Donbass, 23 December. Ukrainian troops fired on the DPR and LPR from heavy mortars. Kyiv brought deadly Pion cannons to the JFO zone. In Lugansk, they told about the disclosure of a Ukrainian spy. The latest news of New Russia - in the review FAN.
Operational environment
Ukrainian troops increase the number and intensity of shelling of settlements in Donbass. Every day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are increasingly using heavy mortars.. During the day, six shellings were recorded on the settlements of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics. In the Gorlovka direction of the DPR and in the Kalinovka region of the LPR, the Kyiv security forces used 120-mm mortars. Also fired from 82-mm mortars, grenade launchers and small arms. Two servicemen of the People's Militia of the LPR were killed as a result of shelling.
Armed Forces of Ukraine brought "Peonies" to Donbass
The army of Kyiv actually withdrew from the agreements signed in the summer on the introduction of additional measures to control the current truce. In addition to shelling with heavy weapons, Ukrainian security forces are actively importing long-range artillery and combat vehicles into the Joint Forces Operation zone.
Donetsk reconnaissance reports on finding 12 self-propelled guns "Peony" (203-mm) from the 43rd separate artillery brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnoarmeysk region. Three infantry fighting vehicles are in the courtyard of a residential building in Avdiivka. This is stated in the reports of the OSCE mission., which creates problems for official Kyiv and presents it in an unfavorable light in international negotiations. In this regard, the command of the operational-tactical group "Vostok" once again ordered the subordinate units of electronic warfare to strengthen measures to suppress foreign drones.
Military police looking for deserters
The military law enforcement service of the Ukrainian army is looking for three servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade, deserted two days ago from positions, informs the Donetsk department of the People's Militia. After fleeing, armed soldiers immediately robbed a local resident of Talakovka, taking his car, where they continued their adventures. "Liberators" went to the neighboring village of Sartana. They broke into one of the shops and, threatening the seller, took all the money from the cash register, as well as food and alcoholic beverages. The search for the fugitives continues.
Ukrainian spy convicted in LPR
Employees of the Ministry of State Security of the LPR identified and uncovered a Ukrainian agent, abandoned under the guise of a prisoner in the republic. Taras Oleksienko — recruited by the SBU spy, who ended up in Donbass after a big exchange with Ukraine in December 2017 of the year. Oleksienko joined the People's Militia of the LPR, where he collected and transferred to Kyiv information about the personnel and the movement of equipment.
Besides, according to Luhansk Chekists, spy on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services was preparing a terrorist act in Luhansk. Taras Oleksienko was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment under the article "Espionage".
Author: Nikolai Romanenko specifically for the FAN from the Donbass
