After the Ukrainian Armed Forces were forced to give up Checkpoint 32 along the Bakhmutka highway (the Luhansk-Lysychansk road) media sources are reporting increased military pressure from the Russian and Separatist forces on Checkpoint 31 which is north-west from Checkpoint 32 along the same road.

http://www.ukraineatwar.blogspot.nl/

Zik.au posted the following article (November 1)

“The strategic 31st Checkpoint has been entrapped by overpowering enemy forces. Since 6:00 on Nov. 1, the checkpoint has been under massive shelling by the Russia-led troops, military expert Yury Butusov writes on Facebook Nov. 1.

The enemy entrapment may be tightened any time, following the similar scenario a week ago with Checkpoint 32.

The enemy force includes units of Cossacks, Russian regulars posing as mercenaries and local separatists, numbering totally 1,000 servicemen. The enemy has 20 tanks, 50 APCs, 2 Grad missile batteries, 1 D-30 howitzer battery, 2-3 mortar batteries, engineer detachments with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. The enemy force is under the Russian army command.

Ukraine army has insignificant forces in the area. Heavy artillery and tanks had been withdrawn from the buffer zone according to the Minsk agreements. The number of defending Ukrainian troops is several scores of servicemen.

The major cause of such pitiable situation is that the Ukraine command abides by the cease-fire agreement and has left Checkpoint 31 without any artillery support. The cease-fire should not be maintained in areas where the enemy is attacking, the expert writes. Russian mercenaries can be stopped only by massive losses, the expert writes.”

And Ukrinform.au published the following article (November 3) quoting the official ATO press centre:

“On Monday, November 3, militants launched an ultimatum, demanding that the personnel from the 31st roadblock in Luhansk region left the position. In response, the terrorists got the fire volley.

The ATO press center notes.

“At 7.30 a.m., terrorists launched another ultimatum to the personnel, who carry their service at the 31st roadblock, with the requirement to leave the object, then made five mortar rounds on the roadblock. In response, our artillery departments shelled the firing points of militants,” a report says.

The ATO forces are ready for any developments and carry out their tasks in accordance with a plan of the antiterrorist operation. An adequate answer will be given to any actions of militants, aimed at destabilizing the situation in the east of Ukraine.”

The information from the two sources is contradictory in terms of the availability of Ukrainian Artillery to support the troops at Checkpoint 31. However it seems clear that the Russians / Separatist forces are going to make a concerted effort to overrun the checkpoint, and that the ATO command is going to have to take  aggressive action if it intents to defend the checkpoint and avoid the situation that occurred at Checkpoint 32.

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