REUTERS

"In the last day, the situation in the Donbas conflict zone deteriorated significantly. From 18:00 to midnight, militant activity sharply increased. The situation was most tense  near the militant srtronghold of Donetsk. From 18:00 Kyiv time, the illegal armed groups were firing 120mm mortars on our positions in the towns of Krasnohorivka and Maryinka, and the villages of Pisky and Pervomaiske," the report says.

It is also reported that at 19:50 Kyiv time, the militants were firing Grad multiple rocket launchers, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades and small arms for an hour on a fortified position of ATO forces in the village of Troitske.

"From 21:25 to midnight, the Kremlin-backed mercenaries were firing Grad rockets five times on the village of Opytne. At about 22:00 Kyiv time, they started firing 152mm artillery systems and mortars on the Ukrainian army positions in the town of Avdiyika. In addition, during the evening, they were firing Grad rockets twice on Avdiyivka. From 22:00 to midnight, the militants were firing Grads on fortified positions of the Ukrainian armed forces in the villages of Pisky, Berezove, Verkhniotoretske, and the town of Krasnohorivka," the press center said.

Видео дня

In the area of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol, at 21:40 Kyiv time, the militants started firing 122mm artillery systems and mortars on the village of Novohryhorivka. And at about 22:00 Kyiv time, they started firing 152mm artillery systems on ATO forces in the villages of Hranitne and Sartana.

"From midnight to 06:00 Kyiv time on August 17, the militant activity decreased slightly," the press center said.