by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
Ukrainian military units fired more than 500 artillery rounds at separatists forces in Donetsk on Monday, according to Russian language news accounts.
Ukrainian media says that rebel forces attacked a number of locations on Donetsk, totaling including small arms attacks, 47.
Both sides accuse the other of preparing for an offensive.
According to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian forces fired a total of 117 each 152mm and 122mm artillery shells, and 401 each 120mm and 82mm mortar shells onto rebel positions.
Locations along the line of contact struck by Ukrainian artillery include Spartak, the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city and near Gorlovka.
In the south, Ukrainian artillery hit Dokuchaevsk, Kominternovo and Sahanka.
According to an news report posted in lb.ua, rebel forces fired artillery and mortars at Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Shirokino, which was hit with rebel 116 each 122mm artillery rounds. Another 170 each 82mm and 120mm mortar rounds also were fired on Ukrainian positions at Shirokino. A Ukrainian marine rifle company has occupied Shirokino since the late spring of 2015, when rebel forces as part of a ceasefire deal, abandoned the town.
Lugansk fighting
According to the same lb.ua article, rebel artillery continued to hit Ukrainian positions on the line of contact. The news report did not specify where rebel artillery struck.
Ukrainian artillery struck a residential building and a churchyard in Stakhanov on Monday, according to an official Lugansk news release.
The overnight artillery attack which started at 0330 hrs did not cause casualties. A total of five residential buildings were damaged. A repair shop was damaged as well, as was property on a church cemetery.
Stakhanov was last struck by Ukrainian artillery August 2nd. Three unidentified individuals were wounded in that attack.
Plotnitsky attack Aftermath
The Lugansk Prosecutor General, Aleksandr Aleksandrov said on Monday that two criminal cases have been filed in the attack on Lugansk president Igor Plotnitsky, according to an official Lugansk government news release. The news release did not name either of the two suspects, only that they are wanted for the attack.
Plotnitsky was seriously wounded last Saturday morning when a roadside bomb detonated as his transport convoy passed by. Despite the seriousness of his injuries, Plotnitsky is expected to survive his wounds.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
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