Shellings, firefights continue in Donetsk
2015-04-21
Posted by: badanov
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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Russian supported rebel forces continued to exchange fire with Ukrainian forces in several key areas, including near Donetsk city, according to Russian language rebel and Ukrainian press.
According to a post on the VKontakte page of FSB Colonel Igor Girkin by Donetsk Ministry of Defense spokesman Lt. Colonel Eduard Basurin, Ukrainian forces violated the ceasefire numerous times since last Saturday.
Ukrainian forces claim that rebels in the suburbs of northwest Donetsk have fired on their positions several times since midnight March 20th.
According to a report published on tsensor.net, rebel 82mm and 120mm mortars fired on Ukrainian positions near Avidievka and Peski. Other weapons used included automatic grenade launchers, light antiaircraft artillery (23mm/2) and small arms.
The previous day, according to Ukrainian news accounts, rebels fired on Peski and Avdievka using mortars and small arms fire.
Colonel Basurin said that Ukrainian armed forces hit at targets at Spartak, the Volvo Center in far northwestern Donetsk and at the airport Sunday.
Basurin claimed that Ukrainians used tanks, mortars and small arms fire in their attacks.
Shirokino
According to Colonel Basurin, Ukrainian mortars struck targets in southern Shirokino, an area that has been hotly contested since early February, characterizing the artillery attacks as "intensive." According to Basurin, 82mm and 120mm mortars as well as small arms were used in the attacks.
According to Ukrainian news accounts, rebels attacked positions of the Azov Regiment, now deployed in eastern Mariupol and clinging to western parts of Shirokino.
According to a tsensor.net report, quoting the Azov Regiment press service, rebel forces used tanks and mortars to hit Ukrainian forces deployed in Shirokino.
Additionally, rebel mortars hit targets near Berdyansk as well as in Shirokino. The press service was quoted as saying the bombardment was "intensive."
According to Russian language sources, Ukrainian commanders advanced a proposal to demilitarize Shirokino on Sunday, but the proposal was completely rejected by Donetsk president Aleksandr Zakhatrchenko on Monday.
Zakharchenko said the proposal would have left Shirokino in Ukrainian hands, and rebel forces moved several kilometers to the east.
Lugansk
Accoridng to a rebel report on VKontakte, Ukrainian RPG fire hit the town of Belaya Gora, on the right bank of the Northern Donetsk River near Lisichansk on Monday morning. Much of the town has been abandoned due to shelling, but many civilian residences were hit.
Ukrainian reports say that rebel RPG and small arms fire were directed into Schastye on the night of April 19th to April 20th.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.
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