Kyiv reports situation in Donbas improves

The situation in the military operation zone in southeastern Ukraine began to improve on September 1, Ukrainian presidential spokesman for military operation issues Andriy Lysenko said.

"The enemy did not use heavy weapons for the first time in several months," Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

However, he added that, according to information of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Chief Intelligence Directorate, the militias were allowed to use artillery at night.

The situation was absolutely quiet in the Luhansk sector on September 1, he said.

In the Donetsk sector clashes occurred in Svitlodarska duha (Troitske, Luhanske), Verkhniotoretske, the Avdiyivka industrial area and Nevelske from 10.00 a.m. to 06.30 p.m. on Thursday, he said.

Lysenko said that fire was opened only from mortars and small arms. "The enemy's unmanned aerial vehicle also conducted a reconnaissance flight over the Donetsk sector yesterday," he added.

Fire was opened three times in the Mariupol sector, in Maryinka and Hranitne, lasting from ten to 30 minutes, he said. The enemy used only small arms, Lysenko said.

In turn, self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) militants spokesman Andrei Marochko said that Ukrainian troops observe the ceasefire regime along the entire contact line in Donbas.

"The situation stabilized in 24 hours. No shelling of LPR territory were reported in 24 hours from September 1 util September 2, the ceasefire regime was observed along the entire contact line," Marochko told reporters on Friday.

"This gives hope for further development of the trend of transition to a peaceful dialogue, he said.

As reported, the conflict sides declared the indefinite ceasefire on midnight of September 1 due to the beginning of a new school year.