Donbass, January 12th, 2018

The situation on the contact line in Donbass remains tense and pre-combat, Alexander Zakharchenko said. The Head of the Republic stated that the Ukrainian military-political leadership considers the unleashing of war in Donbass the only solution to its problems. He added that the situation at the front had deteriorated sharply in recent days. An increase in the number of violations of the truce is observed on the Donetsk and Gorlovka directions.

---

The Armed Forces of Ukraine violated the cease-fire regime 14 times in the Donetsk People’s Republic during the past day. 9 villages were subjected to shelling. They used mortars, infantry fighting vehicles and small arms. During the past day, Kiev forces opened fire on the positions of the People’s Militia near the village Logvinovo from mortars, grenade launchers and artillery guns.

---

As a result of the night shelling of the northern outskirts of Gorlovka from the positions of the AFU, the front village Golmovsky remained without power supply, the acting head of the city administration Ivan Prikhodko said.

---

Three civilians were wounded as a result of shelling from the position of the Ukrainian army in the village Spartak to the north of Donetsk and the village Dolomitnoe to the north of Gorlovka.

---

The DPR will raise the issue of the disparity in the number of prisoners handed over by Kiev, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko said. At the end of December 2017, the largest exchange of prisoners in Donbass was held. It was supposed to take place according to the formula «306 by 74». However, 73 people were transferred to the Lugansk People’s Republic, while the DPR — 165.

---

The Ukrainian forces, in violation of the Minsk agreements, placed mortars in Svetlodarsk and self-propelled guns near the settlement Kamyshevakha at a distance of eight kilometers from the contact line, the acting head of the People’s Militia Office of the LPR, the Colonel Mikhail Filiponenko said.