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Ministry of Defense: Russia-backed militants keep actively using mortars

Полковник Дмитро Гуцуляк, речник Міністерства оборони України з питань АТО. УКМЦ 20.02.2018

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Russia-backed militants made 12 precision attacks on Ukrainian troops’ positions in the combat zone over the last day. They fired about twenty 120-mm mortar rounds and about thirty 82-mm mortar rounds at Ukrainian positions, said Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesman on ATO Colonel Dmytro Hutsulyak at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

In Donetsk sector, Russian proxies made six attacks. In the morning, militants attacked Ukrainian troops’ positions near Pisky with grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. “Following a relative suspension of fire between about 16:30 and late evening, militants shelled Ukrainian defensive positions near Lebedynske, Pisky, Shyrokyne and twice near Vodiane with 82-mm and 120-mm mortars,” the ATO spokesperson said.

In Luhansk sector, Ukrainian troops recorded six hostile attacks. In Krymske and Luhanske areas Russia-backed militants used 82-mm mortars against Ukrainian troops’ positions. Near Svitlodarsk and Luhanske militants made several-hour-long attacks involving grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and other infantry weapons, and used the same types of weapons near Hladosove and Novoluhanske.

Unfortunately, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two more were wounded in action. Another two Ukrainian troops were wounded in a blast of an unknown explosive device.

Report on the military developments as of February 19 is available hereInteractive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.