Self-proclaimed “Donetsk authorities” handed over bodies of three Ukrainian troops to representatives of humanitarian project “EVACUATION 200” of Ukrainian Armed Forces yesterday. “Following identification of bodies and forensic medical examination, circumstances around their death will be established,” informed the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on ATO related issues Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. According to him, Ukrainian Armed Forces incurred no losses in combat yesterday, and one serviceman was injured in Zaitseve in militants’ shelling.
Militants conducted 15 attacks in the Luhansk sector, and eight of them involved use of heavy armor. The situation was the most restless in Popasna area where Russian proxies shelled Ukrainian positions from cannons and mortars in Novooleksandrivka-Troitske frontline area. “Militants launched almost 100 shells of the corresponding caliber. Brief mortar attacks were registered in Valuiske and Staryi Aidar, and provocations involving use of light weapons were instigated in Stanytsia Luhanska and Krymske,” elaborated the spokesman.
22 insurgents’ attacks took place in the Donetsk sector, and three of them involved use of heavy arms. Firefights are taking place along the entire frontline, excerpt for the Donetsk airport. Russia-backed militants are shelling ATO troops from mortars and cannons in Pivdenne of Toretsk town council, Verkhniotoretske and Kamianets. A series of firefights between ATO troops and Russia-backed militant groups took place along the entire Horlivka perimeter and in the Avdiivka industrial area.
According to the spokesman, militants conducted two firefights and 23 shooting attacks in the Mariupol sector, using heavy armor three times. Mortar attacks took place in Vodiane and Shyrokine.
Two firefights took place between militants and Ukrainian troops. Russian proxies occupying positions in Trudivskykh (a district in Donetsk) started shelling Ukrainian positions in Mariinka. Later a militant subversive reconnaissance group moved forward, but was stopped by Ukrainian troops. Following this, militants attempted another failed attack. A militant was injured during the fight, he died afterwards. A body of one of the militants was evacuated by Ukrainian troops. In total, this armed incident lasted almost two hours. In addition to light weapons, militants used an armored personnel carrier. “Another hostile subversive reconnaissance group set off from Petrivske in the same time to assail our positions in Bohdanivka. It was in this area that disengagement of Ukrainian troops and equipment took place in autumn, and the armistice usually held there since that time. Following a 30-minutes firefight, occupants incurred losses and retreated,” said Col. Motuzyanyk.
Report on the military developments as of January 13 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
