Pro-Russian militants suffer heavy losses during fire exchange with Ukrainian troops in Donbas
On February 20, pro-Russian militants in the Donbas suffered heavy losses after their positions were shelled by the Ukrainian military, reports Ukrainian news outlet Censor.NET with reference to pro-Russian Telegram channels.
One channel, Sladkov+, wrote that after Ukraine slammed sanctions on Putin’s friend, Viktor Medvedchuk, the situation in the Donbas escalated. According to the channel, the losses of pro-Russian militants are more significant than officially reported.
This information has been confirmed by another Russian channel, Reporter Kotyeonok.
"About the situation in Horlivka, our losses: five 200s (killed), three 300s (wounded). The dugout was blown up. They [the Ukrainian forces] used a drone to direct the fire. "The shells were flying from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. The Donbas Post [artillery of pro-Russian militants] had to start working ahead of schedule. They [the Ukrainian military] are going to get a beating and shut up. After the dugout was blown up, the shells started flying in the opposite direction," the channel said.
According to Censor.NET, after the shelling near Horlivka, Russian forces had 5 dead and 3 wounded.
Ukrainian intelligence officer Sergei Neschadim said on Twitter that yesterday's losses of militants amounted to 9 people.
"The losses of the orcs [ militants] on 20.02.2021 amounted to 9 people: killed (200) - 9 (7 from 3d Separate Infantry Brigade of the 1st Corps, 1 filled from 2d Separate Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Corps, 1 from 7th Separate Infantry Brigade of the 2nd AK Corps. Circumstances are being clarified)," he wrote.
Earlier, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak, said that provocations took place in certain areas along the demarcation line. He noted that the purpose of such provocations by the militants is to create an image that Ukrainian troops are shelling residential areas using prohibited heavy weapons.
According to the Ukrainian military command, on February 20, the pro-Russian militants shelled Ukrainian positions and residential buildings near Horlivka. It was reported that one militant had been killed and several wounded when the Ukrainian troops returned fire.