"Human shield" tactics is used by prorussian forces in Donbas
The most famous international investigative group of journalists and experts, Bellingcat, has identified exact locations in the occupied Donetsk used as launch sites for rocket systems Grad as they were shelling Avdiyivka January 31.
Bellingcat noted that “DPR” terrorists chose their missile launch sites near residential areas, thus endangering the civilians.
Militants fired at least 50 shells from the residential areas of Donetsk. Recent satellite photos and witness accounts confirm geolocation, which eventually helped to identify the exact launch sites of Grads.
Bellingcat quoted several users of social networks as writing that on January 31 the militants were firing from Grads from a bypass road near the Auchan hypermarket. Avdiyivka residents were writing in social networks of incoming explosions at the same time as the people in Donetsk were writing about the outgoing fire.
In addition, a correspondent of the Russian propaganda newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda mentioned that she heard Grads at the funeral of the leader of “Vostok” battalion Ivan "Greek" Balakay January 31.
Later a correspondent’s friend confirmed to her that Grads were continuously firing the previous night (overnight January 31), and that they were located near Auchan. A video from the funeral, published in the Vostok battalion’s community in VK social network, confirms that the church is located in a residential area south of the hypermarket. In the same area there is a Donetsk bypass road and a Cancer Clinic.
Besides, six videos were uploaded showing the usage of Grads near Donetsk on January 31, 2017 and February 1, 2017.
In total, the five videos published on 31 January 2017 show four different attacks with at least 60 launched rockets from the area. While we can only see this many rockets, the recorded sounds in the videos suggest that additional missiles were launched in these four attacks. At least two different launch locations were used for this attacks.
Source: UNIAN