This is a timeline of the war in Donbas, from 1 January 2017. The timeline follows an ongoing conflict between Ukraine and anti-government pro-Russian separatists supported by Russian troops in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
January–March 7 January: The ATO HQ reported in the morning that pro-Russian troops had opened fire on 72 occasions on Ukrainian positions on Orthodox Christmas Day. Six Ukrainian servicemen were wounded. In the northern section of the demarcation line, 82 mm and 120 mm mortar volleys landed in Troitske, while Ukrainian redoubts at Novooleksandrivka and Novozvanivka were struck by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. Around Donetsk city, pro-Russian armoured fighting vehicles, supported by 82 mm mortars, opened fire on Ukrainian forces at Troitske. Nearby Pisky and Avdiivka became the target of small arms and rocket launchers. The same kind of weapons were used against Ukrainian troops at Luhanske, in the area of Horlivka. Three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded. Another pro-Russian incursion was repelled at Avdiivka. The official news agency of Donetsk People's Republic said that Ukrainian tanks shelled Leninske and Kominternove late on Orthodox Christmas Eve. 8 January: The spokesman of the Ukrainian operational headquarters reported that pro-Russian troops had opened fire on 51 occasions on Ukrainian positions, including on 11 occasions in the outskirts of Donetsk city, on 30 occasions in the region of Mariupol, and on 10 occasions in Luhansk region. Three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded. The spokesman of the Presidential Administration on issues related to ATO reported at noon that five Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in the Donbas region on 8 January. Pro-Russian officials at Donetsk city reported that Ukrainian forces opened fire on 521 occasions on rebel positions using small arms, grenade launchers, 82 mm mortars, 120 mm mortars, armoured fighting vehicles and tanks. The Ukrainian military attacked Zheleznaya Balka, Zaitseve, Dzerzhinsky, Yasinuvata, Oleksandrivka, Luhanske, Kominternove, Leninske and Sahanka. Ukrainian forces broke the ceasefire two times within the boundaries of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, according to local sources. Armoured fighting vehicles from Luhanske, supported by 120 mm mortars, engaged pro-Russian positions at Lohvynove. Kalinivka was attacked with small arms, automatic grenade launchers and 82 mm mortars firing from Luhanske. According to the information published by the ATO press-centre in the evening, as of 6:00 pm pro-Russian forces had opened fire on Ukrainian positions 28 occasions. Pro-Russian tanks engaged Ukrainian redoubts at Talakivka, in the region of Mariupol. In the same area, 122 mm artillery barrages landed in Shyrokyne, which also became the target of small arms and grenade launchers. Mortar volleys hit Hnutove, Vodiane, Shyrokyne and Troitske. Shyrokyne also came under fire from armoured fighting vehicles, while small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire was reported at Pavlopil and Hnutove. In the northern section of the demarcation line, Ukrainian forces at Troitske were the target of 82 mm mortar and sniper fire. The rebels fired heavy machine guns at Novozvanivka. Around Donetsk city, the Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka came under small arms fire and was shelled with rocket launchers and 82 mm mortars. Nearby Marinka was fired at from armoured fighting vehicles. In the area of Horlivka, Ukrainian troops at Zaitseve were harassed with small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire, while armoured fighting vehicles attacked Luhanske. Three soldiers were reported wounded. Later in the evening, the ATO HQ reported that three Ukrainian servicemen became missing along the demarcation line. The servicemen were marines operating in the region of Mariupol. On 12 January the ATO spokesman said, that it is impossible to confirm or deny the deaths of three Ukrainian marines who went missing on 8 January without prior identification and forensic examinations. The Ukrainian Naval Forces revealed the names of three marines killed on 13 January. 12 January: According to the information provided by the spokesman of the Ukrainian operational headquarters, pro-Russian troops had opened fire on 78 occasions on Ukrainian positions by the end of the day (including on 16 occasions in the outskirts of Donetsk city, on 36 occasions in the region of Mariupol, and on 26 occasions in Luhansk region). Three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded. The casualties occurred in the area around Popasna. According to the information published by the ATO press-centre on their Facebook page in the evening, as of 6:00 pm pro-Russian forces had opened fire on Ukrainian positions 38 occasions. In the region of Mariupol, pro-Russian armoured fighting vehicles engaged Ukrainian forces at Talakivka. Pavlopil, Hnutove and Shyrokyne came under small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire. Sniper fire was reported at Shyrokyne. Around Donetsk city and Horlivka, rebel troops fired small arms, rocket launchers and mortars at Kamyanka, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Troitske, Luhanske and Zaitseve. In the northern sector of the demarcation line, 82 mm mortar barrages landed in Krymske and Ukrainian outposts at Zolote were fired at from small arms and grenade launchers. Ukrainian troops at Novooleksandrivka and Novozvanivka came under small arms fire. Three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded. 29 January: Beginning of the Battle of Avdiivka. The press center of the ATO HQ reported later in the morning that Ukrainian troops had suffered losses when pro-Russian forces launched an assault on Ukrainian positions in the industrial area of Avdiivka in the night of 28 January. The same sources told the press in the evening that as of 6:00 pm pro-Russian troops had opened fire on Ukrainian positions on 22 occasions. In the region of Mariupol, rebel forces fired small arms and grenade launchers at Hnutove, Pavlopil, Vodiane, Shyrokyne and Talakivka, Shyrokyne was also attacked by armoured fighting vehicles. Around Donetsk city, pro-Russian forces broke through the Ukrainian lines in Avdiivka twice, but their assaults were beaten off. Mortar volleys landed in Kamyanka, Opytne and Avdiivka, while pro-Russian tanks opened fire on Ukrainian redoubts in Pisky. Hostile tanks also attacked Novhorodske, west of Horlivka. In the same area, Luhanske and Zaitseve came under mortar fire. Four Ukrainian servicemen were killed and five others were wounded amid heavy fighting in Avdiivka. Five Ukrainian servicemen were killed, nine wounded and four injured in total in the Donbas. 30 January: The spokesman of the Ukrainian operational headquarters said that pro-Russian troops had opened fire on 71 occasions on Ukrainian positions (including on 40 occasions in the region of Mariupol, and on 10 occasions in Luhansk region). The spokesman of the Presidential Administration on issues related to ATO, Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, reported at noon that three Ukrainian servicemen were killed and twenty-four wounded and injured in the Donbas region on 30 January. Two of the fatalities occurred in Avdiivka, one in Opytne. Motuzyanyk also specified, that on 29 January not five but four Ukrainian soldiers were killed. Two civilians were injured by shelling in Avdiivka. One pro-Russian militant was captured by Ukrainian forces. Several attacks of pro-Russian forces on Ukrainian positions, that started in the area of Avdiivka at around 5:00 am, were beaten back by the Ukrainian military. The fighting between the warring parties continued on 30 January. Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed and five others wounded on the morning of 30 January. According to the information published by the ATO press-centre in the evening, as of 6:00 pm pro-Russian forces had opened fire on Ukrainian positions on 37 occasions. Around Donetsk city, pro-Russian tanks engaged the Ukrainian strongholds of Avdiivka and Pisky. Krasnohorivka was shelled with 82 mm mortars, while Nevelske, Opytne and Avdiivka became the target of small arms, rocket launchers, 82 mm mortars, 120 mm mortars, 122 mm and 152 mm self-propelled artillery. The same kind of weapons were used by the rebels to attack Luhanske, north of Horlivka. In the region of Mariupol, 152 mm artillery barrages landed in Vodiane, and 82 mm mortar volleys struck Lebedynske. Ukrainian troops at Pavlopil, Talakivka, Hnutove, Shyrokyne and Vodiane were engaged with small arms and grenade launchers. Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed, seventeen wounded, and three injured. A pro-Russian commander, two subordinates and two civilians were killed in Avdiivka, while a female civilian died to heavy shelling in Makiivka. 31 January: The ATO HQ reported that pro-Russian forces had opened fire on 86 occasions on Ukrainian positions (including on 45 occasions in the region of Mariupol and on 22 occasions in Luhansk region). The spokesman of the Presidential Administration on issues related to ATO reported at noon that one Ukrainian serviceman was killed in Tonenke and eighteen wounded (including 15 in Avdiivka) in action in the Donbas region on 31 January. Pro-Russian sources at Donetsk city reported that Ukrainian forces opened fire on 3,016 occasions on their positions using small arms, grenade launchers, 82 mm mortars, 120 mm mortars, armoured fighting vehicles, tanks, 122 mm self-propelled artillery, 152 mm self-propelled artillery and B-21 "Grad" multiple rocket launchers. The Ukrainian military targeted Donetsk city, Makiivka, Yasinuvata, Zaitseve, Nikolaevka, Krasnyi Partizan, Mykhailivka, Ozeryanivka, Shyroka Balka, Dolomitne, Holmivskyi, Yasinuvata, Spartak, Kruta Balka, Staromykhailivka, Oleksandrivka. Vasiliivka, Yakovlivka, Novomariivka, Bela Kamyanka, Sakhanka, Leninske, Dzerzhinsky and Kominternove. Two civilian residents were killed and five wounded. In the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, the Ukrainian military broke the ceasefire on eight occasions. Armoured fighting vehicles from Krymske engaged pro-Russian positions at Sokolniki, which also became the target of 120 mm mortar fire. Lohvynove and Kalinivka were shelled with 152 mm artillery firing from Luhanske and Mironovske, respectively. Smile received 82 mm mortar fire from Krymske, while 120 mm volleys fired from Novozvanivka landed in Kalynove. Pervomaisk was shelled with 82 mm mortars firing from Popasna. Fierce fighting continued on this date in and around the Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka, where a call for a local ceasefire was largely ignored by the warring parties. ATO spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk expressed his "worries" about the right flank of the Ukrainian defences around Avdiivka, which was stormed by pro-Russian tanks. Motuzyanyk described the action as the largest tank offensive in the area since the fall of Donetsk airport in rebel hands in January 2015. The tanks, gathered at Spartak, charged through the demarcation line at Butivka mining complex and Pisky. The evacuation of civilian residents from Avdiivka was scheduled for 1 February due to the lack of essential services in the town after the relentless pro-Russian bombardment since 29 January. The local hospital was already evacuated in the afternoon. Almost one hundred BM-21 "Grad" artillery rockets landed in Avdiivka throughout the day. Paul Zhebrivskyi, head of the civilian administration of Donetsk Oblast, declared the state of emergency in the war-torn town.