Militants fire banned weapons on ATO troops near Schastia, Pisky overnight

REUTERS

"At 20:00 Kyiv time, militants were firing 120mm mortars on the positions of the Ukrainian army near the town of Schastia for half an hour. From 21:10 to midnight, Russian-backed illegal armed groups were firing 120mm mortars and small arms on the Ukrainian troops near the villages of Stanytsia Luhanska and Novhorodske. At 21:30, they started firing 120mm incendiary mines on the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces near the village of Pisky [close to the destroyed Donetsk airport]," the press center said.

In addition, the Ukrainian troops near the towns of Avdiyivka and Maryinka, and the villages of Starohnativka, Krymske, Opytne, the Donetsk airport and other nearby locations were under enemy fire from small arms.

During this period, the Ukrainian army recorded 10 reconnaissance overflights by enemy drones along the demarcation line, the ATO headquarters said.

"From 00:00 to 06:00 on July 5, militants made a series of nuisance attacks along the entire demarcation line with the use of small arms. The Ukrainian military adequately responded, using allowed weapons," the ATO press center said.

The ATO staff claims that the situation in the Donbas conflict zone is under control of the Ukrainian army in spite of shelling by Russian-backed illegal armed groups.