Three Ukrainian soldiers killed, 15 injured, 1 MIA in Donbas in past 24 hours
KYIV. Sept 13 (Interfax) - Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed, 15 suffered injuries and one went missing in the army operation zone in Donbas in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman for military issues Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said.
"The hostilities killed three of our soldiers and injured 15 over the past day. Another soldier of ours is missing," he told a press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian army suffered its heaviest casualties in the Luhansk sector, during a Monday clash with a hostile sabotage-and-reconnaissance group on the eastern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, Motuzyanyk said.
"The sabotage-and-reconnaissance group crossed the river and attacked our servicemen. The engagement lasted for 15 minutes," he said.
The clash killed two Ukrainian servicemen, and another one died in an artillery attack on Chermalyk, Motuzyanyk said.
Massive gunfire of the hostiles was also observed in the Popasna area: they were using small arms and, for the first time in weeks, 82mm heavy weapons, he said. In all, nine shelling incidents were observed in that area.
The hostilities have intensified in the Donetsk sector, where the hostiles also used heavy armaments, Motuzyanyk said. Luhanske and the Avdiivka industrial zone came under mortar attacks, and a shelling incident that lasted for 2.5 hours occurred in Zaitseve. In all, 16 shelling incidents were reported from the sector over the past day, he said.
In the Mariupol sector, the hostiles used mortars in Krasnohorivka and Shyrokyne and 122mm cannons in Chermalyk, where 45 artillery shells were fired on Ukrainian positions, he said. A number of provocations were staged in Maryinka, Motuzyanyk said. Nine attacks of the hostiles were seen in the Mariupol sector over the past day, including three using heavy weapons, he said.