Original Press Release in Ukranian
Machine English Translation:
Summary of the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on the situation in the area of the Joint Forces operation
We bring to your attention the summary of the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on the situation in the area of the Joint Forces operation for the past 24 hours and as of today, March 16.
Yesterday, March 15, there were ten cases of violation of the ceasefire by the Russian occupation forces, including weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements.
Thus, in the Donetsk direction in the suburbs of Verkhnotoretske and Vodiane, near the Azov Sea, the enemy opened fire on the positions of Ukrainian soldiers with 82 mm and 120 mm mortars prohibited by the Minsk agreements, as well as grenade launchers of various systems and large-caliber machine guns.
Near Lebedynsky and Trudovsky, the enemy fired at the positions of our soldiers with large-caliber machine guns and automatic machine grenade launchers. Near the village of Gnutovo, the enemy used a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher, and near Marinka – small arms.
In the Luhansk direction, near the South, the enemy fired at the positions of the Joint Forces with grenade launchers of various systems and large-caliber machine guns.
Ukrainian soldiers opened fire in response to enemy shelling. There are no combat losses among our defenders.
All facts of violation of the ceasefire regime by the armed forces of the Russian Federation were reported to the OSCE representatives through the Ukrainian side of the SCCC.
From the beginning of the current day, as of 12 o'clock, the enemy opened fire twice on the positions of Ukrainian soldiers. Thus, near the settlement of Gnutovo, the enemy used a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher, and near Avdiivka – small arms.
The aggressor state continues to fail to fulfill its obligations and international agreements. Instead, the Russian Federation is increasing its combat potential in the temporarily occupied territories and near Ukraine's borders.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine , the command of the RF Armed Forces is provoking increased tensions in the temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Thus, the units and parts of the first and second army corps of the operational group of the Russian occupation forces are brought to the highest degree of combat readiness. The personnel of the enemy were withdrawn from vacations, the persons who were in medical institutions were sent to the places of service ahead of schedule, and ammunition was replenished by the advanced units.
At the same time, rumors are circulating among the occupying personnel and the local population about the possibility of hostilities with their possible escalation into a full-scale military conflict during the
March 17-18 events in Crimea on the anniversary of the occupation of the peninsula.
This is all the information for now.
Glory to the defenders of Ukraine!
Glory to Ukraine!
Senior Lieutenant Maria Salnik from the press center of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
