1 Ukrainian Soldier KIA; 6 WIA; 4 Civilians Injured in Kamenka and Maryinka; 1 Separatist Fighter KIA, 1 WIA

Commandant's office shelled June 8, 2017, Sartana. Photo via Oleh Slobodyan, Ukrainian Border Guards Service

Ukraine Day 1207: LIVE UPDATES BELOW. Today, 1 Ukrainian soldier was killed today and 6 wounded; 4 civilians were wounded; 1 separatist fighter was killed and 1 wounded.

Yesterday’s coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here.

An Invasion By Any Other Name: The Kremlinâ€™s Dirty War in Ukraine

1 Ukrainian Soldier KIA, 6 WIA, 3 Concussed; 4 Civilians Wounded; 1 Separatist Fighter Killed, 1 Wounded

2017-06-09 04:44:36

Building damaged in Kamenka June 8, 2017. Photo by Ros

Russia-backed militants fired on Kamenka today, wounding a 15-year-old teenager, Unian.net reported, citing the National Police of Donetsk Region. He was taken to the hospital in Avdeyevka, then transerred to the hospital in Pokrovskoye. The boy was at his home on Svobody Street when he was hit by shrapnels from artillery fire, sustaining wounds in both legs and his chest.

Oleh Slobodyan, an aide to the chair of the State Border Service, posted photos on his Facebook page showing buildings damaged by Russia-backed shelling of Ukrainian positions in Sartana near Pavlopol. He said the Sartana commandant’s office took more than 40 shells, and the building and several vehicles were damaged. Three soldiers suffered concussions.

The Ukrainian military said the situation was “under control” but heavy fighting appeared to continue with 18 attacks by Russia-backed forces, Unian.net reported. One Ukrainian soldier was killed and 6 wounded.

On the Maritime line, there were attacks on Shirokino with 120-mm mortars and small arms and Maryinka with 82-mm mortars, heavy machine guns and small arms.

Vyacheslav Abroskin, head of the National Police in Donetsk Region also reported two civilians, a woman, born 1997, and man, born 1946, injured by shrapnel in Maryinka and taken to the hospital; according to Unian. The girl had been walking down the street and the man had been riding his bike when the shells struck them.

In addition, the ATO reported that a 50-year-old woman was wounded in Maryinka and taken to the hospital in Kurakhovo.

On the Donetsk line, Avdeyevka was shelled with 82-mm and 120-mm mortars, grenades and small arms; 82-mm mortars were fired on Zaytsevo and Verkhnyetoretskoye. Grenade-launchers were used to attack Mayorsk, Luganskoye, Zaytsevo and Verkhnyetoretskoye.

On the Lugansk line, compared to yesterday, the situation was more stable. Militants attacked Ukrainian positions near Trykhizbenka with 120-mm mortar-launchers; Katerinovka was also struck. Small arms were used near Nizhnyetyploye and anti-tank grenades were fired on Popasnaya.

The separatist news service DAN-Info said 1 fighter from the self-declared “Donetsk People’s Republic” was killed and another was wounded, according to self-styled deputy commander Eduard Basurin.

He did not confirm the reports from Ukrainian military yesterday that the DNR suffered up to 25 casualties, including 11 killed.

He also said 8 homes were damaged outside of Yasinovataya.

About 3-4 days of reserve water are left in Donetsk Region, Unian reported, citing Svoboda.

Militants have not stopped shelling the area of the Donetsk Filtration Station so that repair crews can get in.

The 7 soldiers wounded in yesterday’s battle on the Bakhmutka highway at Zholobok were brought to the military hospital in Dnipro. Some are in serious condition, a few were able to give interviews, Unian.net reported.

One man whose name was given as Igor, age 26, is in the most serious condition with internal bleeding and numerous shrapnel wounds throughout his body. Several teams of surgeons have been battling for his life.

The soldiers, who were from the 93rd Brigade, said Russia-backed forces fired on them for five hours straight.

Nikolai Smirnov, whose head was wrapped in bandages told reporters (translation by The Interpreter):

“They sent up drones which hung over us and pounded us with artillery on target. They pounded with all calibers of weapons. The front was 180 degrees, sometimes more. They wanted to cut us off.”

Doctors say he was lucky that the shrapnel shot straight through the back of his head so that he has not suffered brain damage. He had previously been severely wounded at the battle of Slavyansk in 2014, and already had pieces of shrapnel in his head.

Another soldier said that he didn’t even hear the whistling of the shells, but only felt a sudden heavy explosion and his head hurt badly. “When I opened my eyes, I was on my knees in a trench, which was filled with blood.”

Two other wounded soldiers will have to have opthomologists remove shrapnel from their eyes.

— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick

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