Ukrainian Armed Forces Command has increased the intensity of the shelling of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) territory and is preparing another round of conflict escalation, a source in the Donetsk People’s Republic People’s Militia (DPR PM) informed a Rossa Primavera News Agency reporter on February 18th.
On the Gorlovka direction, the Ukrainian army opened fire on the northern and south-western suburbs of the city, as well as the villages of Zaytsevo, Shirokaya Balka, and Ozeryanovka with mortars, infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers, and small arms of various calibers. Ukrainian aerial recon drones are highly active.
On the Donetsk direction, the Ukrainian army shelled the northern suburbs of the Kievsky district of Donetsk, as well as several towns and villages including Yasinovataya, the villages of Krasny Partizan, Mineralnoye, Yakovlevka, Spartak. In the evening, the intensity of combat in Avdeevka industrial zone has increased. On this direction, Ukrainian army has utilized the multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, and heavy artillery. Gas pipe and power line, conducting electricity to the pumping station of the Yuzhnodonbassky water pipeline, were damaged near Yasinovataya as a result of the shelling.
The Ukrainian army is provoking trench combat along the Mariupol direction.
According to DRP People’s Militia (DPR PM) Command, during the past day, one DPR PM serviceman was killed as a result of the Ukrainian army’s shelling.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Command continues to redeploy heavy artillery in the zone of conflict. DPR PM intelligence uncovered the location of 120mm “Nona-S” self-propelled artillery in the area of the village of Granitnoye.
According to DPR PM intelligence, Ukrainian Armed Forces Command can provoke the re-escalation of the conflict in Donbass to keep the volunteer nationalist battalions at the contact line and refocus the energy of Ukrainian nationalists, who have been planning to hold anti-Government protests in Kiev, [on the hostilities].
The intensity of the Ukrainian army’s shelling increased. During the past day, February 17th, the Ukrainian side opened fire on the front-line territory of DPR 1,980 times. Ukrainian military fired 100 152mm and 122mm artillery shells, 24 tank shells, 547 120mm and 82mm mortar rounds.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
