2 soldiers killed, 11 wounded in east Ukraine clashes
Ukraine has blamed pro-Russia forces in its east for the killing of two soldiers, saying heavy weaponry is being used against its troops on the frontlines.
“As a result of fighting, two Ukrainian servicemen were killed and another eight were wounded,” Ukrainian military spokesman, Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, said on Saturday, adding that militants have used 82- and 120-millimeter caliber mortars to hit military positions near the city of Donetsk.
Under a peace agreement reached last year, the use of heavy weaponry on the frontlines is prohibited so that calm can be restored to volatile areas in eastern Ukraine. Both Kiev and militants have accused each other of breaching the terms of the deal, which was also signed by Russia, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on February 12, 2015.
Motuzyanyk, who was briefing reporters on the developments in war-torn east, said the government-held town of Avdiivka, located about 10 kilometers (six miles) north of Donetsk, came under fire over the past 24 hours, adding there were almost no quiet areas on the frontline.
He said another three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in a blast caused by an unidentified explosive device.
According to the United Nations, more than 9,000 people have been killed and over 20,000 injured since the violence erupted in east Ukraine over 23 months ago.
Kiev has accused Moscow of having a major hand in the conflict. Russia denies the allegations, saying, however, that it will continue to support the ethnic-Russian population in eastern Ukraine against what it calls the continued suppression of people’s rights by the government.
A recent statement from Ukraine, which was confirmed by officials in the United States, again accused Russia of having a direct military involvement in Ukraine’s Donbass region.
Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denied the accusation on Saturday, saying there are no Russian troops in the area. He said there are Russian citizens who stand by local residents.
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