Situation report for February 10: Avdiyivka on the verge of humanitarian disaster

Photo: kramatorsk.info

Representatives of the Press Center of the ATO told Capital that today the town of Kramatorsk (Donetsk oblast) fell under the artillery strike. The town is the seat for the headquarters of the ATO and the oblast state administration.

«The town was attacked by the Grad multiple rocket launchers and Tornado cluster munitions. The pro-Russian separatists, who shelled the town, were located in Horlivka. There is no accurate information on the number of victims and the level of destruction yet,» said Speaker of the ATO Headquarters Anatoliy Stelmakh.

Based on preliminary reports, seven people were killed during the attack on the town, according to the updated information from the head of the Press Service of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration Ilya Suzdalev. 58 people were injured and wounded, including 5 children and 32 soldiers.

«At this moment, the issue of evacuation of the administration from Kramatorsk is not considered. The number of casualties and the level of property damage are still to be confirmed,» he said.

Today the ATO forces launched an offensive near Mariupol. Officer of the press group in the M sector of the ATO zone Dmytro Chaliy told Capital that the Ukrainian army started a mop-up operation in Shyrokove, Pavlopil, Lebedyno, Sakhanka and Oktyabrske.

«The ATO armor and the Sokil and Azov regiments of the National Guard started a military operation. No shelling of our positions was recorded today,» said Chaliy.

At the same time, the Ukrainian army is fighting battles in the village of Chernukhino. Representatives of the Press Service of the Head of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration Hennadiy Moskal reported on the armed stand-off.

«Several streets in the village are occupied by terrorists, most of the area, including the village council, is controlled by the Ukrainian military,» says the statement from the press service.

The situation in the Luhansk direction is still complicated. Soldier of the Aidar battalion Andriy Lebid, currently deployed near the village of Shchastya in Luhansk oblast, said in a conversation with Capital that the enemy forces were firing in direction of Tryokhizbenka, Krymske and Stanytsya Luhanska for the second day in a row.

«The situation is complicated and it has not changed since yesterday. We expect a massive artillery strike,» he said.

Humanitarian situation in Debaltseve and adjacent settlements remains tense. Volunteer Serhiy Sayenko says that on Tuesday the entrances to the town were blocked after the enemy forces established control over the Debaltseve — Artemivsk highway on Monday. He noted that Avdiyivka was on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe.

«There are many abandoned elderly people; we are trying to evacuate them. There is no power, heat, food or medicines in the town,» he said in a conversation with Capital.