Ukraine Says Separatist Attack Injures Three Soldiers
Three Ukrainian soldiers have been injured in a massive all-night attack carried out by hundreds of pro-Russian insurgents in the nation's restive east, authorities in Kiev said Wednesday.
The assault on a position held by the Ukrainian National Guard in the Lugansk region began Tuesday evening and lasted 10 hours, the interior ministry said, adding that six rebels were also killed in the fighting.
The 300 rebels who took part in the attack were armed with automatic weapons, rocket launchers and mortars, and the Ukrainian forces fought "to the last bullet," according to the ministry.
No report was immediately available from the pro-Russian separatists on casualties on their side.
Lugansk and other areas near Ukraine's border with Russia have been the scene of intense fighting in recent days.
On Monday, separatists tried to storm the regional command of the border guards in a battle that dragged on for the entire day.
Also on Monday, separatists claim their positions in Lugansk were targeted in a Ukrainian air raid that reportedly killed six, which Ukraine denies took place.
Eastern Ukraine's Donetsk International Airport, the center of severe fighting in recent days, said Wednesday it will be closed until the end of June.
The airport said in a statement on its website that the decision was due to its inability to guarantee the security of flights amid the ongoing conflict.
More than 40 rebels have died in a failed attempt to seize control of the airport.
Source: Agence France Presse
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