For the past day, the situation on the contact line remained tense.
In the Mariupol direction, the enemy fired 21 artillery shells of 122-mm calibre, 45 mortar shells of 120-mm and 82-mm calibres, and engaged fire with small arms and grenade launchers at the areas of Kulikovo, Leninskoye, and Kominternovo localities.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy fired 44 mortar shells of 120-mm and 82-mm calibres, and engaged fire with small arms and grenade launchers at the areas of the airport and Zhabichevo and Veseloye localities.
In the Gorlovka direction, enemy fired at the area of Zaitsevo village with IFV arms and grenade launchers.
In just 24 hours the enemy committed 11 violations of the declared armistice.
We continue recording the build-up of the AFU forces and assets. Thus, our intelligence has received data on the arrival in Mariupol from the Kherson region of two columns of equipment from the 56th separate motorized infantry brigade, amounting up to two battalions.
The first column comprised brigade artillery group’s units under the command of war criminal Zhirunov S. The second column was headed by the brigade’s Vice-Commander – Gerasimenko D.D.
I would like to note that we have already mentioned Gerasimenko D.D. as a war criminal when he was still in command of the Khortitsa separate infantry battalion of this brigade. Let me remind you that this brigade repeatedly took part in the shelling of civilian settlements in the Mariupol direction and is responsible for a large number of casualties among peaceful citizens of our republic.
In addition, we have received data on the preparations for the complex training of air defense units and units in the ATO zone from January 21 to January 30, including practicing tasks on detection, tracking and conditional destruction of air targets. It is planned to attract aircraft of the air forces of Ukraine to ensure the training.
I would like to remind you that, according to the Minsk Agreements, the use of aviation is prohibited in the 30-kilometer zone along the entire contact line.
We do not exclude that the destruction of the aircraft can be carried out under the guise of conducting this training with a view to subsequently accuse our Armed Forces of doing this.
We warn that our air defense weapons will be used against the enemy aircraft only if it violates our air borders.
As a follow-up to the subject of aviation: our intelligence has received data on the refusal of aerial reconnaissance units located in the so-called "ATO" zone to use Spectator-M unmanned aerial vehicles. The reason for the refusal of use is due to the fact that the first Ukrainian drone is absolutely unprotected even from the simplest means of electronic warfare, which are in the arsenal of the DPR, and is systematically put out of action.
Official translation by DONi News Agency
Vice-Commander of the DPR Defense Ministry operative command Donetsk,Colonel Eduard Basurin