Fighting intensifies in near Mariupol: 8 die subject logo: DONBASWAR
2015-08-28
Posted by: badanov

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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A total of eight and as many as 30 Ukrainian military have been killed in shelling in southern Donetsk Thursday, according to Russian language news accounts.

A spokesman for the Donbass volunteer regiment said that several towns and localities near Mariupol were hit with shelling between August 26th and August 27th. A spokesman for the Ukrainian ministry of defense in the Mariupol defense zone, Yaroslav Chepurnoy said was quoted in a korrespondent.net news report that the artillery attack had the "signature of professional fighting forces", namely, the Russian army. The report said that artillery strikes were being adjusted using drones and signals intelligence. Some of the hits by artillery were direct hits, reports say.

Among the locations struck were Starognatovke, Chermalyk, Novogrigorevke, Prokhorovka, Bogdanovka, Lebedinsky, Orel and Novoselovka. Another spokesman, identified as Galina said that fighting in the Volnovaha area, which is well north of Mariupol, cost six Ukrainians total.

Some of the losses were from the 1st Battalion of the Ukrainian 72nd Brigade, units of the Ukrainian 36th Coastal Defense Brigade and a unit of the Ukrainian 41st Brigade.

The Donetsk ministry of defense reported that on Wednesday Ukrainian artillery struck several locations along the line of contacts, including at Mariupol, Telmanovo and in Donetsk city.

In Donetsk city region, the Donetsk airport, the Petrovsky district and at Spartak were among the villages and areas hit by Ukrainian artillery. Much of the artillery firing was from Avdievka, Opytnoye and Peski.

Around the Telmanovo region, Belokamenka and Telmanovo were hit by Ukrainian artillery. Artillery that hit these regions were sited, according to the rebel report, near Novolaspa.

On Thursday, Ukrainian artillery intensified. In Donetsk city, artillery fire were reported in the Petrovsky and Kuibyshevsky districts and in Aleksandrovka. Near Telmanovo area, Ukrainian artillery struck several locations including Novolaspa, Starylaspa, Belokamenka and in Dokuchaevsk.

Ukrainian artillery also struck rebel positions in Gorlovka.

A Thursday report which appeared in tsensor.net said that rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions in Opytnoye. The artillery was fired from the Donetsk airport and from nearby Spartak. Direct gunfire from tanks and armored vehicles were reported as well. The rebel artillery reportedly struck several civilian buildings including residential buildings.

In a separate news report, the Donetsk ministry of defense said that one Ukrainian naval infantry rifle company and one airborne rifle company deployed to the town of Granitnoye, totaling 210 effectives. The report said two rifle companies were deployed to the area of the dairy farm in the region for a total of 250 effectives. the report also said that a small armor group was deployed in the area totaling 14 vehicles, including five tanks.

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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