,” said Colonel Lysenko.
In Kramatorsk law enforcement staff detained a local resident who was standing guard at militant checkpoints in 2014 and was following movement of military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Two more persons were detained in Luhansk region. “One of them took part in organizing a pseudo-referendum in May 2014. Second one was administering a community on social networks and was conducting anti-Ukrainian propaganda. The perpetrator was paid by a Moscow ‘curator’,” noted the ATO spokesman. Law enforcement staff discovered a cache with weapons in Maryinka district. Four antitank grenade launchers, two mines, two explosive devices, four RGD-5 grenades, ammunition pieces to grenade launchers, five detonators and a remote-control for explosive devices were seized from the cache.
Colonel Lysenko also reported that four trucks with humanitarian aid sent by charity organizations and by the International Committee of the Red Cross crossed through “Novotroyitske” checkpoint across the contact line. Children from frontline areas of Donetsk region went on vacation to a resort in Berdyansk (city on the Sea of Azov in Zaporizhzhia region) as part of the local charity project. Officers of the civil-and-military cooperation group escorted them.
