The combined Russian-separatist forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in eastern Ukraine 23 times in the past 24 hours, using banned weapons 11 times, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO).
”The illegal armed groups were active in the Donetsk and Mariupol sectors. The invaders fired 120mm mortars on our fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka and Butivka coal mine. They also used 82mm mortars to shell areas near the villages of Leninske, Opytne, Shyrokyne, Mayorsk, Berdianske and the town of Maryinka,” the press center said.
The highest number of militant attacks was carried out in the direction of Maryinka, where, in addition to mortars, the militants fired heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms six times on Ukrainian troops.
”The Ukrainian military had to return fire nine times in order to prevent the approaching of militants at a dangerous distance from the villages of Sakhanka, Trudivske and Bezimenne,” the press center said.
