Situation report for February 3: Intensity of fire increased along the frontline

Opponents of the central government started moving their armored vehicles and artillery from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic to Debaltseve in the Donetsk oblast, said soldier from the Aidar battalion Andriy Lebid, currently deployed near the village of Shchastya in Luhansk oblast.

“Manpower maneuvers started three days ago, and today our airborne intelligence noticed motor convoys moving towards Debaltseve,” he said.

Lebid also said that in recent days militants have increased the intensity of shelling of infrastructure facilities located on the territory controlled by Ukrainian government.

Representatives of the Press Service of the ATO also mentioned the increasing intensity of fire on all fronts. Head of the Press Center Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said that on Tuesday after massive shelling the militants tried to assault control points and roadblocks near Shumy, Sanzharivka, Kommuna, Ridkodub, Stanytsya Luhanska and Chernukhino in Donetsk oblast. Motuzyanyk argues that all militant attacks were held off.

However, Deputy Commanding Officer of the Army Corps of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Eduard Basurin reported that the DPR’s troops secured control over Chernukhino.

“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Chernukhino has passed under our control,” he said at a press conference, the video of which was posted on the website of the Ministry of Information of the DPR. The press center of the ATO could not comment on the information.

“Such information is fake, but I cannot deny or confirm it,” said Motuzyanyk.

“The situation in Mariupol direction is rather calm,” said officer of the press group in the M sector of the ATO zone Dmytro Chaliy. He noted that during the day terrorists shelled positions near Chermalyk and Nikolayevka, there were no casualties. He added that one enemy mortar with its maintenance crew was destroyed in retaliation fire.

Officials in the DPR acknowledged shortage of personnel, but decided to substitute the general mobilization, announced yesterday, with a voluntary draft. Head of the self-proclaimed republic Alexander Zakharchenko said that the statement on general mobilization was made “to make it easier to deliver the message to the population”.

“We will recruit volunteers for certain types of troops and specialties, mostly people with military experience. The main problem is the lack of infantry,” he said at a press conference, the video which was posted on the web-site of the Ministry of Information of the DPR.

On Wednesday and Thursday the OSCE will help organize a green corridor to evacuate people from Debaltseve, according to the message posted on Facebook page of the Povernys Zhyvym volunteer foundation. It should be noted that Uglegorks – Pereklichka public forum in Vkontakte social network announced the beginning of transportation of people to the territory controlled by the DPR, in particular, to Yenakiyevo.

Official authorities of the Donetsk oblast still help people get out from the dangerous areas in the region. Head of the Press Service of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration Ilya Suzdalev told Capital that organized transportation started on January 28. “Buses run between settlements, but we give information about the exact number of people and places from which they were evacuated only after they are safe. Those are precautionary measures,” he said.

Suzdalev said that some people were evacuated to the railway stations in Kostyantynivka and Slavyansk, where the State Service for Emergency Situations opened its transfer points. After registration people are offered accommodation in other regions of the country.