Militants launched over 110 artillery bombs, 60 tank projectiles and over 400 mortar shells at Ukrainian positions in the past 24 hours. “There were 117 shooting attacks, which is two times more than the average number since the beginning of the year. Militants used the entire assortment of weapons to shell Ukrainian positions, except for rocket artillery,” said the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on ATO related issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko during a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
The frontline areas near Popasna and the vicinity of the Bakhmut road were the main areas of combat activity in the Luhansk sector. Militants were active in Popasna in the afternoon, shooting ATO troops with mortar launchers. Insurgents conducted massive artillery attack in Krymske north of the Bakhmut road approximately at the same time. It lasted over an hour.
They also shelled Ukrainian strongholds in Novotoshkivske and Orikhove adjacent to Krymske. Occupant troops were shelling Ukrainian positions from mortars and APC weapons till midnight. They also sporadically opened fire from 152-mm cannons.
Militants violated the ceasefire in Stanytsia Luhanska many times during the day. “One of the episodes of hostile fire lasted over 2.5 hours. The enemy used no heavy armor. Moreover, a hostile sniper was shooting at our positions in Zhovte on the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River after the sunset,” added Col. Lysenko. In total, 26 militants’ attacks took place in the Luhansk sector yesterday, more than half of them involved use of heavy armor. Two thirds of all the armed incidents took place during the hours of darkness.
Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed in combat yesterday, and four more were wounded.
The majority of all attacks in the Donetsk sector took place in Avdiivka and the vicinities. “The enemy is also active in this area in the afternoon and gradually reduces the intensity of fire near midnight. Militants used “traditional” weapons in these strongholds yesterday, from light arms to large cannons and tanks,” said the spokesman. Militants were shooting at ATO troops at the Svitlodarsk bulge during the entire day. The enemy used mortars and APC weapons only during the hours of darkness. “Several episodes of ceasefire violation took place in Zaitseve, Novhorodske, Verkhniotoretske and the vicinity of the Donetsk airport. Militants used small weapons in all the cases. Russian proxies shelled Ukrainian troops’ positions in Novhorodske and Verkhniotoretske from tanks,” said Col. Lysenko. In total, militants attacked 44 times in the Donetsk sector yesterday, using mortar launchers, artillery and tanks in half the cases.
The situation was relatively calm in Mariinka district and the vicinities of Dokuchaevsk in the Mariupol sector yesterday. Militants performed random provocations involving the use of small arms there. On the opposite, the situation in the southern area from Pavlopil to Shyrokyne remains extremely difficult, as militants continue actively shelling Ukrainian positions there with heavy weapons. “The most massive attacks took place early in the morning when Russian proxies launched 40 artillery projectiles at ATO troops’ positions in Vodiane, and fired 50 mortar shells in Hnutove. A private residential building and a non-residential facility were damaged as a result of a direct hit of militants’ mortar shell in Hnutove,” added Col. Lysenko. In total, militants violated the ceasefire 47 times in the Mariupol sector yesterday, using heavy weapons 15 times.
Report on the military developments as of February 28 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
