1 Ukrainian Soldier Wounded; 26 Attacks in Previous 24 Hours; 2 DNR Fighters Reported KIA; Coal-Miners Protest in Donetsk

A barn destroyed in the Shirokino area. Screen grab from Ukrainian Military TV April 19, 2017

Ukraine Day 1157: LIVE UPDATES BELOW. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded today and there were reports of two separatist fighters killed this week.

Yesterday’s live coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here.

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An Invasion By Any Other Name: The Kremlinâ€™s Dirty War in Ukraine

1 Ukrainian Soldier Wounded; 26 Attacks in Previous 24 Hours; 2 DNR Fighters Reported KIA; Coal-Miners Protest in Donetsk

2017-04-20 05:06:56

A Ukrainian soldier at the front line in Shirokino laughs as he describes how Russia-backed fighters fire on his position every morning and he is close enough to hear them cry, “Khokhly! [a pejorative nickname for Ukrainians]. Want some lard”?” Screen grab from Ukrainian military TV April 18, 2017.

Russia-backed forces launched 18 attacks over night, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing the ATO [Anti-Terrorist Organization] dispatch.

This was at a much lower level than fighting in the months leading up to the April 1 ceasefire, and even the first week of the ceasefire.

In its morning, dispatch, the ATO reported that one Ukrainian soldier had been wounded.

Russia-backed forces attacked Krasnogorovka with 82-mm mortars and shelled Vodyanoye with an armed BMP, heavy machine guns and anti-tank grenades and used automatic grenade-launchers near Pavlopol. Shirokino was attacked with an armed BMP. Ukrainian positions at Lebedinskoye, Talakovka, and Gnutovo were attacked with smarll arms.

On the Donetsk line, Ukrainian positions at Kamenki and Avdeyevka were attacked with grenade-launchers and heavy machine guns. Grenade-launchers and small arms were used to attack Luganskoye and Verkhnmyetoretskoye.

On the Lugansk line, heavy machine guns were fired on Krymskoye.

In its evening dispatch, that ATO reported that the situation was “stabilized” with 8 more attacks bringing the total for the last 24 hours to 26.

Nevertheless, the Maritime line remained a focus with attacks again using 82-mm mortars on Krasnogorovka. The Ukrainian marines at Vodyanoye were shelled with an armed BMP, anti-tank grenades and heavy machine guns as well as small arms, and near Pavlopov with automatic grenade-launchers. Shirokino was attacked with an armed BMP and small arms.

On the Donetsk line, Luganskoye was attacked with automatic grenade-launchers and small arms.

The ATO said Ukrainian forces did not return fire.

Meanwhile, the separatist news site DAN News said the commanders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic siad Ukrainian forces attacked their positions 36 times with anti-aircraft systems, grenade-launchers and small arms.

There were reports on social media of DNR fighters killed.

https://twitter.com/loogunda/status/854794487939420160

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tmy3T-rG24

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Translation: It happens. Here Deki was just going somewhere to check his sniper site. #Cargo 200 [KIA].

Igor Bystroletov:

“There are no casualties” and “Minsk Peace”.

SuE retweeted

Zhur @BCEX-HET 6 hours ago

I went out for cigarettes and in passing I learned of the funeral of an acquaintance, a sniper shot f**ked him in the temple at a checkpoint outside Dokuchayevsk…That’s the news.

Tony Sark: Almost the same in Peski. His dad is now left alone.

There were also reports of some miners going to protest at lack of work in Donetsk. But the DNR staged a disco at the main square to displace them.

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The Ukrainian military interviewed some Ukrainian soldiers at the front line in Shirokino on the coast.

— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick

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