Ukraine reports three soldiers killed, its biggest loss this year

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Kiev, March 11, 2020 (dpa/NAN) The Ukrainian military, on Wednesday reported that three of its soldiers had been killed by pro-Russian separatist forces, in the largest loss for the Ukrainian side in 2020.

The Ukrainian military who disclosed this in a statement in Kiev, said the separatists had hit a truck with an anti-tank missile near the town of Pisky in the Eastern Donetsk region, a violation of the ceasefire accords.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened retaliation in a speech at the Defence Ministry.

“Those who think that Ukrainian soldiers can be shot with impunity have made a fatal mistake,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky, inaugurated in 2019, has set out to end the conflict in Ukraine’s two Eastern-most regions, near the Russian border, as his top priority.

According to the estimates by the UN, about 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict. The conflict erupted six years ago when Ukraine ousted its pro-Russian President at the time, in a political pivot toward the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has represented the separatists at international peace talks, including in talks with Zelensky in Paris in December.

The Russian Government has repeatedly denied accusations of being directly involved in the conflict.(dpa/NAN)
YI/AFA
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Edited by Yahaya Isah/Felix Ajide