Militants occasionally shelled the positions of Ukrainian government forces and populated areas within the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in the eastern part of the country last night, the ATO press center reported via Facebook on Saturday morning.

In particular, as concerns Donetsk region, militants fired mortars upon the communities of Verkhne, Toretske, Bohdanivka, Petrovske, and Slavne. They also fired Grad multiple rocket launchers upon Mykhailivka, it said.

In Luhansk region, militants fired mortars and artillery guns at Valuiske, Stanytsia Luhanska, and Triokhizbenka.

The communities of Stary Aidar, Schastia, and Sokolnyky were attacked with antitank guided missiles, it said.

"The enemy also fired Grad multiple rocket launchers upon Troitske and Debaltseve," it said.

Militants fired artillery guns and mortars at Chornukhyne and Ridkodub. They also shelled Vodiane, Pisky, and Hranytne, it said.

"The situation in Vuhlehirsk remains tense, and the fighting is continuing," it said.

Militants claimed on Friday that they had taken Vuhlehirsk under control and encircled Debaltseve.

"The DPR army has fully taken the town of Vuhlehirsk under control and encircled Debaltseve," DPR deputy defense minister Eduard Basurin said.

"The overall number of Ukrainian armed forces troops sealed in the trap is 8,000," he said.

DPR head Oleksandr Zakharchenko signed a decree on sparing the Ukrainian servicemen's lives, he said.