Losses continue to mount for Ukrainians in Donbas

by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront

The Ukrainian Army has lost as many as a dozen soldiers since Saturday, including a friendly fire incident in Lugansk, according to Russian language news report.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ministry of defense says Russian backed rebels attempted to launch three  recon probes in the Marinka area in Donetsk and three probing attacks at Novozvanovki in Lugansk. All attacks were driven back,

According to the Lugansk government website, Lugansk police reported that a Ukrainian artillery fire mission on July 25th  fell on their own troops, killing six and wounding 20.

The news release did not mention where the attack took place. Direct fire battles have been taking place near Stanitsa Luganskaya in Lugansk in recent days. Stanitsa Luganskaya  has been an issue between the two combatants since the end of 2014.

According to the news release, and quoting Lugansk ministry of defense spokesman Andrei Marochko, artillery elements of the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade adjusted an artillery fire mission which landed on the 30th Battalion, causing the casualties.

Rebel officials have been saying for more than  a year that friendly fire incidents such as the Stanitsa Luganskaya incident and minor incidents such as accidental firearms discharges account for a large number of Ukrainian casualties, and go unreported by top Ukrainian ministry of defense officials.

The official rebel report in Lugansk says Ukrainian commanders are trying to hide the losses suffered in the friendly fire incident.

Donbas rebel probes

Two rebel probes were detected and driven back in the Marina area of Donetsk on the night of July 25th to July 26th, according to data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, as reported on lb.ua,

The first attack was detected at 1907 hrs, said to be at platoon strength, but was driven back with small arms and automatic grenade launcher fire.  A second probe attempt at 1920 hrs was not successful as well.  The Ukrainian side said rebels suffered losses but did not describe the nature of the losses.

Last Thursday, as previously reported, one rebel and one Ukrainian foot patrol fought at Marinka with losses for the Ukrainians totaling one dead and one non commissioned officer captured,

A third rebel probe was engaged by Ukrainian troops at Avdievka on Monday evening at around 1720 hrs, according to the same lb.ua report.  Unspecified losses for the rebel side were reported by the Ukrainians.

A fourth rebel probe took place on Saturday morning, but was only reported on Monday in a separate lb.ua news report.

At around 0820 hrs, a rebel patrol was spotted at Novozvanovki in Lugansk, and was fired on by Ukrainian troops.  Two rebel effectives were killed in the exchange, and four were wounded by Ukrainian counterfire.  The rebel unit then withdrew to their own lines.

Subsequently, according to the report, rebel forces fired a number of heavy weapons into Ukrainian positions including 82mm and 120mm mortar fire, which lasted 25 minutes.  Rebel forces expended a total of 80 rounds of artillery shells of both types.  Fire was reported from SPG-9 73mm recoilless rifle, 23mm antiaircraft autocannon and 125mm tank gun fire until 1350 hrs.  The bombardment killed one Ukrainian effective and wounded another two.

A second rebel probe totaling 20 effectives took  place at around 1410 hrs, when the rebel unit came within 50 meters of Ukrainian positions before being fired on.  Rebel forces lost two more dead and five wounded, and the probe was forced back.

Two hours later a second exchange of gunfire took place between the two forces with losses for the Ukrainians totaling one dead and three wounded.  Ukrainian forces claim that radio intercepts indicate rebel losses in the last attack totaled five dead.

Ukrainian Artillery fire in Donetsk

Ukrainian artillery units hit the industrial area near Yasinovataya Sunday night total of 69 122mm and 152mm artillery shells striking rebel positions, according to a news release posted by the Donetsk ministry of defense.

The shelling  at Yasinovataya started at around 2130 hrs and ended at 2330 hrs.

Elsewhere in Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery units fired a total of 295 82mm and 120mm mortar shells at rebel positions, most of it night shelling, according to official rebel media.  Locations around Donetsk city struck by Ukrainian mortars fire include the Donetsk airport areas and at Trudovskoy,

In southern Donetsk, towns hit by Ukrainian artillery fire include Sahanka and Novoazovskiy.

On the evening of Monday, July 25th, Ukrainian artillery once again renewed their attacks at Yasinovataya and at Spartak, starting at 2100 hrs, according to a separate official rebel media report.  This time Ukrainians used 122mm artillery in their attacks, totaling 12 shots.

A residential building at Spartak was struck by Ukrainian artillery and was destroyed by fire.

A total of 184 82mm and 120mm mortar rounds were fired on rebel positions between 2100 hrs on Monday night and 0200 hrs Tuesday morning.   The artillery attacks originated at Avdievka, Opytnoye and Vodyanovo

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com 

Ukrainian commander detained for selling munitions to Russian backed rebels

Foto from Facebook

by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront

The deputy commander of a Ukrainian Army brigade currently on the front line in southeastern Ukraine has been detained for selling arms and munitions to the rebel side, according to Russian language news reports.

Colonel Fadeev, deputy commander of the Ukrainian 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade was detained Friday after it was learned that he sold ammunition and munitions for a total of 66,800 Hryvnia (USD $2,683.98) last June to the rebel side.  Among the items sold were 7.62x39mm cartridges (For AK-47 7.62 rifle), 5.45x39mm cartridges (For AK-74 5.45mm rifle) and RDG-5 hand grenades of an unknown quantity.  A total of 5,000 rounds were sold, according to the article which appeared in lb.ua.

As ammunition quantities go, 5,000 rounds is not a massive quantity of ammunition for a forward combat zone.

The lb.ua news report quoted Ukrainian ministry of defense chief of General staff General Stefan Poltorak in his Facebook page as saying Colonel Fadeev was formerly a staff officer with the Ukrainian 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade before being kicked upstairs to deputy commander of the Ukrainian 53rd Brigade only a few months ago.

The 53rd Brigade is one of the Ukrainian units which constantly fire artillery into the towns of Zaistevo and Gorlovka.

Retired Ukrainian GRU Colonel Igor Bezler 18 months ago accused top Ukrainian officials of selling vehicles and other military equipment to the rebel side while Bezler was chief of police of Gorlovka.  The chronology of the charge places it at around the summer of 2014.  Bezler said in a casual, taunting video he had recorded in the fall of 2014, that among the sellers were current Ukrainian president Piotr Poroshenko.

Fighting in Donetsk

Fighting between the combatants flared up on Thursday and Friday as both sides sent recon patrols near Marinka, which is south of Donetsk city, according to official rebel and Ukrainian news releases.
According to a news report in lb.ua, a rebel foot patrol was caught near Marinka on Thursday evening, resulting on one dead Ukrainian effective and one Ukrainian non-commissioned officer captured.  Accounts by both sides suggest the encounter was a meeting engagement, where two recon probes happen to meet and fight.  The captured NCO was identified as Junior Sergeant Pavel Vasilyevich Yurbasha.

A separate lb.ua report said that Ukrainian forces fought off two evening attacks by rebel forces around Marinka on Saturday night.

Rebel official reports are that a Ukrainian rifle squad totaling 12 effectives attempted  a probe Saturday night near Opytnoye, which is west of Donetsk city, resulting in 10 Ukrainians killed.
According to rebel news reports, Ukrainian forces fired more than 370 artillery shells on rebel positions in Donetsk alone on Saturday, hitting locations such as the Donetsk airport, and western outskirts of Donetsk city, at Yasinovataya, Vasilevka, Spartak, White Kamenka, Mikhailovka and Zaitsevo at Gorlovka.  In southern Ukraine Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Kominternovo,  Leninskoye and Sahanka.

Weapons used in those attacks include 122mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortars.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com

7 more Ukrainians die in fighting in Donetsk

Foto from Chervonets Andryuha

by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront

A total of nine Ukrainian soldiers, seven from combat losses, were reported dead in western Donetsk, according to Russian language news accounts.

The location and cause of the deaths were not made immediately clear from official Ukrainian sources, reported on the website of lb.ua, but the intensity of shelling between the two combatants, the Ukrainian military and Russian supported rebels forces,  has increased over the last 24 hours.

However, official rebel sources say that a failed attack by Ukrainian forces on rebel positions at a village in western Donetsk was the cause of at least some of those combat losses.

According to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, elements on the Ukrainian 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade attacked rebel positions sometime Tuesday morning near Staromikhailovka, which is due west of Kirovskiy district of Donetsk city.  The Ukrainians used supporting artillery in the attack, but were driven back by rebel forces with Ukrainian losses of three dead and five wounded.

According to a separate lb.ua report, rebel artillery fire was reported on Tuesday in several locations in Donetsk on the line of contact.   In Peski, near western Donetsk city, rebels fired 122mm artillery.  Rebel 120mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian positions at Zaitsevo, and Avdievka, while 82mm mortar fire was reported at Kamenka, Avdievka, Peski and Zaitsevo.

In Lugansk, Ukrainian military officials reported rebel 120mm mortar attacks on Krimskoye, Novooleksandrovka and Troitsoye.  Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Stanitsa Luganskaya.

Ukrainian chief of general staff, General Viktor Muzhenko said on his Facebook page that an "adequate response" would be prepared, according to a news account on korrespondent.net.

And apparently, Ukrainian forces have already made good on General Muzheko's response, as, according to official rebel media, Ukrainian artillery fired artillery and mortar fire more than 220 times in less than four hours Tuesday night.  The Tuesday to Wednesday artillery attacks represent some of the most intense artillery attacks by the Ukrainians in several months, when the Ukrainian Army used 122mm artillery, 120mm and 82mm mortar on several locations in western Donetsk city.

According to Russian blogger Chervonets Andryuha, Ukrainian artillery struck several points along the line of contact, including at Spartak and Donetsk city residential areas just south of the Donetsk airport, where the attacks were the most intense.  Others areas struck Tuesday night include at Yasinovataya.

As of midnight, Moscow time, according to rebel media, Ukrainian artillery attacks on Spartak were still ongoing.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com

4 Ukrainian soldiers die in artillery attack near Zaitsevo

by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront

Four unidentified Ukrainian soldiers were killed and three were wounded in an artillery attack in Zaitsevo, in northern Donetsk, according to Russian language news reports.

According to a news account posted in lb.ua news website, the casualties were elements of the Ukrainian 53rd Separate Mechanized Rifle Brigade deployed between Zaitsevo and Mayorsk, both of which are west of the Russian backed rebel held city of Gorlovka.  The original report was by Ukrainian journalist Roman Bocskai on his Facebook page.  His report was confirmed by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, he said.

The report said that rebel forces used 152mm artillery and 120mm artillery in the attack.

Gorlovka, and later Zaitsevo have been subject to Ukrainian artillery fire since the fall of 2014, which has been nearly constant except for the brief period of time last winter.  Both towns have been held by rebel forces since late summer, 2014.  Since that time, fighting between rebel forces and Ukrainian forces have devolved into artillery fire exchanges, except for a Ukrainian attack last June.

A combat team of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade launched an attack on Gorlovka last June 11th, according to recent data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense.

The attack was a night attack preceded by artillery and mortar attacks which hit residential sectors of Gorlovka, before Ukrainian forces attempted to close the 700 meter gap between forces at Gorlovka.  The attack was driven back by rebel forces with a loss of six Ukrainian dead and 12 wounded. The Ukrainian artillery fire disrupted gas and electrical supplies to the city. The rebel report goes on to state a number of charges against the Ukrainian brigade commander, identified as Colonel Valery Vodolazkiy, including diversion of supplies.

The Gorlovka attack of June 11th is one of eight attacks launched against rebel forces since the spring, nearly all of which can be classified as probing attacks intended to test rebel defenses.  The largest was the June 29th Ukrainian attack, where five separate combat groups hit rebel held defenses near Logvinovo, across a roughly 10 to 12 kilometer front.  The only successful attack to date was the first, at Yasinovataya last March.

Fighting in Marinka, Donetsk

Last Friday rebel forces attacked Ukrainian forces near Marinka last Friday, according to a separate report which appeared in lb.ua.   The attack was repelled.  The same report recounts a rebel attack on Bogdanovka, which is west of Artemovsk in northern Donetsk.  The rebel rifle group totaling 10 elements came within 250 meters, and opened fired on the Ukrainian positions.  The force was withdrawn because of Ukrainian counterfire, including small arms and RPG fire.

That same day, a Ukrainian foot patrol was ambushed by rebel forces near Marinka, according to yet another lb.ua news report.  One unidentified Ukrainian soldier was captured by rebel forces.

Artillery attacks between forces

On Friday, rebel artillery hit struck Ukrainian positions in Avdievka and Krasnogorovka, where rebel forces used 122mm artillery and 120mm mortar fire.  Rebel mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions near Zaitsevo, Opytnoye, Novozvanovki and Novoaleksandrovka, according to data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.

On Saturday rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions again in Avdievka, using 122mm artillery and 120 mm mortar fire, according to a separate lb.ua report.   Novoselovka was hit with rebel 120mm mortar fire.  Rebel 82mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian positions at Opytnoye.

On Sunday, rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Pavlopole using 152mm artillery, and at  Shirokino, Granitnoye, Marinka and Talakovke, using 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars.   Rebel forces fired 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars at Avdievka.  Rebel forces fired mortars at Novoselovka, Nevelsk and the Butovka mine.

Ukrainian forces fired a total of 236 artillery and mortar shells on rebel positions in Donetsk Saturday through Sunday, including 122mm artilery and 120mm and 82mm mortars.  Locations hit by Ukrainian artillery fire include Dokuchaevsk, Vasilevka, Sahanka and Kominternovo in southern Donetsk.

Ukrainian forces also fired on Gorlovka, Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, the Donetsk airport and the Petrovskiy district of western Donetsk city.

On Saturday through Sunday, Ukrainian forces fired 289 152mm and 122mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortar shells onto rebel positions at essentially the same location as the previous day, adding Spartak and Staromykhailovka to their target list.

Zaitsevo on fire

A total of 14 residential structures in Zaitsevo were damaged, set afire, or were completely destroyed by fire by Ukrainian artillery between Saturday and Monday morning, according to official rebel news releases.

On Sunday, one residential building in Zaitsevo was lit up by Ukrainian artillery fire in an unusual daytime artillery attack.

Night shelling on the night of July 16th to July 17th damaged four residential structures in Zaitsevo, destroying one completely by fire.

The following night, July 17th to July 18th, another seven residential structures in Zaitsevo were set afire by Ukrainian artillery shelling.

Attempts by firefighters to extinguish residential fires on the rebel side of the line in Zaitsevo on Sunday afternoon were stopped by Ukrainian sniper fire.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com

Ukrainians launch five more probing attacks in Donetsk

by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront

Ukrainian ground forces have launched a total of five probing attacks on rebel positions in Donetsk since Tuesday, according to Russian language media and official rebel reports.

Meanwhile, Russian backed rebel forces and Ukrainian forces continue to exchange artillery fire all along the front in Donetsk and Lugansk.

All the probing attacks involved infantry, likely in platoon strength (30 effectives) , and all have been driven back with losses to the Ukrainians, according to news account posted on Russian Spring website.  The attacks continue a now familiar pattern where Ukrainian forces nudge their forces closer to rebel lines in an effort to slowly push the rebels further back into their own territory.  So far, only one of those types of attacks, at Yasinovataya last spring, have been successful.  A second attack was tried at Logvinovo earlier this month, when Ukrainian forces launched a number of attacks on rebel strongholds and checkpoints, only to be driven back.

As previously reported, a July 11th probing attack by Ukrainian forces took place at the Donetsk airport.  In the July 11th attack, according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, a total of three Ukrainians were killed and another seven wounded, when rebel rifle counterfire drove them back.

The Donetsk airport has long been a strong point of contention between the two combatants, with rebel forces taking control of most of the airport grounds in brief, but bitter battles, January, 2015.

The following day, July 12th, two more probing attacks took place in Donetsk, one at Novotroitskoye and the other in Avdievka, which is a western suburb of Donetsk city.

Elements from the Ukrainian 1st Battalion 30th  Brigade attacked rebel forces at Novotroitskoye, but were driven back by rebel counterfire.  Ukrainian forces, according to official rebel media lost seven dead.

The Avdievka attack cost the Ukrainians five dead.  The forces involved in that attack were most likely from the Ukrainian 58th Separate Rifle Brigade.

Two days later, on Thursday, July 14th, two more probing attacks took place in Donetsk, according to a news report which appeared in Russian Spring.

The first came at Marinka, in southwestern Donetsk, and was conducted by the Ukrainian 30th Brigade, while the other attack fell on Arkhangelsk, which is near the city of Gorlovka.  The Arkhangelsk attack cost the Ukrainians five dead.

The Marinka attack, conducted by the Ukrainian 13th Battalion of the 30th Brigade cost the Ukrainians another four dead and seven wounded.

A late report by Russian Spring said that a firefight was taking place in central Gorlovka near the market area.

Artillery fire exchanges between forces

Rebel forces fired mortar and artillery fire on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk and southern Donetsk, according to an lb.ua news account, relying on data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.

On  Tuesday, July 12th, rebel 122mm artillery fire fell on Ukrainian positions at  Nikolaevka, while 120mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian forces at  Zaitsevo (north of Gorlovka), Avdievka, Semigorye, Novoselovka and Novoselovka.  Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Novgorod and Dacha.

In southern Donetsk, rebel 122mm artillery fire hit Ukrainian positions at Krasnogorovka, while rebel fired 82mm mortar fire on Shirokino.

According to the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian forces fired 130 artillery and mortar shells total at rebel positions on the night of July 12th to July 13th.  Ukrainian forces used 122mm artillery on the western Donetsk suburb of Staromykhailivka, and 120mm and 82mm mortar fire at Zaitsevo Gorlovka, Aleksandrovka, Trudovskoy, the industrial zone near Yasinovataya and the Volvo Center in western Donetsk city.

In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian mortar fire hit rebel positions at Kominternovo and Sahanka.

On Wednesday, rebel forces fired on Ukrainian forces a total of 28 times, to include all small arms incidents.  Among the artillery missions fired, rebels struck Ukrainian positions at Avdievka using 120mm amd 82mm mortar fire. According to the data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense which appeared on lb.ua, rebel forces fired 122mm artillery fire at Peski and Opytnoye, both western Donetsk suburbs.

In southern Donetsk, rebels fired 120mm mortar fire on Ukrainian position in Starognatovka, Bogdanovka and Novogrigorevka. Rebel forces fired 82mm mortar fire on Krasnogorovka and Marinka.

According to a separate news release by the Donetsk ministry of defense, on the night of July 13th to July 14th, Ukrainian forces fired a total of 180 shells on rebel positions, some of which hit and damaged residential housing.

Among the localities hit by Ukrainian artillery fire and starting at 1945 hrs, were Zaitsevo, Trudovskoy, Aleksandrovka, the Volvo Center of western Donetsk city, Donetsk airport and at Yasinovataya.  Locations in southern Donetsk hit by Ukrainian artillery were Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy.

A late report by lb.ua, said that rebel forces fired on Ukrainian forces a total of 72 times on July 13th, which include small arms fire incidents as well as artillery fire.  Among the incidents not included by the Ukrainian previous report was an incident in Lugansk where rebel forces fired 82mm mortar fire at Novotoshkovka.

According to a separate rebel report a total of 27 residential structures were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire over the previous three days,  most of them in Zaistevo.

Overnight artillery attacks by Ukrainian forces in Donets on the night f July 12th to July 13th damaged 17 residential housing buildings in Zaitsevo.  Subsequent Ukrainian artillery attacks on the night of July 13th to July 14th damaged residential buildings in Staromykhailivka, Trudovskoy and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city.

In southern Donetsk, residential buildings damaged by overnight bombardment include those at Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy .

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com

Ukrainians say attacks have doubled

by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront

The Ukrainian ministry of defense announced Monday that the number of attacks on their forces by Russian supported rebel forces have doubled in the last 24 hours, according to Russian language news reports.

In the meantime, official rebel media in Donetsk claim that more than 40 structures, including residential buildings and at least one school building have been damaged in ongoing Ukrainian shelling since Saturday night.

A total of 94 attacks, up from 51 the previous day and including small arms attacks, were made on Ukrainian forces all along the line of contact in both Lugansk and Donetsk, according to a news account in korrespondent.net.

Locations in Donetsk said to have been hit include Mayorsk, Avdievka, Novgorod and Troiskoye, where the rebels used 120mm mortar fire.  82mm mortar fire was reported in Marinka. In southern Donetsk, rebel forces also used 120mm mortar fire on several locations near Mariupol, and 82mm mortar fire on Ukrainian position in Shirokino.

In Lugansk, rebel forces shelled Novoaleksandrovka and  Novozvanovke using 122mm artillery.

A news account which appeared in lb.ua said that one structure in Stanitsa Luganskaya was destroyed by rebel small arms and grenade launcher fire.  No Ukrainians were reported wounded in the exchange of gunfire.

The Donetsk ministry of defense said on its website that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions in Doentsk a total of 104 times Sunday.

Locations in or near Donetsk city hit by Ukrainian artillery include  Trudovskoy, Spartak, the Donetsk airport, Zaitsevo and Gorlovka. In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery fell on rebel positions at Kominternovo, Sahanka  and Novoazovskiy.

A total of 40 civilian and residential structures were damaged in Ukrainian overnight artillery attacks on the northern village of Zaitsevo and in Gorlovka and Donetsk city in the previous 48 hours including one school building, according to a separate news release by the Donetsk ministry of defense.  Four unidentified civilian were wounded in the shelling.

A later report by rebel official media said that 10 more structures were destroyed and 70 more damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in both Donetsk city and Gorlovka/Zaitsevo since Saturday night.  Western districts of Donetsk city and the Gorlovka region have been under near constant artillery fire since the fall of 2014, with only a brief respite the previous fall and winter, 2015.

Dead/Wounded

One Ukrainian soldier was killed and another 10 wounded in a rebel artillery attack Sunday, according to a news account in lb.ua. The report failed to note the location of the impact zone, but rebel officials in Lugansk said three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded in a friendly fire incident in Lugansk.  The rebel report also failed to note the location of the incident.

The casualties were reportedly from the 10th Battalion of the Ukrainian 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, which had recently rotated into the forward zone.  The report said that artillery units from the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade were firing artillery on rebel positions in Lugansk, and were adjusting fire when it struck the other unit.  The crews apparently were unaware of the presence of the friendly unit before the artillery hit the location.

Lugansk officials say the actual toll is three dead, and that the incident is being hidden from Kiev.

Meanwhile, Donetsk military officials said that a Ukrainian infantry probe left three Ukrainian soldiers dead and another seven wounded.  The attack took place at the Donetsk airport on Sunday.  The attack was driven back by rebel small arms fire.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com

Casualties notch up in fighting in Lugansk, Donetsk

by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront

A total of seven Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk over the last two days according to Russian language news accounts.

In Troitskoye in western Donetsk, on the night of July 8th to July 9th, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another 10 were wounded in shelling by Russian backed rebels, according to a news report which appeared in lb.ua.  The article quoted Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov from his Facebook page, who said the artillery attack was a prelude to a rebel attack, which was repelled by Ukrainian forces.  A separate lb.ua report said that the Ukrainian ministry of defense reported one additional dead and six more wounded.  The report failed, however, to elaborate on where the deceased died, or whether the incident took place in Troitskoye.

A total of three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 16 were wounded in rebel artillery attacks on Saturday, according to yet another lb.ua news account.  The location of where the soldiers died was not reported by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, the main source of the news account.

The Donetsk ministry of defense reported on its website that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions a total of 552 times between Friday and Saturday.  The number of incidents which include Ukrainian small arms, grenade launcher, BMP infantry fighting vehicle and RPG rocket fire number well over 1,000.

Locations in Donetsk struck by Ukrainian artillery on July 8th include Zaitsevo, northern Gorlovka, Spartak and Yasinovataya.  In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy.

During the same time frame, according to an lb.ua report, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions in western Donetsk including at Avdievka, Zaitsevo, Mayorsk and Luganskoye.  The report said the rebels used 120mm and 82mm mortars on those locations.

In southern Donetsk, the Ukrainian ministry of defense said that rebels used 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars on several locations including  at Shirokino.  The report said  rebels fired on Ukrainian positions a total of 72 times, but that includes small arms and RPG rocket fire.

The Donetsk ministry of defense reported on its website that on Saturday, Ukrainian artillery hit locations in western Donetsk, including at  Zaitsevo, Gorlovka Yasinovataya, Spartak, the Donetsk airport and the Petrovsky district of western Donetsk.

In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Sahanka and Kominternovo.

Ukrainians reinforce Schastye

According to a new release posted on the Lugansk People's Republic website, the Ukrainian Army has reinforced the riverside city of Schastye with a tank company and several squads of riflemen.

On July 8th and 9th, several foreign and domestic volunteer squads were rotated into the town, as Ukrainian army units were rotated out.  Nationalities for the rifle squads include from Poland and Georgia. Some of the squads are staffed by members of the Right Secktor political party. The news release quoted Lugansk ministry of defense spokesman Major Andrei Marochko saying that some of the volunteers were of "African appearance."

A total of 150 effectives were moved into Schastye, roughly a rifle company.  A total of 2,000 effectives are said to be deployed at Schastye.

Schastye has been a Ukrainian stronghold since the summer of 2014, when Ukrainian units retreated from Lugansk city after claiming to occupy the airport.  Lugansk rebel forces since have attempted to surround the city, to little avail.

Schastye is situated on the left bank of the Northern Donetsk River and astride a major highway leading north.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com