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Fighting erupts in Lugansk
 For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately. By Chris Covert Rantburg.com Even though both sides of the civil war in Ukraine have boasted several days of silence, fighting started anew in areas north and northwest of Lugansk, according to Russian and English language news reports. Russian military blogger Colonel Cassad reported that both the Ukrainian Army and the Donbas rebels have been fighting near Stanitsa Luganskaya over the past day or so. The engagements have been the result of both sides attempting to send out armed recon patrols into the other's area of operation. Stanitsa Luganskaya was the site of fighting between the combatants since early December, as rebel forces have attempted to establish a bridgehead over the Northern Donetsk River. Other areas straddling or near the river have also seen fighting, including the Ukrainian bridgehead at Schastye. Today's fighting has been the heaviest in almost a week. According to the report, artillery fire was also exchanged near Stanitsa Luganskaya, but most of the damage took place because both sides built up forces in contact. Losses were not reported. Losses in materiel for the Ukrainians included two 120mm self propelled mortars, three 122mm towed artillery and two prime movers. Damaged equipment included three 2S3 self propelled artillery vehicles and two tanks. Losses for the rebels in materiel include three 82mm mortars, one prime mover and one armored personnel carrier. The day before in Olkhovoye, west of Stanitsa Luganskaya, both sides also fought. Losses for the Ukrainian Army include five killed, 12 wounded, one infantry fighting vehicle and three prime movers. For the rebels losses included three dead, 15 wounded, one 23mm AAA artillery truck and one mortar. According to a report from the pro rebel Voice of Sevastopol, "...four houses on the outskirts of Olkhovoye were damaged, there were no victims among the civilian population..." Both sides over the last day or so have reported shelling of the town of Slavyanoserbsky by rebel artillery. Only two weeks ago rebel forces occupied the town, which is just south of the Northern Donetsk River. Slavyanoserbsky is just seven kilometers west of the Ukrainian bridgehead at Schastye, and was the site of a rebel operation to encircle Schastye. Schastye itself has been the site of numerous attempts by rebel forces to eject Ukrainian forces, all to no avail. Ukrainian military media has reported very little on the fighting along the river, except to say that rebel attempts to push across the river have been driven back. Also, according to a report by Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk, rebel forces have been moving "up to" 30 T-64 and T-72 tanks and self propelled artillery pieces into the area of T1303, which had been previously occupied by Ukrainian police units. Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here. Posted by: badanov 2014-12-17 |
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