Due to the escalation on the touch line, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov, Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko and Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak.

In the past few days, Russian terrorist troops intensified artillery shelling. On August 9, there were 127 violations of the ceasefire regime. At 3:27, approximately 200 militants went into offensive with tanks in the area of Novolaspa, Donetsk region. According to Viktor Muzhenko, Ukrainian troops fought the enemy off. All attacks were repulsed. Ukrainian troops regained dominating ground. The enemy suffered significant losses.

Pursuant to the President’s instruction, ATO commanders arrived at the battlefield. Ukrainian troops established full control over the situation.

The President instructed to inform the OSCE and the JCCC about all violations of the ceasefire regime by militants. It was also advised to involve the OSCE mission in the monitoring of the situation in order to prevent shelling in the future. Ukraine links the attempt of night attack and intensified shelling to yesterday’s provocations against the OSCE SMM in Donetsk aimed at obstruction of their activities.