8th April, 2015
Two soldiers and a pro-Russian rebel were killed in the last 24 hours in eastern Ukraine where isolated clashes continue in breach of a truce to end the yearlong war, officials on both sides said Wednesday.
Two army troops died and four were injured, army spokesman Andriy Lysenko said without giving any details. He also accused separatist rebels of violating a February ceasefire a dozen times during the same period, saying rebels used heavy weapons including mortars.
The separatist news agency for its part said one fighter had been killed and three injured in the past day.
It accused the Ukraine army of 45 attacks on rebel positions and of using “tank cannons, mortars and light weapons”.
Army spokesman Lysenko also said Russia was continuing to supply weapons to the rebels and that the army had recorded the “movement of a column of military equipment of the enemy which included 10 tanks.”
Military equipment was pouring into the separatist-controlled city of Debaltseve, he added.
More than 6,000 people have been killed and the economy shattered since the conflict began a year ago this week.