Advertisement

Ukraine claims 2 pro-Russian rebel bases destroyed in the east

A local citizen holds a machine-gun belt as others collect parts of a seized APC that was set alight during a fighting between pro-Russian militants and government troops at Oktyabrskoye village, about 20 km. (12 miles) from Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, May 14, 2014.
A local citizen holds a machine-gun belt as others collect parts of a seized APC that was set alight during a fighting between pro-Russian militants and government troops at Oktyabrskoye village, about 20 km. (12 miles) from Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, May 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine’s acting president says the army destroyed two military bases of pro-Russian insurgents in operations overnight.

Insurgents have seized government buildings across eastern Ukraine, fought the Ukrainian military and declared independence as the nation’s crisis spilled over from a political meltdown into a military confrontation.

READ MORE: 6 soldiers ambushed, killed in Ukraine’s east

Oleksandr Turchynov told the parliament on Thursday that the Ukrainian forces destroyed a military base outside the town of Kramatorsk, 150 kilometres west of the Russian border, Wednesday night.

In another operation, Turchynov said troops destroyed an insurgent base in the nearby city of Slovyansk. Ukraine’s defence ministry said there were no casualties.

The Ukrainian government on Wednesday hosted the first round of talks intended to resolve the crisis, but ruled out meeting representatives of the insurgents.

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices