BANNER: Damaged home in Krasnohorivka (source)

Over the weekend, the conflict in Ukraine continued to take its toll on civilian life on both sides of the contact line. The Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), separatist media, and OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine reported five separate shelling incidents affecting residential areas from April 28–29.

On April 28, seven houses were damaged by assorted small arms fire, infantry fighting vehicles, and 120mm and 82mm mortar shells around the central park in government-controlled Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, just west of Donetsk city. The ATO reported that the mortars were fired from non-government-controlled Staromykhailivka, Donetsk Oblast, on the other side of the contact line from Krasnohorivka.

Additionally, videos and news reports concerning the damage in Krasnohorivka have been published online.

Another residential building nearby in non-government-controlled Makiivka (east of Donetsk city) sustained damaged after a shelling incident on April 28. A video showed extensive damage throughout the apartment building; locals assumed the damage was caused by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF).

On April 29, the OSCE SMM and Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) observed a “fresh” Minsk-proscribed 122mm artillery crater, likely from the night before, and damage to a school and residential building on Hrybojedova Street in non-government-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov), Luhansk Oblast. The damage was assessed to be from a north-westerly direction, suggesting that it was fired from a government-controlled area.

Additionally, the OSCE SMM observed a large hole and broken window on the northwest side of a residential building in non-government-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove), Donetsk Oblast on April 30. The SMM was unable to conduct a complete analysis of the incident due to security reasons.

The Ukrainian ATO reported that on April 29, Russian-led separatist forces fired Minsk-proscribed 120mm mortars in the Avdiivka area, damaging three residential buildings and infrastructure on Kirova Street in non-government-controlled Yasynuvata, Donetsk Oblast.

The Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area just north of Donetsk city is a known hot-spot on the line of contact, with high levels of activity recorded on a regular basis.

It is unlikely that either side intentionally targeted these residential areas, but rather that military positions are located nearby. All five residential areas have previously been affected by Minsk-proscribed heavy weapons fire in the past few months. Civilians still living in these areas are all, or nearly all, vulnerable pensioners who are unable and/or unwilling to relocate, leaving them in harm’s way. Luckily, in these five incidents, there were no reports of loss of civilian life.