REUTERS
The situation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine remained tense on April 9: from 0000 to 1800 Kyiv time, the Ukrainian troops were shelled 17 times, the ATO press center wrote on Facebook.
The most intense shelling occurred near the town of Avdiyivka and the villages of Opytne, Pisky and Vodiane in Donetsk region, where militants used small arms and artillery systems.
In the latter half of the day, Russian-backed militants were firing on the positions of the Ukrainian troops near Avdiyivka with the use of rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, an anti-aircraft system, a tank, mortars and 122mm caliber artillery systems.
In the early hours of Thursday, militants used small arms to shell Ukrainian troops near the village of Shyrokyne in Donetsk region.
In addition, mortars were used to attack the Ukrainian army near Butivka coalmine, the villages of Pisky and Opytne. All in all, terrorists staged six mortar attacks, including four attacks with the use of 120mm caliber mortars.
Military clashes also erupted in Luhansk region near the village of Krymske from 1300 to 1400 Kyiv time on Thursday: militants used small arms to attack Ukrainian troops. Two drones were seen flying.
No shelling in the direction of populated localities was registered over the period under review.