Novosti Donbassa reports that Zoryan Shkiryak, an adviser to the minister for internal affairs, has announced that Ukrainian troops near Shirokino, where Russian-backed fighters are pressing a counter-attack after the village was retaken by Ukraine on February 10, were attacked today by Russian tanks.
The Interpreter translates:
"Today at 10:40 [8:40 GMT] Russo-terrorist troops fired on ATO forces' positions near Shirokino with tanks. The terrorists have been strengthened in this area with two more Russian T-72 tanks. There are now 4 such armoured units outside Shriokino, as well as mortars (120 mm and 82 mm) manned by militants. Enemy self-propelled guns and conventional artillery are based in the Sakhanka area," he said.He said that the ATO forces had responded to the militants' attacks with a tank strike.
Dmitry Chaly, the spokesman for the Ukrainian military headquarters in Mariupol, told UNN that two Ukrainian servicemen had been wounded outside Mariupol over the last 24 hours.
Chaly said that there had been 9 shelling attacks conducted by Russian-backed forces yesterday.
The Interpreter translates:
"There 9 shelling attacks and 2 military confrontations yesterday. The militants shelled Berdyanskoye, Lebedinskoye and Tavricheskoye once each. All the other shelling attacks were aimed towards the Shirokino area."
-- Pierre Vaux
published in Press-Stream Ukraine Live Day 373 in Publication Ukraine Liveblogs
Ukrainska Pravda reports that the press office of the governor of the Lugansk region, Hennadiy Moskal, has announced that the town of Popasnaya, north-east of Debaltsevo, came under intense bombardment last night.
The Interpreter translates:
Last night, beginning at 23:00 and finishing at 3:00, the town was shelled incessantly with artillery and mortars. Shells exploded every 10 minutes. According to local residents, last night was the most intense for the last two weeks.Most damaged of all were the Chermushki neighbourhood (large blocks of flats) and Kapura (residential area). Gas pipes and electricity lines were cut in many areas, several streets have been left without such essential services.
Residential areas of the town are still without running water. Repair teams are attempting to bring services back online. Mobile communications went down after the attack but have now been restored.
There were no reports, the press office said, of civilian casualties.
Moskal claimed that the town had been shelled by the "Cossacks of the Great Don Army," a Russian-backed separatist group operating in neighbouring Stakhanov.
Ukrainska Pravda notes that the group has repeatedly stated that they did not sign any agreement in Minsk and will therefore not comply with the ceasefire stipulated in that deal.
-- Pierre Vaux
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