REUTERS

Over the past day, July 4, the situation in the zone of the Joint Forces Operation in Donbas remained under control of government troops while Russian occupation forces violated 19 times the ceasefire along the entire contact line, including two times with the use of heavy arms, the JFO press center reports.

In the Luhansk direction, the situation was tense near Krymske, where the enemy employed an 82mm mortar, IFV weapons, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns, while the defenders of Prichepylivka were fired upon from an automatic grenade launcher, according to the report posted on Facebook.

Over the past day, in the Svitlodarsk direction, JF positions came under fire from heavy anti-tank grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. Two government troops were wounded in the attacks.

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In the Horlivka direction, the enemy used automatic and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms against the defenders of Zaitseve and Pivdenne, to provide a cover for the advance of their recon subversive group.

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"The enemy's intentions were revealed," the press center wrote, adding that the Joint Forces' fire pushed the enemy to retreat with losses.

"One saboteur died in a blast of an explosive device, another six were injured. At the same time, as a result of the enemy's actions, two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded," the report said.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy used grenade launchers and small arms.

On the Mariupol line, Russian proxy forces continued provocations, trying to get Ukraine troops to return fire. In the vicinity of Talakivka, the enemy opened fire from a 120mm mortar and MANPADs. Positions of fighters near Vodiane, Pavlopil, Lebedynske and Shyrokyne also came under enemy fire.

Militants of the Russian occupation forces continue to ignore the announced ceasefire and over this day opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian military three times.

As reported earlier, the so-called "harvest truce" was announced at midnight on July 1. Within the framework of the Tripartite Contact Group, the parties earlier agreed on a ceasefire throughout the front line for the next two months, from July to August, in connection with the harvesting season.

However, a few hours into the formal start of the truce, the silence regime was violated.