On Monday, militants in Donbas fired at the positions of the Ukrainian military 38 times, using weapons of calibers prohibited by the Minsk agreements in some of the instances; the situation remains most difficult in the direction of Donetsk, the press service of the armed operation reports.

In the past few days the intensity of fire has been steadily high, the press center says. On Sunday the militants opened fire at Ukrainian army servicemen 101 times and on Monday 38 times, occasionally using weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

According to Kyiv, on Monday morning militants used 122mm howitzers against Ukrainian forces in the area of Hranitne and Starohnativka, and tanks near Opytne. Krymske came under fire from automatic grenade-launchers and infantry vehicle guns. Sokilnyky came under fire from 120mm mortars.

At noon similar mortars were used against the Ukrainian military in the area of Shyrokyne, and near Hranitne a militant tank gun was used.

The press center notes that it was also restless near Maryinka with militants using small arms and 82mm mortars against Ukrainian army servicemen.

"The enemy continues building up its groupings, replacing the personnel of individual formations and covertly moving military hardware closer to the dividing line. In turn, the command of the Ukrainian force is taking necessary measures to build up defense, create reserves of forces and means that would permit giving an adequate response to the enemy if it attempts to capture territories controlled by Ukraine," a report posted on the press center's page on Facebook says.