Ukraine provides OSCE SMM with information about militants' tanks, artillery systems near Luhansk, Horlivka
The situation remains complicated in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in Donbas, and about 50 violations of the truce by the militants were observed on January 18, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Intelligence Department has said.
"Forty-seven attacks were conducted [on Ukrainian positions] on January 18, by use of small arms, grenade launchers, infantry combat vehicles, 82mm and 120mm mortars and 100mm Rapira anti-tank cannons," the department said in a report posted on its website on Tuesday.
Information about the presence of weapons forbidden by the Minsk agreements – tanks, artillery systems with calibers larger than 100mm, and 122mm Grad rocket launchers – near Luhansk, Almazna, Rozsypne and Horlivka was delivered to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, the report said.
According to the intelligence data, the enemy was focused on reinforcing and rotating forward units in the Donets sector over the past day (troops, armaments and military hardware were seen being amassed in the western area of Donetsk) and on holding routine practice. For instance, militants' units were practicing driving and shooting in the ranges in Illyria and Buhayevka.