The situation in the Donetsk People’s Republic remains tense.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy fired six 152-mm artillery projectiles, six anti-tank guided missiles, 70 mortar shells of 120-mm and 82-mm calibres at ten localities' adjacent areas. Various types of grenade launchers and small arms were also applied for shelling.
In the Mariupol direction, the AFU units fired nine 122-mm artillery projectiles, 47 mortar shells of 120-mm and 82-mm calibres at fivelocalities' areas, along with that applying various types of grenade launchers and small arms.
In the Gorlovka direction, the enemy fired 29 artillery projectiles of 122-mm caliber, 29 mortar shells of 120-mm and 82-mm calibres at three localities' areas, and also resorted to various types of grenade launchers and small arms.
One serviceman of the DPR Armed Forces was killed and three were wounded as a result of the artillery shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In total, over the past 24 hours, there were registered 35 violations of the ceasefire regime by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
For the first time since 2015, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have used cluster bombs, stuffed with shrapnel, prohibited by international conventions.
Let me remind you that a few days ago the DFS area was shelled with the use of phosphorus ammunition.
It seems that Ukraine has decided to test all the prohibited weapons on civilians and servicemen of our Republic!
What will come next – chemical and biological ammunition?
We appeal to international observers – the use of prohibited methods of warfare contradicts not only the Minsk agreements but international conventions as well. And your inaction is harmful to the population of the Donbass republics.
We associate such actions of the enemy with an attempt to divert the attention of our Armed Forces from the Gorlovka direction.
Thus, according to our intelligence, a full-scale supply of ammunition, property and fuel to the 54th and 128th brigades is currently under way. In addition, we recorded the arrival of additional armoured units at the responsibility zone of these brigades.
This can only evidence one thing – the enemy is preparing an offensive in order to seize territories in the vicinity of Gorlovka and Zaitsevo localities.
The enhanced propaganda by the Ukrainian media stating the alleged complete collapse and misery in Gorlovka locality also served as a confirmation to this.
What is this if not preparation for the occupation of these cities and imagining themselves already as liberators and defenders of all the humiliated and abused?
Along with that, our intelligence recorded the reaction to the previously announced information on the facts of theft of weapons and ammunition in the 1st battalion of the 28th separate mechanized brigade.
Thus, at present, an inspection for the verification of the missile and artillery armament property (RAW) has been launched in this battalion. In addition, the commander of the operational tactical group "Donetsk" urgently arrived at the brigade's responsibility zone.
We hope that the work of the inspection and such high-ranking officials will make it possible to improve the situation and prevent the flow of stolen weapons to Ukraine, but in view of the data on the high level of corruption of the commander of the operational tactical group "Donetsk", as well as his close acquaintance with the chief of the SBU in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, Kuts, this hope is very weak.
Most likely the battalion commander who has gone too far will be removed, and the flow of finance for the sale of weapons will go to the operational tactical group commander's pocket.
We also continue recording the blatant lies of Ukrainian officials, spread by no less deceitful Ukrainian media.
As you remember, one of the clauses of the Minsk agreements, signed in February 2015, was the withdrawal of the illegal armed units of the Volunteer Ukrainian Corps The Right Sector and other nationalist volunteer units from the conflict zone.
The Ukrainian side, having transferred a part of the volunteers to the AFU and National Guard, valiantly reported on the implementation of this clause. In fact, the situation turns out to be totally opposite.
For instance, yesterday, in the vicinity of Maryinka village, the enemy shelled our positions and Trudovskiye locality with mortars, grenade launchers, and machine guns.
According to our intelligence, two militants of the illegal armed formation "The Ukrainian Volunteer Army" with the callsigns "Zapal" and "Zelya" were killed by the return fire of our units.
Thus, we can see that the nationalist units are not only present in the conflict zone on the frontline, but also take an active part in the bombardments of our peaceful localities.
We do not exclude that these units of militants are deliberately firing at the positions of both parties to the conflict simultaneously, thereby provoking them to conduct active hostilities.
The rights and freedoms of the residents of the in Gladosovo and Metallist (Travnevoye) localities, which appeared to be the center of the Gladosovo pocket "thanks" to the AFU actions, are still being blatantly violated.
At present, to the ban on free movement to Golmovsky village, where many of the residents work, there has been added a ban to watch the television channels of our Republic broadcasted in this territory.
Having supplied electricity to several houses in the villages, occupants warned that electricity would be turned off if there were revealed facts of watching prohibited content.
The enemy, realizing that the lying Ukrainian propaganda goes down, resorts to frankly fascist methods, previously used only by the German invaders of our Motherland during the Great Patriotic War.
Official translation by DONi News Agency
Vice-Commander of the DPR Defense Ministry operative command Donetsk,Colonel Eduard Basurin