Ukraine says soldier killed near Donetsk
Ukraine says shrapnel from a mortar round, allegedly fired by pro-Russia forces, has killed one of Kiev’s soldiers near the ruins of an airport in the restive Donetsk region.
"Yesterday, the positions of the Ukrainian army near Pisky and Opytne came under fire that killed one Ukrainian soldier," Kiev’s military spokesman Oleksandr Zavtonov told AFP on Tuesday.
However, the pro-Russia forces gave another account.
"The airport has been under fire for more than an hour. They shot from mortar launchers and guns," the military spokesman for pro-Russia forces, Eduard Basurin, said in response to Kiev’s claim.
The fresh exchange of mortar fire once again underscored a shaky ceasefire between the two warring sides.
"Shells flew over our house," a resident of the nearby Oktyabrsky district who agreed to identify himself only as Sergiy for security reasons, said.
"We heard mortar fire this morning. The situation has calmed down a bit and I left without waiting for the violence to resume."
This is the fifth Ukrainian soldier reportedly killed in combat since September 1.
Ukraine and the pro-Russians accuse one another of violation of the ceasefire on numerous occasions.
A renewed truce deal, known as the Minsk agreement, was agreed upon between the two sides two months ago, which had calmed fighting after 18 months of almost daily clashes between them.
On September 1, the warring sides pledged anew to implement the ceasefire agreement reached in the Belorussian capital city of Minsk in February.
The most crucial part of the Minsk agreement is that Donetsk and Lugansk will be granted more autonomy from Kiev through local elections slated for 2015, but later postponed to early next year.
About 8,000 people have been killed in the Ukrainian conflict, according to the UN.
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