REUTERS

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 43 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoEscalation in Donbas: Ukraine reports 66 enemy attacks, 1 KIA, 1 WIA in last day

"In the Luhansk sector, the occupiers used 120mm and 82mm mortars, cannons of infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns banned by the Minsk accords to attack Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Troyitske. The enemy also resorted to 82mm mortars near the village of Krymske, while grenade launchers and small arms were used near the village of Zaitseve. The defenders of the town of Svitlodarsk came under fire from heavy machine guns, the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook Saturday morning.

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In the Donetsk sector, the militants fired 82mm mortars on the Ukrainian positions near the villages of Opytne and Kamianka. In addition, grenade launchers were used to attack the Ukrainian army positions near the towns of Avdiyivka and Maryinka, and the villages of Vodiane, Kamianka, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, and Bohdanivka. The aggressor also used heavy machine guns near Nevelske, Avdiyivka, Maryinka, Pavlopil, and Butivka coal mine, as well as cannons of infantry fighting vehicles near Talakivka, Kamianka and Bohdanivka.

"The defenders of Kamianka, Opytne, Lebedynske, Talakivka, Pavlopil, Vodiane, and Butivka coal mine came under fire from small arms, while an enemy sniper was active near Avdiyivka," the headquarters said.

As UNIAN reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko earlier said that the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) would be changing its format to become the Operation of Joint Forces in Donbas as early as April 30.