Attacks continue in Donbas, Ukrainian soldier killed
KYIV/DONETSK. May 3 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government forces saw 63 attacks on their positions in Donbas over the past day, in which one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and seven others were wounded, the military operation staff said in a report.
Attacks with the use of small arms, heavy machineguns, grenade launchers, mortars, infantry fighting vehicle weapons, anti-aircraft missile systems, and sniper rifles were observed in the Mariupol, Donetsk and Luhansk sectors.
For instance, "in the Donetsk sector, 120mm and 82mm mortars, various types of grenade launchers, heavy machineguns and small arms fired on positions near Avdiivka," the staff said.
A Ukrainian soldier was killed "in the shelling of positions of a mechanized infantry brigade operating near Avdiivka in the Donetsk sector," it said.
"Whenever a direct threat to the lives and health of servicemen occurred, commanders ordered to return fire," the staff said.
In turn, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) reported 44 attacks by the Ukrainian military over the previous day.
"In all, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked 13 populated localities of the republic, using artillery, tanks, mortars, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, grenade launchers, and small arms," a spokesman for the DPR Defense Ministry told reporters.
Two houses were damaged in Mineralne, he said.