Donetsk, Jan 18 – DAN. Ukrainian forces shelled DPR frontline areas 682 times over the past 24 hours, fire was adjusted with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), said DPR Operations Command deputy commander Eduard Basurin.
“The situation along the contact line remains tense. Ukrainian criminal forces violated the ceasefire 682 times over the past 24 hours, firing 28 artillery rounds of 152mm, 193 120mm and 82mm mortar rounds and 359 grenade launcher rounds. They also used infantry fighting vehicle cannon and small arms. Fire was adjusted with unmanned aerial vehicles,” Basurin said.
Zaitsevo, Ozeryanovka, Dolomitnoye, Golmovskiy villages outside Gorlovka were shelled.
DPR intelligence spotted engineering hardware on Kiev-occupied part of Zaitzevo (1.5km from the contact line), Mayorsk (1.5km from the contact line), Kodem (6km from the contact line). Supposedly the hardware will be used for demining of the territories to be turned into footholds for offensives.
Donetsk agglomeration also came under fire. Trudovskiye, Elenovka, Luganskoye and Signalnoye, Spartak neighborhoods and the airport area were targeted.
The situation remains tense in the south of DPR, where Kominternovo, Sakhanka, Leninskoye and Oktyabr were shelled.
Yasinovataya, Dokuchaevsk and Yasnoye also came under fire.
Basurin said Ukrainian command continues attempts to destabilize the situation and prepares provocations.
"Ukrainian armed forces command ordered 25th separate airborne brigade and 79th separate assault brigade located in Avdeyevka, Peski, Vodyanoye, Krasnogorovka and Netailovo to replenish ammunition for heavy weapons banned under Minsk agreements," he said.
A ceasefire was agreed by the Contact Group at its meeting on December 21st, in effect from midnight December 24th Kiev time – 1 a.m. December 24th DPR time, but Ukrainian forces continue to shell DPR territory.*ot