#Ukrainiansoldierkilled in #offensiveagainstproRussianrebels in #Slavyansk #Governmentforces launch #mostintenseattackyet on #separatiststronghold in #push to #retakecontrolofeasternUkraine Share 16 Email Alec Luhn in Donetsk theguardian, Tuesday 3 June 2014 10.27 BST Jump to comments (230) Ukrainian soldiers near Sloviansk Ukraine soldiers near Slavyansk. Photograph: Petr Shelomovskiy/Demotix/Corbis At least one Ukrainian soldier has been killed and 13 wounded as government forces pushed toward the pro-Russian rebel stronghold of Slavyansk after a weeks-long standoff. Casualties were also reported on the pro-Russia side. The operation marks the most intensive attack yet on Slavyansk, which has been the focal point of Kievs anti-terrorist operation to retake control of swaths of eastern Ukraine. The interior minister, Arsen Avakov, announced an active offensive phase of the ATO outside of Slavyansk on his Facebook page. The offensive follows heavy fighting in rebel-controlled Luhansk on Monday. Four government soldiers were critically injured and another seven hurt repulsing rebels from a border guard headquarters, which manages the Luhansk regions long border with Russia. Five rebels were killed and eight injured in what was one of the largest and most well-coordinated rebel assaults to date. Rebels attacked an armoured column heading toward Slavyansk from the Ukrainians main base in Izyum on Tuesday morning, according to Dmitry Tymchuk, an analyst with close ties to the Kiev government. One military vehicle was damaged, a soldier was killed and 13 wounded beating back the attack. Besides armour, the Ukrainian offensive also includes aviation, artillery and special forces in what represents a comprehensive new tactic for the operation, said Konstantin Mashovets of the Centre for Military and Political Research, which also is well-connected with the Ukrainian military. He said pro-Russian forces had gathered 5,000 fighters in the area and predicted the move to destroy them would last at least a week. Ukrainian forces have formed a loose ring of fortified positions around Slavyansk and have reportedly been engaged in low-level fighting with rebels in recent weeks. Footage reportedly taken early on Tuesdayin the town of Semyonivka near Slavyansk showed the distant smoke of heavy arms fire, while videos published on pro-Russia accounts apparently showed helicopters flying over Slavyansk. Interfax Ukraine reported that two air strikes hit a rebel checkpoint near Semyonivka and a location in the town itself, resulting in civilian casualties. According to Mashovets, air strikes from Mi-24 helicopters had destroyed checkpoints outside Semyonivka, and Su-25 fighter jets were supporting advancing ground forces. He said Ukrainian forces were likely to start an offensive on Luhansk soon. Last week, as many as 50 rebels were killed in a failed attempt to seize the Donetsk airport. theguardian/world/2014/jun/03/ukraine-offensive-pro-russian-rebels-slavyansk?guni=Network%20front:network-front%20main-3%20Main%20trailblock:Network%20front%20-%20main%20trailblock:Position10
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:22:01 +0000
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