Fighting has died down significantly in the war zone in eastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours, with Russian-backed forces returning to sporadic artillery barrages and attacks with small arms on Ukrainian positions.
The Donetsk sector of the front line remains the main hotspot for fighting, Colonel Andriy Lysenko, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense spokesperson, said at a briefing on March 22.
Over the past 24 hours, the area around the occupied city of Donetsk saw the overwhelming majority of ceasefire violations, including engagements with firearms and sniper fire.
“According to the General Staff’s figures, over 30 tank rounds and 60 mortar shells have been fired by Russian occupation forces against Avdiyivka and the city’s outskirts, with firearms and various types of grenade launchers being widely used,” Lysenko said.
Three short mortar barrages were recorded near the destroyed Donetsk airport, and dozens of artillery and mortar shells were fired against Ukrainian positions near the village of Zaitseve, he added.
“One of the projectiles hit a private house, damaging windows and a fence, and almost completely destroying an outbuilding.”
Fresh clashes were reported along the so-called Svitlodarsk Bulge near occupied Debaltseve. One Ukrainian fighter was wounded in action in the city of Mariyinka west of Donetsk, but no deaths have been recorded along the front line in the past day.
The Luhansk sector of front line saw no serious clashes, although there were brief mortar attacks on Ukrainian units in Popasna, Novozvanivka, Zolote and Krymske.
“Near Stanytsya Luhanska, the enemy was attacking only with firearms, committing three armed provocations each from 20 minutes to two hours long,” Lysenko said.
Comparing to previous days, the Mariupol sector, particularly the section of front line from Pavlopil to Shyrokyne, was much calmer.
“The militants were hardly using heavy weapons at all, and rarely opening small arms fire against Ukrainian positions. In Vodyane, where the most serious fighting since the beginning of the year (in this sector) had occurred (on March 20), only short attacks were made by militants yesterday,” Lysenko said.
However, heavy weapons, including tank fire, mortars, and large caliber artillery were firing sporadically on Ukrainian positions near Novotroitske, Mariyinka and Dokuchaivsk.
In all, Ukrainian troops have been attacked 76 times in the past 24 hours.
