Parts of Lugansk retaken by Ukraine army
Iran Press TV
Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:31AM GMT
Ukraine says it has retaken parts of the eastern city of Lugansk from pro-Russian forces.
Ukraine's Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey said on Friday that Ukrainian army had taken control of the southeastern parts of the city, a statement on the president's website said, adding that troops had also surrounded the city's airport.
Lugansk city council says over 20 people have been killed in the operation.
Electricity and water supplies were also cut in much of Lugansk as shelling damaged an electricity substation in the region. An oil refinery in Lisichansk was also reportedly on fire.
There's no sign of a truce in Ukraine's eastern regions despite mounting pressure for a ceasefire following the crash of a Malaysian Airliner over Ukraine's east on Thursday, July 17.
The Boeing airliner, which was carrying 298 people, was en route from the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed.
Ukraine launched military operations in eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in mid-April to crush the pro-Russia protests there. Violence intensified in May after the two flashpoint 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 the country. Tens of thousands were also forced to escape to Russia, with the majority arriving in the Russian Rostov region.
MOS/HRB
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