REUTERS

One Ukrainian soldier was killed and another eight were wounded in action as the number of Russia-led forces' attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, grew to 31 incidents on Saturday, June 22.

"Proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars, which are banned by the Minsk agreements, were used in eight instances," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters said in a morning update on Sunday, June 23.

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Along with the mortars, the enemy used grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, and rifles.

Hot spots were the villages of Vodiane, Starohnativka, Shyrokyne, Hnutove, Pavlopil, Novotroyitske, Lebedynske, Opytne (all in the Skhid, or East, sector), Pisky, Pishchane, Pivdenne, Novoluhanske, Luhaske, Mayorske, Zaitseve and Novo-Oleksandrivka (all in the Pivnich, North, sector). The towns of Krasnohorivka and Avdiyivka also came under attack.

"In the past day, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed, eight were wounded," the JFO HQ said.

According to it, a fighter of the 24th separate mechanized brigade died from wounds sustained from the explosion of a booby trap near the village of Olenivka, Donetsk region, on June 22. Ukrainian troops were unable to evacuate his body because of intense enemy shelling.

Ukrainian troops fired back, using weapons that are not banned by the Minsk agreements.

One enemy fighter was wounded, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports. What is more, one enemy drone and one armored fighting vehicle were destroyed.

As UNIAN reported earlier, invaders violated the ceasefire in Donbas 25 times on June 21.

According to the JFO HQ, Russia-led forces mounted three attacks from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on June 23. They opened fire from a 120mm mortar near the village of Pavlopil, while grenade launchers were used near the villages of Shumy and Pivdenne.