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Stalemate at Yasinovataya continues, 3 die
For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately.Three Donetsk separatist police were killed and a total of seven soldiers and police from both sides were wounded in ongoing artillery and gunfire exchanges along the line of contact in northern Donetsk, according to Russian language news reports. According to a news release by the Donetsk ministry of defense, the three separatist soldiers were killed in artillery attacks along with five wounded, but the report did not elaborate the location. Ukrainian artillery fire has been hitting rebel positions in western Donetsk districts and suburbs at Yasinovataya and in northern Gorlovka since early March. Although both sides report casualties, some sources insist the bloodletting for both sides is much worse than is being reported. According to the Donetsk ministry of defense, on Wednesday night Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Peski and at the Volvo center of western Donetsk city using mortar fire. Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian artillery hit the Donetsk airport and at Zaystevo. According to a news account in lb.ua, on Wednesday rebels fired on Ukrainian positions at several locations, totaling 67 times. Rebels fired on Ukrainian troops at Avdievka, Peski, Marinka and Opynoye. Rebel mortars struck Ukrainian positions at Shirokino and Krasnogorovka in southern Donetsk. Rebel media said on Thursday Ukrainian forces fired on areas in western Donetsk city, specificialy at Spartak, the Donetsk airport and the Volvo Center in western Donetsk city. In the southern Donetsk, according to rebel media, Ukrainians fired on rebel positions at Bezimyanovo and at Kominternovo. A separate rebel report said a BMP infantry fighting vehicle fired on rebel positions at Zhelaya Balka on Thursday, which is on the southern extent of Gorlovka, essentially a first for that area. Zhelaya Balka is just north of the contested crossroads at Yasinovataya, where rebel and Ukrainian troops have been firing on one another's positions for more than a month. The same report said that Ukrainian troops at Novgorod, which is near Zaytsevo, fired on rebel positions, but the report did not elaborate on just where the fire fell. Yet another rebel report said that Ukrainian heavy artillery and tank main gunfire was fired on rebel positions at the checkpoint near Yasinovataya. Ukrainian media long has accused the rebels of using 122mm artillery on their positions near Yasinovataya. Another lb.ua report said that rebel forces fired on Ukrainian forces at Avdievka and Opytnoye. 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 2016-04-08 |
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