Geopolitics
Separatists’ Attacks Are Intensified. OSCE Confirms That Large Forces Are Gathered In The Area.
Ilustracja: Denise Watt/Wikipedia
On Sunday, 10th May, the situation in the zone where the Ukrainians carry out the counter-terrorism operation still remained tense. From 6 AM until 6 PM, the town of Shyrokine was shelled by the separatists 14 times – and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
The units of the “people’s republics militias” are continuously using the armament which was banned by the Minsk memorandum. The town of Shyrokine mentioned above was shelled by 82 and 120 mm mortars. What is more, machine guns and grenade launchers were also used during the day. The Ukrainian forces near Chermalik and Pisky were also shelled with mortar-fire. In the Luhansk area the Ukrainians were shelled with grenade launchers, artillery and mortars in the towns of Zolote and Schastya. Separatist Drone flypasts were also reported in the areas of Shyrokine, Nyzhny, Novotoshkivsky and Donetsk.
On the other hand, later, after 6 PM, the Ukrainian soldiers stationed near Pisky, were shelled with 120 mm mortars. After midnight an attempt of a direct attack by a reconnaissance team of the separatists took place. The Dutovka mine was shelled once again. Warfare continues in the Artiomovsk area as well. 82 and 120 mm mortars were used to shell the Ukrainian forces near Leninsky and Mayorsk. Anti-tank guns and heavy machine guns were used to attack the town of Lozove. What is more, once again an attack took place in Shyrokine – the town was shelled with the 120 mm mortar fire.
When it comes to the Luhansk area, 120 mm mortars were used to attack the towns of Schastya and Krymskie. According to the official information released by the Ukrainians, the Russian-Separatist forces continue the process of destroying the Donbass infrastructure. On Sunday, the heat and power generating plant of Schastya was attacked, and grenade launchers were used to shell the Ukrainian soldiers stationed near the Port of Luhansk.
It was as early as on Saturday, 9th May, when the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) confirmed the fact that weaponry that has been banned by the Minsk memorandum is being gathered along the demarcation line. Here we mean mainly the separatist-controlled territory, north-east of Mariupol. The information provided by OSCE suggests that 31 tanks, one 100 mm anti-tank cannon and two Grad multiple rocket launch systems are stationed within the territories of the people’s republics (5 km West from Novoazovsk, 43 km from Mariupol). 9 tanks are being used by the Ukrainians on the other hand.