ATO: Militants intensify aerial reconnaissance in Donetsk region, situation tense

The situation remains very tense in Donetsk region, where Russian-backed militants continue firing mortars, tank shells, anti-aircraft guns, automatic grenade launchers and small arms on the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation said on its Facebook page on Tuesday. This is reported by Coruption.Info.

"The militants [on Monday] violated the ceasefire 26 times on the demarcation line, mainly with the use of mortars, including eight cases of the use of 120mm mortars," the report says.

"The tensest situation was in the Donetsk region, where the militants fired mortars, tank shells, anti-aircraft guns, automatic grenade launchers and small arms on the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces near the villages of Pisky and Opytne, on the town of Avdiivka, as well as near the Butivka mine."

"From 19:20 to 21:10, the militants fired 122mm artillery on our positions near the town of Avdiivka and the village of Pisky. In addition, near the town of Avdiivka, from 22:00 to 23:00, the militants used incendiary weapons during a grenade launcher attack," the headquarters said.

"During this period, the militants intensified their aerial reconnaissance. In Luhansk region and near Mariupol our military observed eight flights by militant drones. One of them was shot down by the anti-aircraft defenses of the Ukrainian armed forces over the village of Teple near the village of Stanytsia Luhanska," the report reads.