Russia-backed forces attacked Ukrainian positions today 115 times,and 3 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 7 wounded, Liga.net reported, citing reports from the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Facebook page. On the Donetsk line, Russia-backed militants fired Grad mssiles on Galitsinovka. They used 152-mm and 122-m artillery as well as 120-mm and 82-mm mortar-launchers on Avdeyevka, Luganskoye, Troitskoye and Zaytsevo. Tanks fired on Peski, Kamyanka, Avdeyevka, and Luganskoye; small arms were used on Zaytsevo. On the Mariupol line, militants fired from Grads, 122-mm and 152-mm artillery on Talakovka. In attacks on Vodyanoye, Krasnogorovka, Novotroitskoye, Lebedinskoye, Pavlopol, Shirokino, Maryinka and Chermalyk, 82-mm and 120-mm mortar-launchers were used. Militants fired on Gnutovo with grenade-launchers and a sniper fired on Pavlopol. A Bamp was used in an attack on Vodyanoye and Lebedinskoye; an anti-tank missile system was used to attack Chermalyk; and a BMP and tank were used on Shirokino. On the Lugansk line, militants fired from 122-mm and 152-mm artillery and 82-mm and 120-mm mortar launchers on Troitskoye, Popasnyaya, Novoaleksandrovka and Novozanovka. Grenade-launchers and small arms were used on Krymskoye and Katerinovka. Grenade-launchers and a sniper fired on Stanitsa Luganskaya and Valuysk. Anti-aircraft systems were used to fire on Troitskoye. Shelling by the Russia-backed forces struck a 5-storey building in Avdeyevka were a mother with 5 children lived. o Briefing in English on the Week’s Battles by JCCC Rep The ATO has published a briefing from Maj.-Gen. Anatoliy Petrenko, the chief of the Ukrainian side of the Joint Center for Coordination and Control, a body of Ukrainian and Russian military which has monitored the war zone. These aren’t available so often in English, so the Ukrainians are conveying a serious turn for the worse.

Petrenko says that “extremely kinetic activity” began on the side of the Russia-backed forces on January 29 with attempts to penetrate Ukrainian defenses but Ukrainian forces were able to hold the line. He noted the use of artillery and MLRS systems that are in “blatant” violation of Minsk agreements, with “massive use of tanks” in Peski, Spartak and environs, also a violation of the Minsk agreement. There was “extensive shelling of the town itself”, he noted; Avdeyeva “is without electricity, running water, and heat for the 5th day in a row”. A total of 9 civilians have been killed in the five days of fighting. Authorities have been evacuating civilians from the town of some 20,000 people. o Situation in Avdeyevka Quieter Today Anastasia Magazova, a reporter for Deutsche Welle (DW) described the situation in Avdeyevka today as “stable” in the sense that there was less shelling but “there is no electricity or water” and the heating in the morning “was weaker”. “The night before and today have been quiet by comparison with the past five days,” she said.

Facebook Ситуация в Авдеевке стабильная…. – Anastasia Magazova | Facebook Details… →

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Translation: militants fired on the Ukrainian electricians repairing the power line in Avdeyevka. Today, the Russian representatives in the JCCC issued a statement that the separatist side would abide by a ceasefire while the water line was repaired, Liga.net reported, citing Pavel Zhebriskiy, the local administrator. In Avdeyevka, 114 homes, 22 apartments and 4 garages have been damaged in shelling in the past week, along with the rail station. o Shelling in Makeyevka Meanwhile, in separatist-held Makeyevka adjacent to Donetsk, there were reports of armor on the move. There were reports today of shelling and the aftermath of impacts in Makeyevka, a town to the east of Donetsk. These may have come from Ukrainian positions to the west although there was no confirmation.

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Translation: Makeyevka, 19.41 “pretty loud booms on the northern village. There were reports of shelling there which may have come from Ukrainian positions:

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Translation: Khlebnikova St. There have been reports on Twitter of townspeople in Makeyevka forcing the Russia-back militants to leave their housing areas as this was making them a target.

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Translation: Yesterday morning, the orcs were in the center of a large housing complex 300 meters from a school, 300 meters from a hospital.

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o How Fighting in Avdeyevka Started Ukrainska Pravda published an article today describing how the fighting began in Avdeyevka on January 29, citing a source in Ukrainian intelligence. While placing mines near their positions, Ukrainian soldiers encountered a Russia-backed diversionary and reconnaissance group and fighting broke out. Capt. Andrei Kizilo, age 23, deputy commander of the mechanized battalion of the 72nd Separate Motorized Brigade, was forced to lead his men forward and take up a position the militants had held. He was killed in battle and awarded the Hero of Ukraine medal posthumously by President Petro Poroshenko. The source said that the militants are now trying to get this strategic position back from Ukrainian forces which they call “Almaz-2”, since from this position, the roads from Donetsk to Lugansk and from Donetsk to Gorlovka can be controlled. Depo.ua published a map of this position:

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They also published a marked screenshot from Google maps here:

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o Phone Call Between Trump and Poroshenko A scheduled phone call today between President Donald Trump and President Petro Poroshenko was eagerly awaited by those watching Ukraine to see if Trump would mention sanctions on Russia. He didn’t.

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As with the read-outs by the White House and the Kremlin on the Trump-Putin phone call last week, the read-outs differed. The White House press release doesn’t say anything about “calling for an immediate cease-fire”.

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But Poroshenko stressed that this was discussed in the Bankova version of the phone call:

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