Three Russian T-64 tanks, several BM-21 and Grad multiple rocket launchers and other armored vehicles reportedly crossed the Ukrainian border and entered Ukraine.
Ukrainian army had opened fire on the vehicles as they entered through a checkpoint controlled by pro-Russian separatists to the east of Ukraine, the Russian Interfax news agency reported.
Speaking to journalists on a daily briefing, State Department's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said: "We are highly concerned by new Russian efforts to support the separatists."
Harf reaffirmed U.S. support for the newly elected Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's peace plan.
The peace plan Poroshenko put forward includes a cease-fire, amnesty for separatists who lay down their arms, safe conduct for Russian fighters back to Russia and broad decentralization of authority to Ukraine's region.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators will be meeting again this weekend in Kiev to discuss the peace plan's implementation.
Harf said that U.S. urged Russia to use this opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to peace, to stop weapons and fighters from crossing into Ukraine.
"A failure by Russia to de-escalate the situation will lead to additional costs," Harf added. [aa.com.tr/en]
13/4/14
--
-
Related:
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
Forty-nine Ukrainian troops killed in plane shot down by rebels: military spokesman...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - Forty-nine Ukrainian military personnel were killed when rebels shot down a cargo plane over the airport of the eastern city of Luhansk overnight, military spokesman Vladislav Seleznov said on Saturday.
Ukraine's defense ministry earlier reported separatist rebels had shot down a military transport aircraft IL-76 carrying troops and supplies.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Alessandra Prentice)
A Ukrainian Il-76 transport plane was shot down by anti-government militants in the eastern city of Lugansk early Saturday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.....
ReplyDeleteA press release posted on the Defense ministry's website said casualties were caused in the incident, but it did not give specific number.
Local media reported that some 30 people were aboard the jet.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/865613.shtml
14/6/14
Σαράντα εννέα ουκρανοί στρατιώτες σκοτώθηκαν όταν φιλορώσοι αυτονομιστές αντάρτες κατέρριψαν ένα μεταγωγικό αεροσκάφος πάνω από το αεροδρόμιο του Λουχάνσκ στην ανατολική Ουκρανία, το πρωί του Σαββάτου, δήλωσε ο εκπρόσωπος του στρατού Βλάντισλαβ Σελεζνόφ...
ReplyDeleteΛίγο νωρίτερα το ουκρανικό υπουργείο Άμυνας είχε ανακοινώσει ότι ένα ουκρανικό μεταγωγικό αεροσκάφος IL-76 καταρρίφθηκε από τους αυτονομιστές αντάρτες στο Λουχάνσκ.
«Οι τρομοκράτες έβαλαν κυνικά και ηθελημένα με αντιαεροπορικά πυρά και αυτόματα όπλα μεγάλου βεληνεκούς και έπληξαν το IL-76 της ουκρανικής Πολεμικής Αεροπορίας, το οποίο μετέφερε στρατεύματα και ετοιμαζόταν να προσγειωθεί στο αεροδρόμιο του Λουχάνσκ», αναφέρει το υπουργείο σε ανακοίνωσή του.
Σύμφωνα με την ίδια πηγή, «στρατιώτες, όπλα, εξοπλισμός και εφόδια» βρίσκονταν στο αεροσκάφος.
Το υπουργείο εξέφρασε τα συλλυπητήριά του στις οικογένειες των νεκρών στρατιωτών.
It gave no death toll but a military spokesman, Vladislav Seleznyov, later said by telephone that 49 had been killed...
DeleteThe toll would be the biggest suffered by government forces in a single incident since Kiev started a military operation to try to defeat the insurgency in east Ukraine, which the rebels want to be part of Russia.
Scores of people, including rebels, civilians and government troops, have been killed in the violence since April.
Yesterday, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said if reports that Russian tanks have entered eastern Ukraine are confirmed, it would mark a serious escalation of the crisis there.
"I am concerned about reports that pro-Russian armed gangs are acquiring heavy weapons fromRussia, including Russian tanks," Rasmussen said in a statement.