The lights went out in much of Mariupol this evening, Novosti Donbass reported.

About 21:00, three districts of the city completely lost power, and water pumps stopped working, so residents lost water pressure.

Residents heard several explosions around that time. But while separatists fired 16 times in the last 24 hours, they were all in Shirokino, said the local press service.

But at 21:35, the power was back on.

People were in a panic, Mariupol News said because they feared this was a harbinger of the sort of shelling they had January 24, when 30 people were killed. They said that usually when there are power losses, the street lights work, but this time there was no light either in buildings or on the streets.

The housing department said there was an accident on the power lines and was working to determine the reasons for the accident.

-- Catherine A. Fitzpatrick

Anatoly Vinogrodsky, a fighter from the Azov regiment, wrote on his Facebook page today that a member of the Dudayev Battalion, a unit formed of Chechens fighting on the Ukrainian side, was killed yesterday outside Stanitsa Luganskaya.

The deceased fighter went by the call sign Aktyor (actor).

The Interpreter translates:

Yesterday outside Stantisa Luganskaya we lost Aktyor. A fighter from the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion.

My friend, my blood brother.

Kolya...  In eternal memory.

-- Pierre Vaux

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) has reported observing 9K35 Strela-10 surface-to-air missile launchers in separatist-held territory in Oktyabr, north-east of Mariupol.

fetching tweet...

fetching tweet...

This is the closest to Mariupol that we have seen confirmed reports of such advanced anti-aircraft systems being deployed.

-- Pierre Vaux

The Ukrainian military's ATO Press Centre has issued its report on today's fighting. The Press Centre claims that Russian-backed forces have continued to press their attacks on key points of the front throughout the day, using heavy artillery and tanks.

According to the report, Ukrainian positions in Vodyanoye, Peski and Avdeyevka were attacked with artillery, mortars and small arms. The military also reported repeated sniper attacks.

In the Lugansk region, the town of Schastye came under fire from 122 mm mortars. In Zolotoye, to the west, Russian-backed forces conducted sniper attacks and fired on Ukrainian positions with automatic grenade launchers and small arms.

In Shirokino, east of Mariupol, Russian-backed forces reportedly employed tanks, 82 and 122 mm mortars, automatic grenade launchers and small arms in their attacks today.

Meanwhile extensive fighting has continued around Gorlovka and Artyomovsk, part of a developing pattern of increased hostilities in this area.

According to the report, Russian-backed forces fired on Kirovo, Leninskoye, Mayorsk and Popasnaya with automatic grenade launchers, machine guns and small arms. Outside Artyomovsk, the settlements of Lozovoye and Luganskoye, were shelled with 120 mm mortars. The Press Centre also claimed that anti-tank missiles and artillery had been fired at the Ukrainian-held front line village of Rassadky.

-- Pierre Vaux

Aleksandr Zakharchenko, the prime minister of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" has announced that he will recognize only four religions in the "republic" (translation by The Interpreter):

"I am Russian Orthodox, I go to church, for me the only church is the Moscow Patriarchate."

As head of state, I recognize four main confessions which should be present on this land. That is Russian Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Islam and Judaism. On the other hand, I will combat sectarianism harshly. I do not want the thoughts and minds of our youth to be occupied by pseudo religion.

This should all be taken into account under a law 'On Religion.'"

As we have reported, last year DNR forces kidnapped and killed four Protestant church members in Slavyansk, killed them and hid their graves, after making multiple threats against the church. Their bodies were discovered in a mass grave with other victims of the Russian-backed forces after the Ukrainian army liberated Slavyansk last July.

We have to wonder what Zakharchenko plans to do with the Buryat soldiers from Russia, who are Buddhists and who have been central to the DNR and LNR's campaigns, notably in Debaltsevo, if they remain in southeastern Ukraine.

The DNR ideology is similar but not identical to the Russian state under the 1997 law which only provides full freedoms to those faiths recognized by the Soviet government before 1985: Russian Orthodoxy, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism, but not Roman Catholicism.

-- Catherine A. Fitzpatrick