Illegal armed formations violated the ceasefire in Donbas 30 times, as a result of which one Ukrainian soldier was killed in action, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters reported.

"In total, there were 30 instances of the violation of the ceasefire by the Russian-terrorist forces in the past day. In more than half of the cases, the ATO's forces suppressed the aggressor's fire activity," the press center said in an update posted on Facebook on Thursday morning.

Militants in the Luhansk region opened fire from grenade launchers after dark to shell defenders of the villages of Stanytsia Luhanska and Luhanske.

In the Donetsk sector, the outskirts of the town of Avdiyivka saw most of escalation in the second half of the day.

"The enemy repeatedly opened fire from 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and machine guns to attack our positions here," the ATO HQ said. "Some areas of this front-line town were under enemy sniper fire. Besides, the occupiers used infantry weapons to shell the defenders of Kamyanka, Pisky and Butivka coalmine."

In the Mariupol sector, Russian mercenaries used small arms to fire at the Ukrainian defenders of the village of Hranitne.

In the evening, fire reduced in intensity, the ATO HQ said.