Illegal armed formations shelled the Ukrainian troops participating in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine, with the use of small arms and mortar launchers 16 times from 20:00 Kyiv time on March 12 to 06:00 Kyiv time on March 13, ATO speaker Anatoliy Stelmakh said.

"In total, the enemy violated the ceasefire 11 times before midnight and five more firing attacks were registered from midnight to six o'clock in the morning," Stelmakh said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

The largest number of attacks was registered in the Donetsk sector. "Here, not changing the tactics, the enemy had been shelling Pisky, Opytne, Nevelske, Avdiyivka. Violating the peace agreements, militants were shelling the town of Avdiyivka with artillery systems at 20:20 Kyiv time. From 21:20 to 22:15 Kyiv time Russian terrorist groups were attempting an unsuccessful assault on our positions near the village of Starohnativka [in Volnovakha district, Donetsk region]," he said.

The Luhansk and Artemivsk sectors saw two attempts of shelling on the ATO forces each from 20:40 to 23.30 Kyiv time. At midnight, militants were attacking the village of Shyrokyne in Volnovakha district in the direction of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol with small arms twice, Stelmakh added.