Russia-backed militants delivered 61 direct fire attacks in eastern Ukraine yesterday. “Militants fired a total of twenty 122-mm artillery rounds, some fifty 120-mm mortar rounds, and almost eighty 82-mm mortar rounds. They also fired five times from tank cannons,” reported Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesman Maksym Prauta at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. According to the Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian servicemen returned fire 30 times using weapons not proscribed under the Minsk agreements. Unfortunately, seven Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in action.
Fifty-one militants’ attacks took place in Donetsk sector. “Russian proxies fired a number of 120-mm mortar rounds in Bohdanivka, Novotroitske, and Avdiivka areas in the morning. Moreover, they shelled Ukrainian positions near Novoselivka, Vodiane, Shakhta Butovka, and four times near Avdiivka with 82-mm mortars,” said Col. Prauta. In addition, militants repeatedly used small arms, heavy machine guns, and grenade launchers in Hnutove, Shyrokyne, Talakivka, Avdiivka, Kamianka, Vodiane, Maryinka, Krasnohorivka, Opytne, Lebedynske, Verkhniotoretske, Pavlopil, Novotroitske, Novoselivka, and Shakhta Butovka areas.
In Luhansk sector, Russia-backed militants delivered ten attacks. They used 120-mm and 82-mm mortars near Novotoshkivske, Prychepylivka, Luhanske, Troitske, and Novozvanivka. They also employed 122-mm artillery in Novotoshkivske and Prychepylivka areas between 23:30 and midnight. “Militants fired twenty 122-mm artillery rounds during this attack. In addition to artillery, they fired a number of 120-mm mortar rounds in Novotoshkivske and discharged five rounds from tank cannons in Krymske. Moreover, militants used mounted weapons of infantry fighting vehicles near Troitske, and grenade launchers in the vicinities of Prychepylivka, Luhanske and Popasna,” noted Ministry of Defense spokesman.
As of 9:00 of April 29, Russian proxies have already delivered 12 attacks. They used 122-mm artillery near Prychepylivka (Luhansk sector) having fired three rounds. The other 11 attacks involving grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms, took place in Donetsk sector (three in Krasnohorivka, two in Vodiane, Avdiivka and Shakhta Butovka areas, one in Shyrokyne, and one in Maryinka). “Ukrainian troops returned fire seven times today. Fortunately, there have been no casualties,” noted Col. Prauta.
Report on the military developments as of April 28 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
