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Ministry of Defense: Russia-produced rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower “Shmel” found in frontline area

Полковник Олександр Мотузяник, речник Міністерства оборони України з питань АТО. УКМЦ, 20.04.2017

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The majority of militants’ attacks take place in the Mariupol sector, one attack involved the use of mortars. The SBU found weapons of Russian origin in the frontline area.

The Security Service of Ukraine (the SBU) found a Russia-produced rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower “Shmel” in the frontline area in the east of Ukraine, reported Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesperson on ATO, during a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. The arms were ready for use. Moreover, the SBU officers found an RGN offensive hand grenade, fixed on a booby trap close to Ukrainian positions is the so-called “grey zone” near Maryinka. The grenade was produced in Russia in 1993.

Ukrainian army incurred no lethal casualties over the past 24 hours, one soldier was wounded.

Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire once in Luhansk sector, where they opened machine gun fire in Krymske. In Donetsk sector, Russian proxies did not use heavy weapons, but undertook a total of three armed provocations in Luhanske, Verkhniotoretske and Avdiivka, and two more in Kamianka. “These attacks involved small arms and grenade-launchers,” elaborated Col. Motuzyanyk.

In Mariupol sector, Russia-backed militants opened fire from mortars in Krasnohorivka after midnight. Other ceasefire violations took place in Pavlopil-Shyrokyne frontline. “Two armed provocations took place at night, the others happened in the afternoon. In Vodiane and Shyrokyne militants opened fire from the mounted weapons of infantry fighting vehicle,” the spokesman said. In total, Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire 12 times in the Mariupol sector over the last 24 hours.

Report on the military developments as of April 19 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.