The military forces of the ATO will ensure security of the elections in eastern Ukraine; however the terrorist attacks during the elections are possible – said Colonel Andriy Lysenko during his press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Colonel Lysenko told that due to the parliamentary elections in Ukraine, the soldiers of the ATO forces are implementing enhanced service measures. Nearly 1,5 million of people will be able to cast their votes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The security will be ensured on all stages of the voting process.
NSDC spokesman told that the terrorist activity in the ATO zone has not intensified for the past 24 hours. For the past 24 hours, no casualties have been reported; 10 people got injured. It has been reported that the terrorists started changing their positions in the areas of Donetsk city airport and Debaltseve locality. There is information that the terrorists have put the insignia of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on their military vehicles. NSDC states that the provocations are possible.
NSDC spokesman told that the situation on the checkpoint number 32, near Smile locality is under the full control of Ukrainian military. Soldiers have enough weapons, ammunition, so any potential attack will be repelled. The situation on the Ukraine-Russia border is stable. Russian forces continue to conduct operations of airspace surveillance, without directly interfering Ukrainian airspace.
Andryi Lysenko pointed out that the situation in the localities of the ATO zone remains unstable. Namely, on one of the checkpoints near Kramatorsk Ukrainian serviceman searched one of the passing-by cars and found an “RGD-5,” 40-mm “WOG-25” grenades and a “Kenwood” radio transmitter. Due to the terrorist activity, a 38 localities went out of power; those are in Shachtarsk, Amvrosiivka, Maryanivka, Yasynuvata, Telmanivka regions. Parts of Donetsk, Maryinka, Horlivka and Avdiivka are out of electric power supply as well.
In the meantime local governments in the liberated areas re-establish cooperation and help the IDPs, who were forced to get out of the regions, occupied by the terrorists.
Andryi Lysenko told that the participants of the UN Security Council expressed the words of support to Ukraine. Colonel Lysenko pointed out the speeches of Oscar Taranco (Assistant to the Secretary General for Peacebuilding Support), High Comissioner for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović, and the representative of the UK, Mark Lyall Grant. The participants of the UN Security Council meeting said that it is integral to de-escalate the conflict and precisely follow the Minsk accords. Also, it has been reported, that the OSCE SMM did not find evidence of the cluster munitions use by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
