Donetsk, Dec 16 – DAN. Ukrainian forces shelled Donetsk People’s Republic more than nine thousand times over the past week, a DPR defense official said.

“The number of strikes declined, compared with the previous week, by almost 1,500 and amounted to 9,041. Artillery, tanks and mortars were employed to shell the Republic in 2,733 cases,” DPR Operations Command deputy commander Colonel Eduard Basurin told a news briefing at the Donetsk News Agency on Friday.

Basurin said that 22 towns and villages were hit this week, with 155mm artillery extensively used.

Kiev forces fired 189 artillery and mortar rounds since Thursday evening targeting Donetsk outskirts, Yasinovataya and southern territories. In the morning Dec. 16 Kiev forces shelled Sakhanka. *ot