Artillery strikes continue in Donetsk and Lugansk
2014-12-02
Posted by: badanov
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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Artillery strikes from both Ukrainian artillery units and from rebel units continued over the last three days in and near Donetsk city. Meanwhile, fighting continues in northern Lugansk as rebels try to push Ukrainian units from two key cities near the Northern Donetsk River.
Head of the Donetsk Security Council, Alexander Khodakovsky announced Saturday that an attempt by Ukrainian armored units to bring in ammunition to Ukrainian soldiers holding on at the Donetsk airport was stopped.
The vehicles were said to be filled with ammunition for the continuation of Ukrainian fire missions into Donetsk city. Losses were not reported by either side, although Ukrainian military announcements have said that losses to Donbas rebel units in the vicinity of the airport are said to be "unsustainable".
Khodakovsky said in a news report posted on Komsomolskaya Pravda online, that the main focus is to end Ukrainian artillery strikes in residential areas in Donetsk city.
According to the pro Russian Voice of Sevastopol, Ukrainian artillery units shelled three separate districts in Donetsk city last Thursday.
The Kievsky district was hit by rocket artillery units positioned at Avdeyevka, a key Ukrainian Army position, while the Kuibyshevsky district was fired on from Ukrainian Army held Opytnoye. A third artillery strike was recorded in the Oktyabrsky district by artillery located at the Orlovka Kiev settlement.
North of the Donetsk airport, Ukrainian artillery units hit Gorlovka, while rebel artillery hit Dzerzhinsk and rebel infantry fired on Ukrainian checkpoints nearby.
Northeast of Donetsk city, Ukrainian and rebel artillery exchanged fire, with rebel artillery hitting Maloorlovka -- where Ukrainian artillery is said to be deployed -- Orlovo-Ivanovka and Kamenka, and Ukrainian artillery hitting the settlement of Kirovskoye.
On the Donbas rebel western front, just north of the Sea of Azov port city of Mariupol, rebel artillery hit Zamozhnoye, while Ukrainian artillery hit the settlement of Naberezhnoye.
November 28th
On the morning of the 28th, Ukrainian artillery struck Donetsk city in Petrovskiy, Voroshilovsky, Kievsky, Kuibyshevsky and Kirovsky districts. Rebel artillery hit Ukrainian Army positions at the airport and at Peski, Beryozovoye, Novomikhaylovka and Slavnoye.
Ukrainian artillery hit Gorlovka using recoilless rifles in the role of artillery. Rebel artillery units responded with mortar fire on Dzerzhinsk, Shumy and Artyomovo.
Further to the northeast, Ukrainian Army artillery units hit Nikishino several times over the day using 120mm mortars. Donbas rebels reported no artillery fire from their units, but did force back an APC supported attack against their positions in Nikishino.
According to tsensor.net.ua, Donbas rebels attacked Ukrainian positions at the airport, a reported 12 times. The report said the rebel forces was forced to withdraw from the area. Reports of casualties from either side were not available.
November 29th
Ukrainian artillery units positioned at Krasnogorovka and Avdeyevka opened fire on the Kirovsky district in Donetsk city early in the morning.
That afternoon, Ukrainian artillery located at Tonenkoye, north of the airport, fired on Donetsk city, specifically at Petrovsky district and at the Yasinovataya checkpoint.
That night, Ukrainian artillery units at Orlovka and Avdeyevka fired on targets in the Kievskiy district, hitting a shopping center and a gas pipeline, which detonated.
Rebel positions at the airport were shelled throughout the day from Tonenkoye, Avdeyevka, Peski and Orlovka. Rebel artillery conducted counterbattery fire missions against those positions.
At around 2200 hrs, rebel units reportedly captured the old terminal at the airport, sparking a new battle as Ukrainian units at the airport fought to take the building back and rebel units attempted to take the new terminal, which the Ukrainians have held since the summer.
Lugansk
Rebel attacks continued all along T1303, the road between Lugansk and Frunze, near the Donetsk border.
According to data supplied by Voice of Sevastopol, rebels attacked checkpoints and Ukrainian Army positions near the highway at Popasna, Chernukhino, Zolotoye and Gorskoye, at Frunze on the upper Lugansk River, and at Tryokhizbyonka.
Near Stanitsa Luganskaya, north of the Northern Donetsk River rebels fought Ukrainian units, and launched artillery strikes at Stanitsa Luganskaya and at Olkhovaya and Makarovo, east of the city. Rebels also struck at Ukrainian Army positions at Verkhnyaya Olkhovaya, Olkhovoye and Predelskoye.
Rebels claimed control of the heights overlooking Stanitsa Luganskaya.
November 28th
In the morning Ukrainian artillery units fired on Pervomaysk. Rebel artillery units hit Ukrainian Army positions at Gorskoye and Popasnaya.
That afternoon, Ukrainian artillery units positioned at the airport at Severodonetsk struck at various points along highway T1303. Rebel units hit back at Ukrainian Army positions at Zolotoye, Krimskoye, Frunze, Tryokhizbyonka and Prichepilovka.
That night the town of Slavyanoserbsk, which is situated just south of the Northern Donetsk River was hit by Ukrainian mortar fire.
According to Voice of Sevastopol, fighting continued all day at the Ukrainian held bridgehead at Schastye.
Meanwhile in Stanitsa Luganskaya, Ukrainian artillery units struck at settlements outside of the city. Rebel artillery returned fire against Ukrainian ground units in Stanitsa Luganskaya.
November 29th
Rebel and Cossack artillery units hit Ukrainian targets along highway T1303 and at the settlements of Zhelobok, Tryokhizbyonka, Krimskoye and Novogrigoryevka.
Rebel artillery units at Kirovsk struck Ukrainian Army positions at Zolotoye and Gorskoye. Ukrainian artillery units struck back at Frunze and Donetsky, wounding six civilians.
That night fighting was recorded with Ukrainian artillery and tank units putting southern districts of Stanitsa Luganskaya under artillery fire.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.
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