3 Ukrainian soldiers killed in clashes
Iran Press TV
Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:32PM GMT
Three Ukrainian army troops have been killed and 27 others wounded during the latest clashes between pro-Russia protesters and Kiev soldiers in the country's east.
The leader of the self-proclaimed "Lugansk People's Republic," Valery Bolotov, claimed on Thursday that around 50 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the fighting over Lugansk airport, which is in the hands of government forces.
Ukrainian's "anti-terrorist operation" said that one soldier was killed late on Wednesday as pro-Russians opened fire at a truck carrying soldiers near Lugansk.
In a separate incident, two soldiers were killed and six wounded when their armored vehicle was blown up by a landmine near Donetsk, it also said.
According to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the conflict zone's size has been considerably reduced, following the retaking of pro-Russian-held cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
On Wednesday, Poroshenko promised to continue military operations against pro-Russia forces in the country's eastern regions.
On July 5, Ukrainian forces retook control of Slavyansk following overnight attacks. Andrei Purgin, deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said fighters only left Slavyansk to protect the civilian population.
Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking parts in the east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia activists and the Ukrainian army since the government in Kiev launched military operations in mid-April in a bid to crush the pro-Russia protests.
Violence intensified in May after the Donetsk and Lugansk regions held local referendums, in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the ongoing military campaign in Ukraine, which has also forced tens of thousands to escape to Russia.
SRK/AB
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