Ukrainian military officials are saying the Russian backed rebels are using their artillery and direct fire gunnery to deliberately start fires in built up areas in Donetsk and Lugansk, according to Russian language sources.
A news report which appeared in lb.ua quoted a Ukrainian military officials saying that rebel artillery and small arms fire in Zaitsevo and in Stanitsa Luganskaya causing the fires, are being set on purpose. The rebels were using the prevailing eastern winds in the region to blow fires toward built up areas and in areas where Ukrainian troops are dug in.
According to another lb.ua report, almost 75 acres of forest were burned in Lugansk due to rebel overnight gunfire.
In Zaitsevo, Ukrainian military officials released images they say are of residential buildings damaged by fire. According to that report, Ukrainian forces did not return fire.
Yet another lb.ua report said that rebel overnight attacks in Avdievka lasted until midnight. Ukrainian officials said their forces responded with counterbattery fire and suppressed the rebel artillery.
The same report also stated that mortar and direct fire heavy weapons were fired at Zaitsevo for nearly two hours.
In Lugansk, rebel mortar fire was reported in Krymskoye and Novotoshkovsk areas. Rebels fired heavy machine gun fire into Novoaleksandrovka and Stanitsa Luganskaya.
In southern Donetsk, rebel mortar fire landed on Vodnovo and in Shirokino.
Rebel media said that Ukrainian forces hit Bezymennoye with 122mm rocket artillery overnight. The attack came a day after Ukrainian forces said that the rebels used 122mm rocket artillery Monday to Tuesday night near Peski, for a total of 16 rounds.
Rebel media said the Ukrainians fired 10 rounds at their forces. Bezymennoye is in the south in the Mariupol region. The artillery fire came from the direction of Shirokino. The report said that a joint Russian/Ukrainian observation post was nearby when the Bezymennoye attack took place.
Rebel media said that the charge that they used 122mm rocket artillery is a lie.
A separate rebel report said that Ukrainian artillery in Gorlovka, Yasinovatskaya, and the village of Gorky damaged or destroyed 11 residential buildings. All the Ukrainian artillery fire reported took place overnight.