Kyiv, July 28, 2014 – Ukrainian Armed Forces troops occupied a key height – Savur-Mohyla hill. This height is a strategic point between Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine and Rostov oblast of Russia. “Ukrainian servicemen managed to win Savur-Mohyla hill as a result of hard combat. It is from that hill that the terrorists have been opening fire at ATO troops and a number of localities, in particular, Marynivka, for a long time. Thanks to this victory, a corridor has been opened to supply the units and departments which have been containing the enemy heroically for a significant amount of time, and did not allow new weapon supplies and mercenaries from Russia to cross our border. Earlier the airborne troops that held the positions near the Russian Federation border were de-facto cut off from the main ATO forces,” reported NSDC Information center spokesman Colonel Andriy Lysenko during a briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
The positions of the Ukrainian troops have been under constant hard fire on part of the enemy, both from Russia and the side of the pro-Russian gang formations on Ukrainian territory. “Ukrainian soldiers and officers were shot at with “Grad” missile launch systems, mine launchers of various calibers, grenade launchers and other weapons. Not a single shell or bullet was fired at Russia in response to these backstabbing provocations,” added the NSDC spokesman.
The situation at the border in the ATO zone remains complicated. Today at around 11 a.m. the terrorists opened fire at the “Krasna Talivka” checkpoint in Luhansk oblast. The mercenaries made several shots using grenade launchers. As a result of the shooting, 2 border servicemen have been wounded, significant damage has been made to the administrative building of the checkpoint, as well as the observation tower.
The mercenaries continue ruining the infrastructure. The saboteurs have mined the bridges in the village of Krasniy Kut in Antratsit district on the “Kharkiv-Rostov” road and near the city of Krasniy Luch. The mercenaries continue to set up their fire positions at civilian and industrial objects. “We have documented an accumulation of terrorists in the city of Krasniy Luch in Luhansk oblast near the “Standart” factory. They are setting up mine launching positions and mine launchers there. New firing positions are also being set up by the mercenaries at the combined feed and waste processing plants of the town of Rovenki in Luhansk oblast and the building of the former “DOSAAF,” reported Andriy Lysenko during the press briefing.
In the city of Torez in Donetsk oblast the Russian mercenaries, threatening the locals with weapons, stole 7 cars. According to preliminary reports, there is a divide among the mercenaries and some groups are leaving the city quickly.
On July 27th, when carrying out an editorial task, an Espreso.TV correspondent, citizen of Poland Byanka Zalewska received grave injuries in the antiterrorist operation zone. The Ukrainian servicemen provided first aid and delivered her to the nearest hospital in the town of Stavrobilsk in Luhansk oblast. “Yesterday night the victim with numerous broken bones and bruises was evacuated by helicopter to the Military-Medical Centre of the Northern region in Kharkiv. At the moment Byanka Zalewska’s state is evaluated as stable,” stated the NSDC spokesman.
In Kirovograd oblast, the friends and families of the servicemen which are currently on missions in the ATO zone in the east of the country, organized an art protest. “The children prepared stark drawings with the elements of state symbols for the defendants of the Motherland and wrote encouraging letters. The initiators claim that they are constantly sending bare essentials, personal hygiene items, uniform and even night vision equipment to the servicemen on the front line,” added Andriy Lysenko.
The NSDC spokesman also spoke about the broadening sanctions against the Russian Federation: The General Secretary of the Japanese government Yoshihide Suga stated that Japan intends to publish a list of people and organizations, against who it has been decided to impose sanctions because of the situation in Ukraine. IN particular, the assets of the people and organizations that were directly involved in Russia’s accession of Crimea and destabilization in the east of Ukraine, will be frozen.”
