Pavlopil-Shyrokyne area in Mariupol sector accounts for the highest number of attacks. Ukrainian troops did not incur lethal casualties over the last 24 hours, but nine soldiers were wounded.
Russian proxies conducted a total of 24 attacks in Mariupol sector yesterday, one third of these involved heavy weapons. Militants fired nearly 45 mortar rounds and over 20 artillery rounds at Ukrainian positions, reported Ukrainian Ministry of Defense of Ukraine spokesperson on ATO Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk at a press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. The main hotspot is Pavlopil-Shyrokyne area to the east from Mariupol. After 20:00, militants’ artillery attack took place in Vodiane. In 30 minutes, they fired more than 30 rounds. “The enemy’s mortar attacks also took place in Pavlopil, Hnutove and Shyrokyne. In the latter, the enemy fired two rounds from “Grad-P” portable rocket launcher at our positions in the morning,” the spokesman added. In Maryinka district Russia-backed militants started attacks in the afternoon. Militants attacked with small arms Ukrainian positions in Maryinka and used mortars in Krasnohorivka. Militants’ snipers attacked Ukrainian forces in Novomykhailivka. In the morning, they were also actively firing in direction of Ukrainian positions in Novotroitske.
Popasna and Krymske were the major area of hostilities in Luhansk sector yesterday. In Krymske, Russia-backed militants started mortar attacks after 16:00 having fired over 30 rounds till 21:00. Novooleksandrivka and Troitske were the main hotspots in Popasna district, where militants were using mounted weapons, grenade launchers and mortars. Russian proxies conducted two armed provocations in Lobacheve and Stanytsia Luhanska. A total of 15 attacks were recorded in Luhansk sector yesterday, seven of them involved mortars.
The intensity of militants’ fire in Donetsk sector was lower than on May 1st. However, a total of 13 Russian proxies’ attacks were recorded in Donetsk sector yesterday, ten of them involved heavy weapons. In Avdiivka area Russian proxies were violating the ceasefire day and night. “The militants were the most active in the afternoon. The attacks involved sporadic use of mortars, one time they fired from a tank from the north-west direction. After the sunset, the militants resumed attacks on Ukrainian position using mortars,” said Col. Motuzyanyk. In the evening, militants’ sniper opened fire near Donetsk airport. In addition, Russian proxies were using armored vehicles, grenade launchers, and, sporadically, mortars. Moreover, they conducted three brief armed provocations at Svitliodarsk area, in Zaitseve, and in Verkhniotoretske.
Ukrainian troops did not incur lethal casualties yesterday, but nine servicemen were wounded. According to updated information about casualties, on May 1st three Ukrainian soldiers were killed in action and four were wounded; three of them were killed and three were wounded in a shelling incident near Luhanske village. “After 17:00, a group of Ukrainian soldiers came under a powerful shelling in Luhanske village. As a result, several of them were wounded. Three soldiers died heroically trying to evacuate their wounded colleagues; one of them was going to blow himself up with a grenade to avoid being captured, but died earlier because of his wounds. At the moment, the Ukrainian side is trying to retrieve bodies of deceased soldiers,” said Col. Motuzyanyk.
Report on the military developments as of May 3 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
