Ukrainian Defense Ministry reports death of 2 servicemen in Donbas in past 24 hours
KYIV/LUHANSK. Jan 27 (Interfax) - Two servicemen of the Ukrainian army were killed in the hostilities in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman for military issues Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said.
"Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed over the past day. That happened during mortar attacks in Novotoshkivka and Shyrokyne," he told a press briefing in Kyiv on Friday.
In the Luhansk sector, tensions have escalated in the Popasna district and, partially, in the Novoaidar district, Motuzyanyk said, adding that the hostiles fired 20 shells from a Grad rocket launcher and more than 160 mortar mines on Ukrainian army positions, in addition to using tube artillery.
A total of 23 truce violations were seen in the Luhansk sector over the past day, including 17 engaging heavy weapons, Motuzyanyk said. In the Donetsk sector, tensions persisted in the Avdiivka industrial zone where three attacks were observed and 80 mortar mines were fired, Motuzyanyk said. Six homes were damaged in Avdiivka. Mortars bombarded Zaitseve and Verkhnotoretske, and small arms were used in Novhorodske, Kamianka and the Butovka mine, he said. Eight shelling incidents were observed in the Donetsk sector over the day, including four by use of heavy weapons.
Tensions have escalated in the Mariupol sector, Motuzyanyk said. The fire on Ukrainian army positions was most intense in the Krasnohorivka-Mariinka and Pavlopil-Shyrokyne sectors. Thirty-two violations of truce were seen in the Mariupol sector over the past day, including 16 by use of heavy weapons, Motuzyanyk said.
In turn, the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) reported a Ukrainian army attack on the Donetskyi neighborhood near Kirovsk.
"The January 26 attack on the Donetskyi neighborhood was reported at 8:20 a.m. today. An investigative team of the Kirovsk city police department of the LPR Interior Ministry departed for the attack scene at 8:40 a.m.," the Luhansk information center said with reference to the LPR Emergency Situations Ministry.
Officers of the LPR Interior Ministry discovered craters presumably made by projectiles of an SPG-9 mounted anti-tank grenade launcher and an 80mm mine, it said.
"The attack smashed six windows in a house on Pugachev Street and scratched a metal gate with shrapnel. The shrapnel also damaged a barn wall on Pugachev Street. The inquiry is underway," the ministry said.