Terrorists, attacking on all fronts, have attempted to invade Mariinka again, and the situation throughout the entire ATO zone remains difficult, said Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk, ATO spokesman for the presidential administration, at a briefing in Kyiv, Sunday, June 14.
According to Motuzianyk, Russian terrorist forces are “carrying out armed provocations and looking for ways to undermine the peaceful settlement of the conflict.” During the past 24 hours, the number of truce violations by the militants has grown, he said.
Motuzianyk pointed out that the illegal armed groups continue to use weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements. For example, during the last 24 hours, the terrorist groups used 120mm mortars 32 times, and 122mm and 152mm artillery 10 times. They opened tank fire 11 times. In the Luhansk Oblast the militants again used the Grad-P (Partizan) portable rocket launchers, firing twice. In the general direction of Luhansk the terrorists violated the ceasefire near the towns and villages of Novotoshkivske, Zolote, Bolotene, Krymske and Shchastia.
The Russian terrorists are conducting the most intense fighting in the direction of Donetsk, where in the beginning of June Ukrainian forces had repelled their attempt to break through. The greatest number of attacks have been recorded in the vicinity of the Donetsk airport and in the western outskirts of Horlivka, near Mariinka and Hranitne. The terrorists are using artillery, mortars, rocket launchers, tanks and small arms, he said.
Additionally, Motuzianyk reported that two direct battles between the infantry units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the terrorist gangs had taken place — near the village of Verkhnotoretske and during another Russian attempt to take Mariinka. The enemy was “suitably repelled by Ukrainian soldiers,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the direction of Mariupol, the relative lull that has lasted for 2 days is coming to an end. For the past day and night the Russian forces have shelled Ukrainian positions in Shyrokyno 9 times, and one time in the villages of Chermalyk and Novoselivka, he said.
Furthermore, Russian forces have been using drones extensively to conduct aerial reconnaissance. In the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts Ukrainian border guards and the military have recorded the flights of 19 drones.
Motuzianyk also reported that as a result of the recent battles one Ukrainian soldier was killed and 21 were wounded within the past 24 hours.
