Print Print edition: 2017-03-12

Two Ukrainian soldiers killed, 16 wounded

Published March 12, 2017 Updated March 12, 2017 12:00am

Ukraine's army reported Saturday two soldiers killed in clashes with Russian-backed rebels, in a new uptick in violence across eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters that two servicemen were killed and another 16 wounded in the past 24 hours, accusing insurgents of using heavy weapons against government troops. A rebel spokesman in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic meanwhile said that one of its fighters had been killed, the rebels' news agency reported.
The latest casualties along eastern Ukraine's volatile frontline come despite the warring sides announcing a truce deal in February that has failed to stop the violence entirely. International monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Friday that they had "recorded double the number of ceasefire violations" compared to the previous week.