You're reading: Ukrainian forces attacked by Donbas militants 20 times on Thursday

Illegal armed groups in Donbas attacked Ukrainian forces 20 times as of 18:00 local time on Thursday, the headquarters of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) reported.

“Russian-backed militants have shelled the ATO forces 20 times since the beginning of the day. Ukrainian positions in the villages of Opytne, Pisky and Butivka coal mine were under anti-tank grenade and small arms fire. The same types of weapons were used by militants three times to shell the town of Maryinka,” the press center of the ATO headquarters wrote on Facebook on Thursday evening.

A large-caliber machine gun was used to shell Ukrainian troops in the village of Luhanske.

“Occupiers based in the militant-controlled town of Horlivka fired on ATO positions in the villages of Novhorodske and Verkhniotoretske from grenade launchers. What is more, our strongholds in the village of Mayorsk were attacked by anti-aircraft guns, while the village of Zaitseve was under mortar fire,” the press center said.

Ukrainian positions near the village of Pavlopil in the Mariupol sector were attacked by grenade launchers, while the village of Shyrokyne was under sniper fire, the source said.