Situational Report: 18 Jan 2015, 20:45 UTC

Putilovka bridge

Generally, the DPR armed forces are attacking Ukrainian positions at Mariupol, Volnovakha, Dzerzhinsk, Avdeevka and Uglegorsk. There was a confirmed information about three couples of low-flying attack aircrafts sent from Kharkov to Donbass in the afternoon today, in particular – to Gorlovka.

Lugansk area. From the LPR frontline the attacks are on Mius, Debaltsevo, Chernukhino, Troitskoe, Olkhovoe, Krymskoe, Orekhovo-Donetskoe and Stanitsa Luganskaya. However, there is an information about accumulation of arms by UAF in Donetsko-Orekhovoe. The UAF tried to advance from Krymskoe. LPR army couldn’t advance against the enemy in Stanitsa-Laganskaya, and according to the latest data, the village is currently divided between UAF and NAF.

About 18:00-20:00 (MSK) the UAF fired with MLRSs at the Militia’s positions near Slavyanoserbsk, Kirovsk and near Krasny Liman. The Militia was trying to evacuate the locals to Lugansk.

Donetsk area. Gorlovka and Donetsk has been heavily fired with all kinds of weapon. The Ukrainian artillery shelling reached Scherbakov Park, Kievskiy and Kuybyshevskiy districts of Donetsk, and the area near Oktyabrskaya and Panfilovskaya coal mines. From the Central District of Gorlovka people saw one or two military aircrafts, Ukrainian jets were also noticed near Enakievo. UAF is still firing with artillery at all districts of Gorlovka (there is an information about them using “Uragan” multi-rocket launchers). Mainly from Uglegorsk and Dzerzhinsk directions the UAF shelled Pyatiy Kvartal, Stroitel, Izotovskiy, Rtutniy, Glubokiy, Kurganka, Kvartal 245, Nikitovka and Central District of Gorlovka. There were casualties in the Central District, including people killed at the bus stop in front of “Shakhter” cinema, and a lot of casualties and injured in district of Pyatiy Kvartal. A number of dwelling houses burnt in Kondratievsky district.

In the result of direct hit, a fire started at the chemical plant “JSC Concern Stirol” in Gorlovka at 14:40 (MSK). The Militia smothered the fire about 19:00 (MSK).

Near the Bakhmut River, NAF repelled the Ukrainians attacks with artillery and has launched a counteroffensive. Near Mariupol the situation has not changed much, though the South Front has become more active: the locals reported about artillery fire ringing out.

In the afternoon, the Ukrainian armed forces broke through Putilovka bridge from Avdeevka, but the NAF repelled the attacks and pushed the enemy back. The bridge was destroyed. Presumably, UAF wanted to take the new terminal of Donetsk airport along with their attempt to take the bridge. However, the Militia has beaten off the enemy and is holding both airport’s terminals now. NAF has launched a counteroffensive on Avdeevka and Peski. A. Zakharchenko commented on: “Strong offensive battles are now being held along the whole frontline: from Mariupol to Gorlovka.”

According to Z. Zakharchenko, late in the evening, Gorlovka suffered from unsighted fire with 500-kg aerial bombs.

About 30 civilians were killed in Donetsk due to the last events.