Government forces take control of the surroundings of Slavyansk

Ukrainian government forces took control of the bridge across the Seversky Donets River in the Slavyansk region, the ATO press officer Vladislav Seleznev reports . The dominant height in the area of ​​the operation was captured, checkpoints and ambushes of militants near the settlements of Yampol and the law enforcement were destroyed. Measures are underway to block and release these villages from terrorists.

Yampol and law enforcement are strategically important for militants. “It was through these settlements that the Slavyansk weapons and ammunition has recently been supplied,” Seleznev notes.

The militants show fierce resistance, a sniper fire is conducted. According to preliminary estimates, the losses of militants are up to 200 killed. Four Ukrainian troops were killed, 20 was injured. All wounded are evacuated.

On Thursday, militants fired at the positions of Ukrainian military in the Kramatorsk airfield from 82-mm mortars. Fire also fired in residential quarters. “According to sources, once again Russian journalists were in a matter of minutes in places where the militants' shells got. It is worth recalling that a few days earlier, the Center for the ATO reported that the militants will be fired at Kramanitorsk to create a humanitarian catastrophe and the corresponding picture for Russian TV, which actually continues within a few days,” Seleznev notes .

The ATO press officer once again emphasized that government forces under any circumstances do not fire in the areas where civilians live. "We, first of all, are interested in the safety of residents of the city," Seleznev said.

The regions border with Ukraine continue to arrive units of the Armed Forces of Russia. Near the state border , the Russian military equip firing positions and mask the equipment . They explain their actions by the fact that these measures are supposedly carried out to "ensure the security of the border due to its violation by the Ukrainian military."

On Thursday, NATO Secretary Generals, Anders Fogg Rasmussen, confirmed the new cluster of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine. “If they were deployed to block the border and stop the flow of weapons to Ukraine, it would be good, but we don’t see it, so this is a step back,” he said.