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Ukrainian forces continue pressure on Yasinovataya
 For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately. By Chris Covert Rantburg.com Ukrainian forces continue pushing to take Yasinovataya using artillery and small arms fire. Meanwhile elsewhere along the line of contact, Ukrainian forces and rebel forces continue to exchange artillery and small arms fire according to Russian language news accounts. Ukrainian military officials said on Friday rebel forces fired on Ukrainian positions all along the line of contact in both Lugansk and Donetsk on Friday, a total of 31 times. Rebel forces used tank gunfire, mortar fire and small arms fire. Rebels fired on Ukrainian forces 47 times on Thursday, according to a news account in regnum.ru. According to a news account posted on the tsensir.net.ua websites, Ukrainians reported shelling by 82mm and 120mm mortars and small arms fire in Krasnogorovka, Avdeevka, Opytnoye and Marinka near western Donetsk city. Gunfire from tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were recorded in Avdievka. A separate tsensor.net.ua report reported one Ukrainian soldier dead and one wounded near Gorlovka, where the fighting for Yasinovataya was reported. The two were hit by gunfire from a rebel BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle. Rebel military officials in Donetsk say that combat losses for the Ukrainian offensive around Yasinovataya have been heavy with 30 reported dead and more than 70 wounded since Monday. Rebel officials also confirmed that seven of their effectives have been killed in recent fighting in Donetsk. Fighting near Gorlovka Overnight artillery shelling by Ukrainian forces hit targets in Zaiystevo, which if north of Gorlovka, damaging 20 residences, according to a news account in Gorlovka Pravda. The report notes rebel positions were struck with mortar, RPG and small arms fire emanating from Zhovanke. Ukrainian militay officials say that their forces came under fire from snipers, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. Russian military analysts have said that Zaiystevo is almost completely surrounded by Ukrainian forces. 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 Ukraine by clicking here. Posted by: badanov 2016-03-12 |
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