Ukrainian Mi-24 attack helicopter shot down near Slavyansk - defense ministry
5 May 2014, 18:19 -- A Ukrainian army Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter was shot down on Monday near the eastern city of Slavyansk where armed clashes between regular troops and pro-federalization protesters are underway, the defense ministry said.
'Today, May 5, about 14:30 local time, a Ukrainian Mi-24 military helicopter was shot down during a combat patrol mission near Slavyansk,' the ministry said in statement. According to the statement, the gunship crashed into a river, but the crew survived and were transported to a nearby military camp.
The ministry said the attackers used a heavy machine gun to down the aircraft. Slavyansk has remained a hotspot of clashes between pro-federalization protesters and government troops in Ukraine's restive southeast.
According to recent reports by protesters, ten people were killed in a military attack on a roadblock near Slavyansk. Last Friday, self-defense forces managed to down three helicopters as troops supporting the coup-imposed government in Kiev intensified their punitive operations in southeastern Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on Kiev to immediately halt the crackdown, saying it was a breach of its responsibilities under the April 17 Geneva accords providing for the de-escalation of the Ukrainian crisis and has jeopardized the implementation of the agreement.
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