Ukrainian troops come under artillery, mortar fire in Donbas

Russian occupation forces launched 14 attacks, using weapons banned under the Minsk agreements eight times, on positions of Ukrainian troops in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas over the past day.

The enemy fired 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of different systems, heavy machine guns and small arms on the units of the Joint Forces.

“In the zone of action of tactical force “East“, Russian-led forces opened fire from 120mm mortars on Ukrainian troops near Mykolaivka (77km west of Luhansk); automatic mounted grenade launchers and small arms – outside Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) and Verkhniotoretske (22km north-east of Donetsk); heavy machine guns – outside Novohnativka (40km south of Donetsk) and Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk); small arms – in the area of Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk),” the press center of the JFO Headquarters reports.

In the zone of action of tactical force “North”, illegal armed formations used 122mm artillery systems and 120mm mortars to shell the Joint Forces units in the area of Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk); 120mm mortars – near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk); 82mm mortars and small arms – outside Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) and Shumy (41km north of Donetsk); automatic mounted grenade launchers – near Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk).

One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the shelling. The Joint Forces returned fire adequately. According to the intelligence, two invaders were killed and three more were wounded on April 24.

Today, the illegal armed formations have already launched three attacks on positions of the Joint Forces near Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol) and Lebedynske (16km east of Mariupol). No casualties among Ukrainian servicemen have been reported.

The Joint Forces reliably control the enemy on the contact line, adhering to the ceasefire regime.

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