"In the past 24 hours, on July 10, Russian-backed illegal armed groups shelled Ukrainian troops and civilians in villages and towns in different sectors more than 50 times. Of the number, there were 26 cases when the Minsk peace agreements were violated," the ATO press center wrote on Facebook.
In particular, residential districts of the town of Svitlodarsk came under fire from militants' 152mm-caliber artillery systems at about 13:00 Kyiv time on July 10. At 23:30 Kyiv time on the same day they started firing on the town of Avdiyivka from 120mm-caliber mortars.
"Combined Russian-separatist forces have lately started to more frequently use artillery systems to fire on populated localities with civilians, including the elderly, women and children. The Kremlin's mercenaries have once again demonstrated to the entire world that a human life is worth nothing to them," the ATO press center said.
At 19:30 Kyiv time on Friday, militants shelled Ukrainian troops near the villages of Lebedynske and Shyrokyne in the Mariupol section, using 120mm-caliber mortars and 122mm-caliber cannons, while the village of Novohryhorivka was attacked by a tank.
They also used the artillery systems and mortars that are banned under the Minsk agreements to shell ATO forces near the village of Pisky, located close to the destroyed Donetsk airport, as well as the village of Khimik (part of Avdiyivka, which was also under enemy fire), as well as the villages of Troyitske, Verkhniotoretske, Novoselivka, Novhorodske, and Krymske (all in Donetsk region).
"From midnight to six o'clock in the morning on July 11, they were firing from mortars and small arms on the ATO troops near the villages of Kirove and Krymske (both in Donetsk region)," the press center said.
ATO Press Center
