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DPR defence ministry says its positions shelled by Ukraine’s Azov battalion

Eduard Basurin, the ministry’s spokesman, said skirmished had been reported in the vicinity of the settlement of Shirokino overnight to Sunday

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. The defence ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic /DPR/ said on Sunday its positions had been shelled from the positions of Ukraine’s battalion Azov.

Eduard Basurin, the ministry’s spokesman, said skirmished had been reported in the vicinity of the settlement of Shirokino overnight to Sunday. The Ukrainian media, in his words, placed responsibility on the DPR militias.

"According to our reconnaissance, a verbal radio exchange took place at about three in the night between two (Ukrainian army) commanders. Later, mortar fire was opened from an Azov battalion position. The shell hit the vicinity of the positions of another unit of the Ukrainian army," Basurin said.

Later on, a group of Ukraine’s national guards in a tank headed towards the positions of the other unit to have it out with their mates but was met by blocking fire. "According to our reconnaissance, several Ukrainian soldiers were killed in this raid," Basurin said.

"After that, from five in the morning, storm fire was opened at our positions from the Azov positions west of Shirokino. One militiaman was killed and two more were wounded," he said.

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