2 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed, 8 Soldiers Wounded in Last Two Days; OSCE SMM’s Hug Says Patrol Route Was in Mandate

UPDATED: Further comment from Alexander Hug, see below. 

Liga.net reported today that three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in the previous reporting period, Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesmen for the Ukrainian Defense Miistry o ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation] issues. 

In its morning dispatch, the ATO reported 52 attacks from Russia-backed militants.

On the Maritime line, 82-mm and 120-mm mortars, an armed BMP, grenade-launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms were fired on Ukrainian infantry at Vodyanoye. Positions at Maryinka were attacked with 82-mm mortars, an armed BMP, and grenade-launchers. Gnutovo was attacked with 120-mm mortars, an armed BMP, grenade-launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms. An armed BTR, heavy machine guns and small arms were fired on Shirokino and grenade-launchers and small arms were used on positions at Novotroitskoye. Pavlopol and Krasnogorovka were struck by grenade-launchers and heavy machine guns and small arms were used near Novoselovka Vtoraya. Near Pavlopol and Maryinka, snipers were active.

On the Donetsk line, 122-mm artillery was fired on Avdeyevka as well as 82-mm and 120-mm mortars, grenade-launchers and heavy machine guns. Militants used 82-mm mortars, heavy machine guns and small arms on Zaytsevo and Kamenki and an armed BMP and heavy machine guns at Verkhnyetoretskoye. Militants struck civilian areas around Peski with anti-tank grenades.

On the Lugansk line, russia-backed forces fired 120-mm mortars, grenade-launchers, heavy machine guns and smalla rms at Krymskoye. Positions at Katerinovka were struck with 82-mm mortars and grenade-launchers; Stanitsa Luganskaya and Sizoye were attacked with grenade-launchers and Valuyskoye was fired upon with small arms.

Ukrainian forces returned fire in some instances.

In its evening dispatch, the ATO reported that 2 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 5 wounded.

On the Maritime line, 82-mm and 120- mm mortars, anti-aircraft ZU-23-2s and grenade-launchers were used to attack Krasnogorovka. An armed BMP, anti-grenades, heavy machine guns and small arms were fired on the marines near Pavlopol and Vodyanoye. Infantry near Shirokino was shelled with an armed BMP and BTR. Heavy machine guns were fired on Gnutovo

On the Donetsk line, 82-mm and 120-mm mortars, grenade-launchers and heavy machine guns were fired on positions at Avdeyevka; 82-mm and 120-mm mortars were fired on Luganskoye. Zaytsevo was attacked with anti-tank grenade-launchers and snipers were also active.

On the Lugansk line, 120-mm mortars were fired on Nizhnyeye, and 82-mm mortars were fired on Novotoshkivka. Automatic grenade-launchers were fired on Krymskoye and heavy machine guns on Popasnyaya.

Ukrainian forces retired fire in certain cases.

o Hug Says Patrol Route in Pryshyb Was Compliant with Mandate 

At a press briefing, Alexander Hug,  principle deputy chief monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission said that the explosion of an OSCE patrol vehicle April 23, which killed Joseph Stone, an American paramedic on the team, was on a road that the mission had driven two hours earlier, and on which they had traveled in previous days.

Hug did not appear to be saying that the mine was planted to attack the OSCE team deliberately, but was in any event designed to strike any car that went in that area. He said the mine should have been removed before the OSCE arrived.

Also he noted that the team had used that road just two hours before the blast.

Since the beginning of 2016, SMM has recorded and verified 141 cases of civilian casualties related to mines, unexploded ordnance or improvised explosive device: 96 people wounded and 45 deaths.

The OSCE has limited its patrols since the incident, the Kyiv Post reported, citing Hug’s briefing.