REUTERS
Russian-backed militants have deployed a large number of mortars and heavy artillery in the villages of Sakhanka, Bezimenne and Dzerzhynske of Novoazovskiy district in Donetsk region, presidential administration spokesman for ATO issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
According to Lysenko, the militants are firing 152mm artillery on the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces near the villages of Myrne and Berdianske. Heavy fighting is also continuing in the village of Shyrokyne.
"In the nearby villages in the occupied territories - Sakhanka, Bezimenne and Dzerzhynske - the militants have deployed a large number of mortars and heavy artillery and are actively using it," he said.
Lysenko also said that the village of Shyrokyne, which had recently been a popular resort, is now in ruins as a result of these attacks.