DONETSK, August 24 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s army is using mobile mortar teams to shell downtown Donetsk, Volodymyr Konovalov, the defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said Sunday.
“Kiev is using the cowardly tactics of mortar teams. They fire 10-20 shells and retreat. The city is big, they are moving, there are enough places where they can hide,” Konovalov said.
On Saturday, a mortar attack hit the center of Donetsk, killing a nine-year-old girl, the official reminded.
Since mid-April, Kiev authorities have been conducting a special military operation in the east of Ukraine to crack down on independence supporters that refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the new government. Over 2,000 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured since the start of Kiev’s offensive, according to the United Nations.