On February 20, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin, announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) were firing from various multiple launch rocket systems.
He noted that in 2014 the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not have NATO weapons for shelling the civilian population. However, the situation has now “dramatically changed”.
“Expert studies of fragments seized during inspections of incident sites show that, in violation of all international norms, representatives of the armed formations of Ukraine are firing at settlements from various multiple launch rocket systems – from the Soviet “Grad”, “Hurricane” or “Smerch” to American HIMARS and Czech Vampire, ”Bastrykin quotes TASS.
The head of the UK said that 155 mm cannon artillery was also used – American M777 howitzers and French Caesar self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as 122 mm mortars.
On the eve of the Ukrainian militants fired 40 rockets from the MLRS in the Kyiv and Voroshilov regions of Donetsk in two minutes.
At the same time, the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, said that the Russian military destroyed three Ukrainian armored combat vehicles, six vehicles, D-20 and D-30 howitzers and a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery mount. The self-propelled launcher of the Ukrainian Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system was also eliminated. In addition, the RF Armed Forces destroyed two AN / TPQ-50 and AN / TPQ-36 counter-battery radars.
On the same day, Russian forces destroyed an American-made mobile radar station (RLS) for counter-battery combat near the village of Daryevka near Kherson.
On February 17, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired on the city of Rubizhne in the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) with 155 mm NATO artillery.
It was also reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired 119 rockets and shells towards the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) during the day. As a result, a civilian was injured.
The day before, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired three rockets from the HIMARS MLRS in the direction of the city of Yenakiyevo in the DPR.
Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Kiev against the backdrop of a special operation by the Russian Federation to protect Donbass, the decision on which was made against the backdrop of aggravation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
