Interfax: Ukrainian army shells DPR territory – militia

DONETSK. May 8 (Interfax) – The Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has registered 44 instances of shelling by Ukrainian government forces in the region in the past 24 hours, the Donetsk news agency reported.

“Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian side has shelled the territory of the DPR 44 times. The adversary continues to use heavy weapons,” the news agency said, citing the DPR Defense Ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s attacks targeted the towns of Horlivka and Yasynuvata, as well as the localities of Shyrokyne, Spartak, Zhabycheve, Hryhorivka, Vesele, Nova Mayrivka, Lozove, Mychuryne, Sanzharivka, Pervomaiskoye, and Holmovsky, it said.

“Casualties among the civilian population and militia forces are being verified,” the DPR Defense Ministry said.

Ukrainian military officials, for their part, also accused militia forces of breaching the ceasefire in Donbas.

The ‘adversary’ has been shelling the Ukrainian army’s positions since 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, the press center of the army operation in Ukraine’s eastern regions said on its Facebook account on Friday morning.

Militia forces have also used banned heavy weapons against positions held by the Ukrainian army near the localities of Peski, Hranytne, Opytne, and Avdiyivka, it said. Automatic grenade launchers and small arms were fired near Opytne and the Dutovka mine.

Militia forces used 122mm and 82mm mortars near the village of Shyrokyne near Mariupol, the press center said.

“The adversary also used the same types of weapons as it shelled our positions near the localities of Bohuslavske, Novhorodske, Krasny Pakhar and Shyroka Balka. The ‘militants’ fired tanks in the village of Leninske,” it said.

“The adversary’s snipers were operating near Stanytsia Luhanska and Shchastya,” the press center said.

Twenty-two drones belonging to the militia have been seen flying over Zhelobok, Krymske, Mariupol, Shyrokyne, Mykhailyuki, Teple, Nova Bakhmutovka and Verkhnetoretske, the press center said.