Luhansk Militia Say Carried Out First Air Attack Against Kyiv-Led Forces
DONETSK (Sputnik) — Militia of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic in southeastern Ukraine has carried out its first airstrike against Kyiv-led forces, a spokesperson for the militia headquarters said Wednesday.
“Our Su-25 surprisingly appeared in the sky above the Artemivsk-Debaltseve highway and attacked a convoy of the Ukrainian army, which was heading with reinforcements to the troops surrounded in Debaltseve,” the spokesperson told RIA Novosti, adding that no information about possible casualties is yet available.
The Luhansk militia acquired the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Sukhoi Su-25 jet in July 2014 after damaging it and it forcing it to land on their territory.
The town of Debaltseve in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region has been at the forefront of increased clashes between Kyiv-led forces and local pro-independence supporters in recent days. Thousands of Ukrainian troops are believed to be trapped in the town.
On Tuesday, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe called for a temporary truce in Debaltseve to allow for the urgent evacuation of civilians, as well as the immediate resumption of reconciliation talks.
An armed conflict has raged in eastern Ukraine since April last year, when Kyiv launched a military operation against the region’s independence supporters who opposed Ukraine’s new post-coup government. More than 5,300 people have been killed and 12,200 have been wounded in the conflict, according to the latest UN estimates.