Ukraine: Flare up in fighting in eastern Ukraine leaves at least 20 dead
Ukraine said on Thursday that a flare up in fighting in breakaway eastern regions had claimed the lives of five government soldiers and at least 15 fighters allied to Russian-backed separatists.
Kiev’s announcement came hours after US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, said they would meet at a summit in Helsinki on July 16.
“Russia’s occupying forces stepped up military attacks overnight mostly with the use of grenade launchers, large-calibre machine guns and small arms,” Ukraine’s armed forces said in statement detailing the clashes north and south of Donetsk, the separatist stronghold.
Footage on Ukrainian television showed government forces repelling separatist attacks with artillery.