Russia-backed militants keep heavy weapons close to the contact line. Overall intensity of combat actions stands high, escalation reported in the Mariupol sector. Intelligence reports intensification of reconnaissance activities and assault attempts on the part of combined Russian-and-militant troops.
Kyiv, July 1, 2016. Ukrainian military intelligence discovered 39 tanks, 53 artillery systems and self-propelled artillery systems of Russia-backed militants in ATO zone. Multiple rocket launching systems keep being deployed to the contact line. Twenty two Grad systems were registered in the area of Horlivka, Donetsk, Makiivka and Oktyabr. Two more multiple rocket launchers – of Uragan type are deployed near Horlivka. Moreover this week Russia has supplied to militants at least 10 122-mm Grad units, 20 tanks and 17 armored vehicles, said representative of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Vadym Skibitsky at a press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “Most tense situation stands in the Sloviansk and Donetsk sectors. In the area of the Svitlodarsk salient and in the industrial area of Avdiivka adversary’s motor-rifle and tank units with the support of artillery made an unsuccessful attempt to force the ATO forces out of their positions,” he noted.
Skibitsky emphasized escalation of the situation in the Mariupol sector. “In response to the episode on June 27 when ATO forces captured eight militants of the so-called ‘9th assault motor-rife regiment’ near Vodyane the adversary increased intensity of attacks upon Ukrainian units and towns in the Ukraine-controlled area between Shyrokyne and Novotroyitske,” he explained. At the same time militants moved units of 122-mm D-30 howitzers and Grad systems to the areas of Oktyabr and Nova Tavriya. According to military intelligence at least 32 flights of unmanned aerial vehicles were registered along the entire contact line over the past week. Five of them were of the “Forepost” type. They took off from the territory of Russia.
Vadym Skibitsky reported 30 Russian servicemen killed in action and 37 wounded in action over the past week. Twenty two persons left the units of occupant forces over the last week, most of them are citizens of the Russian Federation including Russian servicemen on active duty. “As a result Russian command is trying to ban the fighters of the 1st and 2nd army corps to move out of the temporarily occupied territories towards Russia. Setup of a unified e-database of fighters from the combined Russian-and-militant troops in eastern Ukraine stands as a key element,” said representative of the Main Intelligence Department.