Ukrainian media: Separatists continue attacking Ukrainian military's positions
On the demarcation line in eastern Ukraine zone, separatist militia fighters are becoming increasingly active at nighttime, specifically in the southern front sector. Over the past days, the Ukrainian military has been under attack by submachine and machine gun fire, RPG shells, and mines, TSN reports.
Along the line of defense in the Lebedynske area, heavy 120-meter caliber guns were fired, and in the area of the forward defense posts near Shyrokyne, the combatants fired cannons and from infantry fighting vehicles. However, the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine explain that the enemy shoots randomly and are not aiming to hit a target, only trying to make the Ukrainian soldiers nervous and keep them on their toes.
The Ukrainian military officials admit that they usually do not respond to such attacks, which makes little sense, but if they respond, they will have to complete reports explaining why they violated the Minsk Agreements.
Such an argument works until the enemy's fire turns into a targeted attack. Should that occur, the Ukrainian military makes no bones about the attackers, because their own life is more valuable than the bureaucracy. Recently, soldiers at Pryazovia had to solve this dilemma when the hostile subversive group came to their positions, and if the Ukrainian soldiers hadn’t fired on them their positions would have been pelted with grenades.
It is much more difficult to cope with the long-range artillery used by the separatists. The military on the front line say that they have information about its location, but only the commander, who is responsible to the military authorities for each violation of the truce, can give orders to hit the coordinates. Therefore, the situation on the front line is increasingly turning into a classic trench war of nerves. Soldiers observe the enemy strengthening its lines daily. They see them pour concrete into the dug-out shelters and equip armed positions. This does not please the Ukrainian soldiers, because knocking out the enemy from fortified positions is much more difficult.
The current situation at the front does not give much reason to hope that the Russian military are planning to leave Ukraine. Soldiers say that every day of procrastination with the offensive only strengthens the enemy and complicates the task for the army. They are open in their opinion that the tactics of delaying the conflict is erroneous.