The exploded bomb of the British referendum and its consequences pushed, in the eyes of the world, the war in Donbass far into the background. Naturally, Kiev took advantage of it, having increased, by the end of the week, the intensity of the shelling of the Republic’s territory.
According to the DPR Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian side carried out attacks along the entire front line, but they were the most intense in the north and south of the Republic where the Ukrainian army is trying to besiege the cities of Gorlovka Dokuchaevsk, as well as in the centre, in the Donetsk area. During the attack Kiev used mainly mortars, grenade launchers, infantry fighting vehicles and small arms, opening mostly unsighted fire on both the positions of the DPR army and residential areas.
On Friday night, the Ukrainian military subjected to an intense bombardment a south-western district of the DPR capital, which, for some time, had been considered rather safe in the city. Local residents told reporters that because of this fact the attack had caught them unaware and they had barely had time to hide in the basement, having counted four rounds landing.
According to the local authorities, as a result of the bombardment, at least five multi-storey buildings, a children's clinic and a gas pipeline were severely damaged. There were also damaged power lines, which resulted in 220 substations out of order and, consequently, a total black-out in three districts of Donetsk and a partial one in another two, including the centre of the city. There were also de-energized three mines that were, however, quickly connected to the emergency power supply system, which allowed bringing the miners up without any accidents.
In the north of the Republic, in the Gorlovka area, and in the south, near Kominternovo, after two days of incessant attacks by the Ukrainian army, the local authorities reported two wounded local residents, a male and a female, and about 17 damaged houses, one of which was destroyed by a direct hit of a 82mm mine.
In addition, in Kominternovo, as a result of the damage to power lines, two children, 6 and 7 years old, were killed when they accidentally stepped on live wires while playing football.
The bombardments on the Ukrainian side stopped only after the DPR army opened return fire. The DPR military attacked those positions of Kiev from which civilians had been shelled, and, according to the DPR intelligence sources on the ground, these attacks reached the goal. Recently the reports of the ATO headquarters press service have lacked the information about losses on the Kiev side, but the Ukrainian volunteers are writing in social networks about the new wounded coming to medical facilities in Ukraine. There are also reports of the loss of several units of weapons and equipment.
The ATO press service also reported that on Friday, after the massive attack on Donetsk by the Ukrainian military, the president of Ukraine Poroshenko, who came to the front with a sudden inspection, came under the DPR return fire.
On the same day, the General Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine published photographs showing the location of the DPR weapons and equipment and allegedly made from a satellite. The military authorities of the Republic stated that, in addition to the fact that Ukraine has no space reconnaissance, all the photographs were colour, whereas images taken by the spacecraft are monochrome. Therefore, the submitted photographs were most likely taken by a drone.
A few days ago, to justify the deportation of the Russian representative to the JCCC, the SBU accused him of passing the DNR flight schedules and routes of the OSCE drones, which allegedly enabled the military authorities of the Republic to both move their equipment and change the location of their fixed fortifications, including trenches.
At the same time Kiev continues to deliver to the front line equipment, arms and ammunition the lack of which led to a slight decrease in the intensity of attacks on the DPR territory at the beginning of the past week.
Yesterday, residents of the Kiev-controlled territories reported a train of 60 carriages and platforms, heading towards Donetsk. On the platforms, the locals noticed tanks and artillery.
Two days ago, the DPR intelligence found, at 15 kilometres away from the front line, a range of the Ukrainian army, which a large amount of 122mm and 152mm artillery systems.
Kiev also continues to deliver mercenaries to the front line. In the north of the DPR, 1.5 km away from the front line in the Gorlovka area, residents of Kiev-controlled localities reported the arrival of up to 150 Arab-looking mercenaries. To the south-west of Donetsk, the DPR intelligence revealed snipers mercenaries armed with long-range rifles.
Some time ago, it was proposed on Ukrainian television to start terrorist attacks against the leaders and commanders of the People's Republic. Two days ago in Donetsk, an explosion occurred near the republican trauma centre, when one of the most famous commanders of the DPR, nick-named “Motorola", came there for a dressing.
The law enforcement structures of the Republic found out that the explosive device had been radio-controlled. Fortunately, the explosion took place when there was no one in the courtyard of the centre, and caused nothing worse than a significant damage to the morgue building and seven cars of the medical staff.
During all his meetings with Western leaders, President of Ukraine Poroshenko says that the main condition for resolving the conflict in Ukraine is a cease-fire in Donbass. At home, the Head of the State adheres to a somewhat different rhetoric. On the eve of his trip to the front line near Donetsk, Poroshenko arrived at the Kharkov University of Air Force where he ordered the local military to prepare to inflict an ‘adequate blow to the enemy’.
Two days ago, the speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament said that the bill on the elections in Donbass might be submitted to the Verkhovnaya Rada, but it was most likely to be passed.
Donbass is tired of ceasefires during which civilians are still killed and their homes still destroyed. The Head of the DPR delegation in Minsk announced that, during the next negotiations of the Contact Group, the Donetsk People's Republic would insist on the development of the mechanism of sanctions for the ceasefire violations.
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