DONETSK, May 15. /TASS/. Four servicemen of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) were killed and 12 more were wounded in combat operations against Ukrainian forces during the past day, Eduard Basurin, deputy chief of the DPR People’s Militia, reported on Sunday.
"We regret to inform that four soldiers of the Donetsk People’s Republic were killed and 12 more were wounded while fighting for independence," the press service of the People’s Militia quoted him as saying on its Telegram channel.
According to Basurin, seven DPR settlements came under shelling by Ukrainian troops during the day. Two civilians were killed and one was wounded. Twenty dwelling houses and two infrastructure facilities were damaged. Ukrainian troops used Grad multiple missile launcher systems, artillery systems, and mortars.
He also said that during the day DPR forces neutralized 24 Ukrainian nationalists, destroyed four mortars, two armored vehicles and two trucks. One Ukrainian infantry carrier and an armored combat vehicle were seized.
Following a dramatic deterioration of the situation in Donbass on February 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 21 announced a decision to recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics within the boundaries of the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as is committed to paper in their constitutions. The treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual aid were signed with their leaders. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, but aimed to demilitarize and denazify the country. The republics began an operation to liberate their territories controlled by Kiev.