The terrorists have been launching a number of artillery barrages from Debaltsevo towards Mariupol and area. During the first day of the offensive near Novoazovsk, the Azov regiment liberated four settlements from the control of the terrorists. The battles continue in two additional towns. The army is presently holdings its positions along the Shyrokino-Kominternovo-Pavlopil line, according to the Press Office for the Azov regiment. “A battle is currently in progress in the raion of Shyrokino, in the district of Sakhanivskyi. The enemy deploys its military equipment and then fires away with their artillery pieces and mortars. As a result, our losses after today’s advance has been fourteen wounded. Thankfully, we have not experienced any fatal casualties. There have been losses suffered by the Russian side. At present we can confirm that there are six dead terrorists.
Military operations are on-going, according to the press information. Andrii Biletskyi, the Azov Commander, added that the enemy had been heard to be in a state of panic, judging from the content of their radio communications. The terrorists have been asking for back up from Russia despite the fact that there already has been the involvement of Russian artillery from the vicinity of Debaltsevo that has been firing in the direction of Mariupol.
“We have managed to push the aggressor back far enough that they are now out of range, and their Grads can no longer bombard Mariupol. Unfortunately, they can still operate their Smerch artillery, among others. Our objective now is Novoazovsk,” stated Biletskyi. The Commander of Azov added that the regiment’s offensive came as a complete surprise to the terrorists. “They are in a state of panic and are frantic for assistance from any source. As for the release of information about our intentions, we managed to keep everything from them except for bits and pieces,” he added. “So when our advance began, it came as a complete shock to them.”
Earlier it had been reported by the Azov information office that the village of Pavlopil, previously under control of the terrorists, had now been liberated.
