REUTERS

"On April 23, the situation in the zone of the anti-terrorist operation remained uneasy. From midnight to 1800 Kyiv time [on Thursday] illegal armed formations shelled the positions of the Ukrainian troops 20 times, they used mainly small arms and mortars," the press center said.

In particular, militants in Donetsk region used 120mm-caliber mortars five times and 122mm-caliber artillery systems twice, having thus violated the Minsk ceasefire agreements. The positions of the Ukrainian ATO forces in the villages of Shyrokyne, Pisky, Kurdiumivka and the town of Avdiyivka were under fire.

Militants also used mortars, anti-tank missile system, automatic grenade launchers, machine guns, sniper rifles and small arms to attack the Ukrainian positions near the villages of Opytne, Kirove and Leninske.

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Enemy unmanned aerial vehicles were spotted over the Ukrainian-held city of Mariupol in Donetsk region six times at night and in the first half of Thursday.