Donetsk, Apr 6 - DAN. Ukrainian forces deployed self-propelled howitzers and 120mm mortars to the contact line on Mariupol and Debaltsevo axes in violation of the Minsk agreements, DPR Operations Command deputy commander Eduard Basurin said on Thursday.
“We’ve spotted the deployment of enemy artillery pieces to the contact line, a battery of Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzers in Novognatovka area (seven kilometres from the contact line) and two 120mm mortar firing sections in Novoluganskoye and Bogdanovka villages areas (three and four kilometres from the contact line, respectively, in vicinity of Volnovakha and Debaltsevo),” Basurin said.
DPR intelligence also spotted the arrival of Canadian and Polish mercenaries in 30 to 40-strong groups on Donetsk and Gorlovka axes.
DPR intelligence regularly records the deployment of hardware to the conflict zone by Kiev. The Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements signed by the Contact Group on 12 February 2015 creates a 50-kilometre security zone for 100mm or larger calibre artillery systems. The September addendum commits the parties to withdrawing artillery pieces of calibre less than 100mm, tanks and mortars. *jk