The situation on the contact line in Donbas has remained tense over the past 24 hours, as militants fired at the positions of the Joint Forces 51 times, including from large-caliber artillery, wounding three Ukrainian soldiers, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has reported.

"Three of our defenders were wounded as a result of enemy attacks. They were evacuated to mobile military hospitals. The condition of our military is satisfactory," Defense Ministry spokesman Dmytro Hutsuliak said at a briefing on Thursday.

In the Luhansk sector, the Svitlodarsk bulge the epicenter of tensions. The greatest aggravation in the past day was observed near Troitske and Svitlodarsk, where militants actively used 120mm and 82mm mortars, arms of infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers and small arms of various types and calibers. Over 120 mines of various calibers were launched at Ukrainian troops.

"Of the 14 attacks generally recorded over the past day in the Luhansk sector, ten occurred exactly in the Svitlodarsk bulge area," the ministry said.

Ukrainian strongpoints near Zaitseve and Novhorodske came under enemy fire. Militants used 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and small arms of various types and calibers there.

Thirty-seven attacks were recorded in the Donetsk sector. The enemy showed the greatest activity near Avdiyivka, Maryinka, Vodiane and Shyrokyne.

"In violation of the Minsk agreements, the Russian occupation troops once again used 122mm artillery. From about 16:00, 39 122mm artillery shells were fired within an hour at our military near Vodiane and Shyrokyne," the report said.

In addition, Ukrainian strongpoints near Vodiane came under enemy fire twice from 120mm mortars: "Our military counted 30 explosions of mortar shells."

Ukrainian servicemen staying near Avdiyivka, Lebedynske, Opytne and Pisky also came under 82mm mortar fire.

Small arms, large-caliber machineguns, grenade launchers of various types and weapons of infantry fighting vehicles were used to fire at Ukrainian positions near Avdiyivka, Vodiane, Kamianka, Maryinka, Lebedynske, Novotroitske, Opytne, Pavlopil, Slavne, and Shyrokyne.

"The militants of the Russian occupation authorities fired 39 122mm artillery shells, about 100 120mm mortar shells and 80 82mm mortar shells at our defensive positions of the Joint Forces. In order to preserve the life and health of the personnel, servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces opened fire 44 times, using only weapons that are exclusively permitted by the Minsk agreements," the Defense Ministry said.