Day 726: Ukrainian Military Intel Reports 6 Russian Officers Killed, 12 Wounded; No Confirmation

Early this morning the ATO counted some 70 instances of Russian-backed militants’ firing in the last 24 hours, from firearms, grenade-launchers, 82- and 120-mm mortars; of these 22 were on Marinka, Unian.net reported.

The militants fired 20 times today on Ukrainian positions, Unian.net reported later in the day, citing the ATO’s Facebook page. 

Ukrainian forces were fired on at Krymsk, Peski, Novozanovka, Talakovka, Mayorsk, Troitskoye, Novgorodskoye, Luganskoye, Opytnoye and near the Butovka coal mine. 

The ATO stated: 

“The Marinka entry/exit checkpoint was forced to temporarily halt work, due to armed clashes that took place in the area of Marinka.”

The ATO added:

“It was somewhat disturbed near Troitskoye, where the militants fired on our stronghold with heavy artillery. Along the Mariupol line, the enemy fired from 82-mm artillerys on Ukrainian foces in Pavlopol and Talakovka. Anti-tank missile system was used on the Ukrainian stronghold in Granitnoye.”

Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Defense Ministry claimed that Russian military forces suffered casualties near Zaytsevo, Unian.net reported:

The DAN-Info, the news service of the self-declared “Donetsk People’s Republic” reported that the Ukrainian army had shot at their positions 80 times, including in Zaytsevo, but didn’t mention any casualties.

There was no independent reporting about these alleged Russian military casualties.

Ukrainian military intelligence also said that two batches (15 platforms) of military vehicles also arrived at the rail station in Ilovaisk, with diesel fuel (up to 180 tons), ammunition and material and technical supplies (10 cars).

In Bokovo–Platovo, a western suburb of Antratsit, Russian mercenaries were reported to have arrived. 

Ukrainian military intelligence also reported that up to 200 tons of ammunitions were delivered in separatist-held Khartsysk from Russia, including 122- and 152-mm mortars banned under the Minsk agreement. Another 300 tons of ammunition were said to be delivered to Lugansk.

In other news:

— On February 8, soldiers from the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the Shirkoky Lan training ground made a march on foot to Nikolayev to complain to the military prosecutor about inhumane conditions of military service, Unian.net reported, citing TSN.

They said they slept in tents with holes “practically in the snow,” they had not place to wash and only dry rations were given them to eat.

On February 9, the military prosecutor went out to inspect the training grounds. Reprimands were issued to the military commanders. Today, the conditions have already improved, with tents, fire wood, and electricity at least in the morning and evening, along with water and food.

— Activists in Rivne Region joined a blockade of Russian trucks in which others were already participating in Bukovina and Zhitomir, Unian.net reported. 

The blockade began yesterday by activists in Lviv and Volyn, when Poland decided to ban the entry of Russian truck traffic through its territory. Trucks that had previously gone from Russia to the EU through Belarus began to enter Ukraine to get to Zakarpatiia and then to Slovakia or Hungary.