Kyiv, 25 August 2014 – The remains of the convoy which earlier today tried to enter a highway leading to Mariupol were stopped and attacked by an Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) combat team. As a result, two tanks were knocked out and several members of a sabotage and reconnaissance team were captured. The area is now blocked by the Ukrainian army, said Colonel Andriy Lysenko, Spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Information Analysis Center, during a press briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Colonel Lysenko added that ATO’s hotline in Mariupol is receiving messages about saboteurs’ increasing subversive activity. He called on the public to report any such events at 094-837-18-05.
As for the military actions in other areas, the NSDC spokesman said that during the day militants have made unsuccessful attempts to counter-attack the ATO forces near Ilovaysk, Biloyarivka, Debaltseve, Donetsk, Luhansk, Popasna, Rovenky and the Savur-Mohyla hill. Ukrainian army’s main task remains to hold the areas and liberate Ilovaysk, which has strategic importance.
Also, the Ukrainian aviation launched an accurate airstrike on the militants’ convoy in Krasnodon, Luhansk region, bringing most of it to a halt. Terrorists suffered significant losses.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have received domestically manufactured military vehicles to help them in the ATO area. Over the last 24 hours, the armored vehicles that participated in a military parade on the Independence Day have been arriving in the area of operations. These included Cougar armored vehicles designed for urban warfare and upgraded armored KrAZ trucks for carrying military personnel. The remainder of the new armored equipment will arrive soon.
Concerning the situation in the populated areas within the ATO zone, the terrorist continue to shell the residential areas of Donetsk, Luhansk and other cities under their control. Gas supply to 820 detached houses was cut off and 6 electrical substations were shut down in the Kirovskyi district of Donetsk to ensure safety of the civilians after the district was shelled by the terrorists. 15 houses and a gas pipeline were badly damaged. Terrorists also fired mortars at the Rodakove Village in the Luhansk region.
In the Luhanska Village, Ukrainian counter-intelligence arrested Olena Ivanovska, Head of the Nyzhnyo-Olkhovska Village Council, who also headed a local branch of terrorist organization “Luhansk People’s Republic”. Using her authority as a public official she instigated locals to disobey the current government and participate in separatist movements in the Luhansk region. Apart from that, she informed the terrorists about the location and movements of the Ukrainian troops.
