Seven Ukraine's troops killed, eight wounded in military convoy attack near Kramatorsk - Defense Ministry
13 May 2014, 19:14 -- The number of Ukrainian paratroopers from the 95th Airmobile Brigade killed in a Tuesday battle with self-defense forces near Kramatorsk, the Donetsk region, has risen to 7, the Ukrainian Security Service reported.
A paratrooper who was badly wounded in the skirmish died while being transported to a hospital on board a helicopter.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry had reported earlier that six Ukrainian military servicemen had been killed and eight others wounded as armed opponents to the Kiev junta authorities attacked a Ukrainian armed forces convoy near Kramatorsk.
'A total of six servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces died in a lengthy fight. Eight others sustained wounds of varying degrees. One has been wounded seriously,' the ministry said in a statement posted on its website. The convoy was attacked on the outskirts of the village of Oktyabrske in the Slovyansk district, about 20 kilometers away from Kramatorsk.
'One of the military convoys [:] came under fire from an ambush while moving. The self-defense forces attacked Ukrainian paratroopers with grenade launchers, and they provided a high volume of accurate fire,' the Defense Ministry said.
Over 30 attackers had arrived at the scene beforehand and were deployed in bushes along the river. 'The first grenade launcher round hit an APC's engine that was approaching the bridge, which caused an explosion. Another APC tried to push the damaged fighting vehicle engulfed in fire further away from the village. The servicemen decided to engage in a fight,' the Defense Ministry said. All those killed and injured have been evacuated from the battle scene, it said. The headquarters of the Donetsk forces had reported earlier that two armored personnel carriers belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces had been destroyed.
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