DPR victory Donetsk People's Republic Ukrainian Armed Forces Internal Affairs Ministry: Right Sector Donbass People's Militia: Post-Minsk II conflict Attacks on civilians Related The Battle in Shakhtarsk Raion began on 16 July 2014, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to cut off the Russian backed separatists’ supply lines from Russia.

War reached Shakhtarsk Raion on 16 July, after separatists retreated from most of northern Donetsk Oblast.

Fighting took place across the raion, in an attempt by the government to cut-off insurgent supply lines, and to reach the crash site of the civilian Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 which had been shot down by pro-Russian forces.

DPR-affiliated separatists launched an offensive on neighbouring government-controlled Marynivka from village of Stepanivka on 16 July.

Insurgents launched an offensive on National Guard of Ukraine positions in the town on 16 July, after breaking through encirclement by government forces in neighbouring Stepanivka.

On the day after the first insurgent offensive, government forces repelled another four attacks, and destroyed three tanks, two armoured personnel carriers, and two other combat vehicles.

[citation needed] Savur-Mohyla is a strategically important hill near the Russia–Ukraine border, and overlooks the villages of Dmytrivka and Marynivka.

Insurgent commander Igor Girkin said that DPR fighters shot down one of the planes, and that the pilot ejected.

[20] A spokesman for the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine said on 6 August that Ukrainian forces on Savur-Mohyla had come into contact with pro-Russian insurgents twenty-five times in the past twenty-four hours.

Air raid sirens were heard, heavy fighting erupted, and street battles took place across the city.

Many civilians left their homes to escape the fighting, and whilst those that remained became emotionally distressed because of constant overnight artillery bombardment.

Violence had occurred in Snizhne prior to the battle, including a rocket attack by an aeroplane on 15 July that killed at least eleven people and damaged many homes.

[33] Clashes on the outskirts of the city continued on 7 August, after Ukrainian soldiers tried to relieve their encircled comrades near the town.

[citation needed] Ukrainian forces advanced toward Torez again on 8 August, in an effort to prevent insurgent attacks on their positions at Savur-Mohyla.

[37] Ukrainian forces destroyed eleven Grad rocket systems, three tanks, and five armoured vehicles used by the insurgents in Snizhne on 21 August.