DONETSK: A Ukrainian warplane was blown out of the sky over rebel-held territory yesterday as fierce clashes between government troops and pro-Russian insurgents left dozens of civilians dead.
Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said a Su-25 jet was shot close to the second-largest insurgent bastion of Lugansk, where government forces claim to have battled back control over several districts in the past few days. Clashes in and around the other major rebel stronghold of Donetsk killed 43 civilians in the past 24 hours, local authorities said. Street battles were raging in Ilovaysk, a key railway hub some 45km east of Donetsk, with authorities saying nine soldiers died in the area in the last 24 hours.
At least 415,800 people have fled their homes due to fighting, the UN refugee agency said. Some 190,000 have been displaced within Ukraine, while 197,400 have fled to Russia and others to Poland and Belarus, said UNHCR.
AFP
