Over the past day, Russia-backed militants 71 times have fired on the positions of Ukrainian military in the area of the anti-terrorist operation, including 30 times in the Donetsk sector, 26 times in the Mariupol sector, and 15 - in the Lugansk sector.
The ATO press center said in a release on 3 August that terrorists fired from 11:00 am to 20:00 mortars at residential areas outside Donetsk. As of the morning of 3 August, there were 11 counts of shelling of the residential areas of Avdiyivka, Opytne and Zaitsevo. In the 85-minute shelling attack, the militants released 85 mortar rounds, including eight made from 120 mm mortars, prohibited by the Minsk agreements.
In the Donetsk sector, the separatists continued armed provocations along Krasnohorivka - Avdiyivka – Horlivka area. The militants used 120- and 82-mm mortars, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms and infantry fighting vehicle weaponry in the vicinity of Luhanske and Mayorsk. The hottest spot was in Zaitseve, where the enemy used heavyweight artillery, forbidden by Minsk agreements.
In the Mariupol sector, especially in Krasnohorivka, the enemy shelled Ukrainian strongholds from mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. Outside Mariyinka, Shyrokyno and Talakivka and Vodyane separatists used the weaponry of armoured infantry vehicles, and a tank and sniper fire was recorded in Mariyinka.
In the Luhansk sector, the enemy shot mortars and grenade launchers at Novozvanivka and Krymske. Novooleksandrivka and Zolote came under grenade fire. Near Stanytsya Luhanska the enemy applied AIFs. Novozvanivka was under sniper fire.
The ATO troops spotted enemy reconnaissance drones in the vicinity of Donetsk.
Earlier, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated expectations that a progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements will be achieved by September.