More than twice as many mortar shells hit Ukraine’s position in the Mariupol sector over last day, there is no longer an area where armistice holds.
An escalation of Russia-backed militants’ activity was registered yesterday. “Incidents involving use of heavy arms against Ukrainian troops became more frequent, especially in the Mariupol sector, where militants launched over 200 mortar shells at Ukrainian positions yesterday,” informed the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense on ATO related issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. The area of the most intense militants’ activity was the southern part expanding from Talakivka to Shyrokyne. “Moreover, series of hostile mortar attacks took place in Mariinka-Krasnohorivka area. Use of enemy’s armor was observed near Starohnativka,” said Col. Lysenko. In total, 28 militants’ attacks took place in the Mariupol sector yesterday, and half of them involved use of heavy armor.
Seven out of ten incidents of ceasefire violation in the Luhansk sector involved use of mortar launcher. Attacks resumed in the vicinity of Popasna and were the most intense in the entire sector. One shelling of Ukrainian positions took place north of the Bakhmut road, near Krymske, where militants launched almost 40 mortar shells within one hour. “Moreover, armed hostile provocations were registered in Katerynivka and Stanytsia Luhanska, one in each place,” added the spokesman.
According to Col. Lysenko, the most intense militants’ presence is preserved in traditional flashpoints – in Luhanske and Avdiivka where militants widely used mortar launchers, grenade launchers and large machine guns. Moreover, they violated the armistice in Svitlodarsk and Verkhniotoretske. In total, six militants’ attacks took place in the Donetsk sector and five involved use of mortars.
Ukrainian Armed Forces incurred no losses in combat yesterday, and five troops were wounded. “One serviceman sustained blast injury as a result of a hostile attack in the frontline,” he concluded.
Report on the military developments as of December 6 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
