Donetsk, Jan 26 – DAN. Ukrainian army reinforced positions in Donbass with new armaments, deploying three Shturm-S anti-tank missile systems to Volnovakha area, DPR Operations Command deputy commander Eduard Basurin told a news briefing at Donetsk News Agency on Thursday.

“Our intelligence revealed the location of three Shturm-S 130mm self-propelled missile systems in Sopino area seven kilometres from the contact line (outside Volnovakha – eds DAN),“ Basurin said.

DPR intelligence also spotted a group of snipers arriving in Avdeyevka, tasked with provocative shooting at DPR militia positions and the Republic’s neighbourhoods.

Kiev forces violated the ceasefire 875 times over the past 24 hours. “The enemy fired 49 122mm artillery rounds, 11 tank gun rounds, 191 mortar rounds and 586 grenade launcher rounds and also used infantry fighting vehicle cannons and small arms,” Basurin said.

Ukrainian army shelled Staromikhailovka, Trudovskiye and Signalnoye villages west of Donetsk, Elenovka, Gorlovka outskirts, Krutaya Balka village outside Yasinovataya, Spartak and Vesyoloye villages in vicinity of the airport and Sakhanka, Kominternovo and Leninskoye villages in DPR south.

A report earlier on Thursday said Ukrainian forces fired almost 150 artillery and mortar rounds at DPR frontline areas overnight, damaging eight houses and disrupting gas and power supply. *jk