Stanytsia Luhanska, Zhovte, Zolote and Popasna area are the central flashpoints in the Luhansk sector. In the Mariupol sector militants attack 27 times, and 10 times more in the Donetsk sector.
Kyiv, August 29, 2016. 37 militants’ attacks took place in the last 24 hours in the Donetsk sector. Of these 30 involved use of mortar launchers, artillery and tanks. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, militants used all available weapons in the Avdiivka industrial area, namely tanks and D-30 howitzers,” informed Colonel Andriy Lysenko, spokesman of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “Occupants are using tanks very actively, which has not been observed in the frontline for many months. Adversaries used unmanned aerial vehicle and modern Russian EW system “Shypovnik-Aero” near Avdiivka to adjust fire and reconnoiter the results of the target effects. Russia-backed militants destroyed one building in Avdiivka and damaged the adjacent one. Moreover, three buildings in near-front settlements of Toretsk town council were damaged in hostile attacks, having their roofs and windows broken. There were no casualties among civilians. Shell fragments damaged a gas pipeline during artillery shelling in the adjacent village of Novhorodske resulting in gas inflammation. The fire was contained,” elaborated Col. Lysenko. Militants conducted intense artillery attacks at the Svitlodarsk bulge, in the entire area of Horlivka agglomerate and in Butovka coal mine – Pisky frontline area.
Russia-backed militant groups attacked 12 times in the Luhansk sector, shooting from a mortar launcher once, in Stanytsia Luhanska. Stanytsia Luhanska, Zhovte, Zolote and Popasna area were the central flashpoints.
In the Mariupol sector 27 militants’ attacks took place. “The day started with intense artillery attacks at Shyrokyne and Talakivka where 69 missiles were launched at our positions within several hours,” informed the spokesman. Militants conducted a series of attacks in other frontline area, most of them in Mariinka. Russian proxies delivered two more intense mortar attacks in Krasnohorivka and Taramchuk. Several dozen shells were fired at Ukrainian positions.
One Ukrainian serviceman died in combat yesterday, and nine were wounded. According to the available information, 5 militants from so-called 9th and 11th regiments died and 14 were wounded. “For instance, so-called 11th regiment incurred losses as a result of friendly fire of the adjacent mortar battery,” said Col. Lysenko.
Law enforcements detained a former militant with nom de guerre “Picasso” in Bakhmut. He was keeping watch at checkpoints during the occupation of Sloviansk. “He joined Russia-backed militant groups in early May 2014. He had spent 15 years in prison and had 6 criminal convictions,” informed the spokesman.
