Over the last day, the situation in eastern Ukraine escalated drastically. Russia-backed militants delivered 80 precision attacks on Ukrainian troops’ positions and made an extensive use of 82-mm and 120-mm mortars, 122-mm and 152-mm artillery, and tanks. Militants shelled the civilian infrastructure of Luhanske and Mykolayivka with 120-mm mortars. Residential areas of Mykolayivka and Zaitseve came under fire of hostile 122-mm artillery. “In Zaitseve militants used 152-mm artillery, resulting in one civilian wounded and a residential house set on fire,” reported Ministry of Defense spokesman Colonel Dmytro Hutsulyak at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
In Luhansk sector, Russian proxies made 23 precision attacks. “Starting from midnight for almost four hours with a short break, Russia-backed militants were firing from 122-mm artillery, 120-mm and 82-mm mortars upon the Ukrainian troops defending Luhanske,” the Ministry of Defense spokesperson said. Militants fired 20 artillery and about 60 mortar rounds. They also used 82-mm and 120-mm mortars near Troitske, Zaitseve, Krymske, Nyzhnie, and Svitlodarsk. Militants discharged 14 shots from a tank cannon outside Krymske, and made six shots from a tank and one from IFV mounted weapons near Troitske. They also used an anti-aircraft mount ZU-23-2 near Novotoshkivske. Militants used grenade launchers and heavy machine guns outside Luhanske, Krymske, Novhorodske, Zalizne, Novozvanivka, Nyzhnie, Troitske and Orikhove, and small arms near Stanytsia Luhanska.
In Donetsk sector, Russia-backed militants made 57 precision attacks. They used 82-mm mortars near Verkhniotoretske, Avdiivka, and Pisky. Militants employed grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms in Avdiivka, Talakivka, Shyrokyne, Pavlopil, Vodiane, Verkhniotoretske, Hnutove, Pisky, Nevelske, Kamianka, Opytne, Krasnohorivka, Pishchevyk, Pervomaiske, Maryinka and Shakhta Butovka areas. “Hostile sniper fire was recorded near Vodiane, Nevelske, and Opytne. Moreover, militants attacked Ukrainian troops defending Talakivka and Shakhta Butovka with IFV mounted weapons,” Colonel Hutsulyak added.
Unfortunately, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two more troops were wounded as an IFV exploded in course of the patrolling, and four more Ukrainian troops were wounded in action yesterday.
As of 09:00 of May 7, Russian proxies made 12 attacks. They used 82-mm mortars near Novotoshkivske, Luhanske, Svitlodarsk, and Krymske, as well as 120-mm mortars near Novotoshkivske. Militants fired a total of 85 mortar rounds of various calibers and used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms in Novotoshkivske, Orikhove, Verkhniotoretske, Svitlodarsk, Pisky, Zalizne, Vodiane, and Maryinka areas.
Report on the military developments as of May 6 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
