Ukrainian, pro Russian militia redeployments continue subject logo: DONBASWAR
2014-09-13
Posted by: badanov

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Both sides in the southeastern Ukraina civil war prepare for further attack, and each side is firing on the other using tube and rocket artillery. According to a news item posted on the website of Voice of Sevastopol, several parts of Donetsk city and sectors near the city have come under repeated artillery fire from Ukrainian forces.

According to the news item, artillery fire was heard overnight coming from the airport, where Ukrainian forces are said to have artillery deployed. Further north of the city, a militia checkpoint came under small arms and heavy machine gun fire from light armored vehicles near the village of Yenakievo. According to a separate news item, no one from either side was reported hurt in the incident.

Exchange of gunfire and artillery fire was reported near the town of Avdiyivka and the village of Peski.

Closer to southwest Donetsk, pro Russian militias report a brief tank gun fire incident aimed at residential buildings. On the morning of September 12th, pro Russian militia reported that Ukrainian mortar fire hit Spartak, setting fire to some buildings.

A militia checkpoint near Yelenovka came under small arms and mortar fire overnight.

Pro Ukrainian press reports from Ukrainian blogger Roman Burko said that pro Russian militia are firing artillery at Ukrainian targets at the airport and at Krasnogorovka on the western approach to the city.

The report also said that militias are trying to form a defensive line along the southwestern sectors of the city, which could explain the attack near Yelenovka as a spoiling attack.

In the northern zone, Ukrainian press said that pro Russian militias are building up forces at Dzerzhynsk, Kirove, Mayorsk and Artemove. It is being speculated that militia forces are preparing an assault on Debaltsevo, and that militia artillery fire is preparing the ground for the attack.

Ukrainian press also reports that the zone between southern Donetsk and areas held by militia near Mariupol are very weak at the moment because militia forces are committed to operations to reduce pockets of Ukrainian forces near several towns southeast of Donetsk, especially Ilovaisk, which has been a disaster for Ukrainian forces.

The fighting and the liquidation of Ukrainian forces in that region has been generally unreported by all but local press.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com

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