Andriy Lysenko, a Ukrainian military spokesman, said March 8 that one Ukrainian soldier was killed and three wounded in attacks by separatists in the eastern war zone.
While the intensity
of fighting dropped over the last 24 hours, fighting remains at the front line, Lysenko said. He said the Ukrainian-held city of Pisky, Avdiivka and Shirokine continue to be attacked mortars and artillery.
Lysenko said separatist
forces are regrouping and moving soldiers as well as heavy arms for likely strikes in the future in violation of the Feb. 12 Minsk II cease-fire agreement.
The State Border Guard Service reports eight drones flying over the Mariupol
district were observed and 18 unmanned surveillance aircrafts were detected on
the conflict territory.
Ukrainian partisans from
the Shadow group wounded Aleksey Mozgovoy, a separatist brigade chief,
Ukrayinska Pravda reports. They used three mines for their attempt to kill a
senior rebel officer, but he survived.
The situation remains tense
in areas along the front and much infrastructure has been damaged by shelling. Ukrainian forces are working on repairs, according to Lysenko.
Meanwhile, Vadym
Prystayko from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Kyiv is ready to negotiations
with the Donbas representatives – not the separatist-minded rebels, but those
who will be elected for the mission by the local population, Interfax Ukraine
news agency reports.
“We can’t and we
won’t talk to the (separatists’) military officers,” he said.
“There should be
elections and those who will win will represent the region and participate in
the further political process,” Prystayko added.
He emphasized, elections could only take place after the rebels take their forces away from the demarcation line under the control of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
