The situation in the Donetsk People’s Republic remains tense.
The shelling from the AFU positions does not stop. The enemy continues to apply the fire impact on the localities of the Republic, shelling mainly residential areas.
Over the past day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled the territory of the DPR 711 times, having used heavy artillery 17 times, mortars of different calibers 163 times, infantry fighting vehicles 75 times, and anti-aircraft systems, grenade launchers and small arms 454 times.
The enemy conducted the fire along the entire contact line, including on the following localities: Zaytsevo, Krasny Partisan, Spartak, Yasinovataya, Krutaya Balka, Staromikhaylovka, Alexandrovka, Sakhanka, Leninskoye, Oktyabr, Kominternovo, the area of the airport and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city.
The DPR army’s loses amounted over the past day to three soldiers killed and one wounded.
As a result of the shelling by the AFU, in the locality of Kominternovo were partly damaged about five houses and households, as well as a power substation and a gas pipeline. The data on the destruction and casualties is being specified.
Our intelligence continues to record the amassing of the enemy forces and means near the contact line. In particular, in Prokhorovka (13.5 km away from the contact line), there were detected eight MLRS «Grad» and six MLRS «Uragan».
In addition, in the locality of Mironovsky (8 km away from the contact line), Luganskoye and Svetlodarskoye, there was noted the fact of handing in agendas to the 18 - 62 year-old local population. It should be also noted that the administration of the former Donetsk region territory occupied by the Ukrainian troops, tasked a group of representatives of recruitment and prosecutor’s offices to come to houses and educational institutions in order to enlist new «volunteers».
In addition, according to our intelligence, the enemy continues to build up their group of troops on the contact line. In particular, in the zone of responsibility of the 72nd brigade arrived units of the 59th separate mechanized infantry brigade and the 30th separate mechanized brigade. On the base of the received information, we can presume that the leftovers of the units of the 72nd brigade will be withdrawn from the «ATO» area as those having suffered heavy losses.
The general condition of the personnel of the AFU units in the «ATO» area is characterized as low, soldiers are tired of fighting in a senseless and fratricidal war profitable only for Poroshenko’s administration. Lack of full maintenance of all kinds of allowances, particularly in the winter time, played its role, and as a result, it was found that the military personnel is carrying out actions against sending them to the «ATO» area.
In particular, the local people and relatives of the AFU military blocked, in the area of the city of Kherson, a convoy of military equipment of the 57th separate mechanized infantry brigade, moving from the Kharkov region. This convoy was moving to to the area of Mariupol to reinforce the AFU troops group in the Mariupol direction. A similar event was organized by the AFU military of the 16th separate mechanized infantry battalion of the 58th separate mechanized infantry brigade, unwilling to go to the «ATO» area.
These facts indicate the unwillingness of the Ukrainian people to fight in the civil war unleashed by the Kiev authorities in order to enrich themselves and distract the Ukrainian citizens from domestic problems.
The AFU command continues to plan provocative actions against the DPR People’s Militia units and the Republic. According to information received by our intelligence, a battalion tactic group of the 95th separate airborne assault brigade is alerted and waiting to receive orders for provocative actions. The purpose of these actions, as we assume with high probability, is the shelling of localities on the AFU-controlled territory, followed by accusing the DPR people’s Militia units of it.
Instead of making efforts to achieve sustainable peace, the Ukrainian authorities are trying hard to achieve a military solution to the conflict. We call on the military and political authorities of Ukraine to immediately cease armed provocations in Donbass, comply with existing agreements on ceasefire and finally begin to responsibly fulfill all the provisions of the Minsk Agreements.
I would like to assure the AFU command that the DPR soldiers are always ready to respond adequately to all provocations, continue to stand guard over their homeland, and are always ready to give an adequate response to the enemy!
Vice-Commander of the DPR Defense Ministry operative command Donetsk,Colonel Eduard Basurin