LUGANSK, May 12. /TASS/. During the three-day truce, the Ukrainian army struck frontline settlements of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), causing civilian casualties, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.
"The situation at the line of engagement has not changed significantly and remains steadily tense. The enemy disregarded the proposed truce and continued attacks on the frontline towns of the Lugansk People's Republic. The terrorist actions of Ukrainian militants resulted in civilian casualties," Marochko said.
He added that prior to the ceasefire, Russian forces had been improving their tactical positions on the front line and targeting Ukrainian weapons and equipment. "The Ukrainian losses in the areas of responsibility of the battlegroups North, South and West during the reporting period amounted to about 4,800 Ukrainian fighters and mercenaries. The Battlegroup South inflicted the heaviest damage in manpower on the enemy," the military expert noted.
According to Marochko, Russian forces also destroyed 13 tanks, 50 field artillery guns, two multiple rocket launchers, 10 electronic and counter-battery warfare systems, 37 ammunition, fuel and materiel depots, as well as nearly 280 various enemy combat vehicles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared the ceasefire from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11 as part of events marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. All hostilities were suspended during this time. The president's decision was made for humanitarian purposes.