Donetsk, Oct 11 - DAN. Ukrainian forces have stepped up the use of unmanned aerial vehicles on the Donetsk axis, Donetsk People’s Republic People’s Militia spokesman Daniil Bezsonov said on Thursday.
“The enemy continues to violate the Minsk Agreements’ provision concerning the use of drones,” Bezsonov said. “They were extensively used on the Donetsk axis over the past 24 hours.”
DPR militiamen shot down a Leleka-100, which Ukrainian army units used to adjust fire at the Startomikhailovka settlement in western Donetsk, he said.
The settlement came under Ukrainian forces fire on Wednesday evening; four houses in Shevchenko and Gorky streets were damaged.
Employing combat aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in 30km-wide zone along the line of contact is banned under Article 7 of Minsk Memorandum dated September 19, 2014, with the exception to OSCE SMM UAVs. Contrary to the agreement, Ukrainian forces regularly use UAVs for aerial reconnaissance and fire adjustment.*jk