Two Soldiers Killed in Combat in Eastern Ukraine

KIEV – Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the past 24 hours in combat between the army and pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country, Kiev’s National Security and Defense Council announced Sunday.

Eight other troops were wounded, said Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko, who added that the insurgents have intensified their bombardment of army positions in the rebellious regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

In addition, he said that the separatists launched eight attacks against Ukrainian troops dug in at the Donetsk airport, the main focus of recent hostilities and an important strategic site for the two sides.

“Our soldiers are not surrendering. All the attacks have been repelled,” Lysenko said.

On the eve of a new cease-fire agreed to between the pro-Russian forces and Kiev, and despite the fact that the two sides have declared cease-fires on several previous occasions, combat has continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Also, according to local authorities, over the past 24 hours eight civilians – three in Donetsk and five in Luhansk – have died in the ongoing exchanges of artillery fire.