Kiev bombards Shchastye town in Lugansk

Kiev bombards Shchastye town in Lugansk

A Ukrainian fighter flies above Lugansk during a battle between pro-Moscow protesters and the Ukrainian National Guards on June 2, 2014.

Mon Jun 23, 2014 1:24AM GMT

1

2

 

12

 

Related Interviews:

• Poroshenko buying time for war buildup
• 'Normalized Russia ties vital for Ukraine'

Related Viewpoints:

• For whom does bell toll in Ukraine?

Ukraine’s army has resumed its artillery bombardments against the town of Shchastye in Lugansk.

The bombardments started on Sunday night after officials from the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) announced that the army had fired mortar shells at the village of Ananyevka near the country’s border with Russia.

"Artillery bombardment of the area of Shchastye, a satellite town of Lugansk, was started at about 22:45, local time. The bombardment involves heavy guns," Novorossiya news agency reported.

The agency added that the sound of explosion is even heard at the center of Lugansk.

Ukrainian troops have been carrying out military operations since mid-April to reportedly suppress pro-Russia protesters in the east of the country.

The violence intensified after the Donetsk and Lugansk regions declared independence from Ukraine on May 12 following local referendums, in which the their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Kiev. The referendums were called illegal by Ukrainian authorities.

The government in Kiev says it is targeting armed protesters, but reports say many civilians have been caught in the shelling that has been going on for days.

According to figures published by Ukraine’s Health Ministry last week, the death toll from clashes between Ukrainian and pro-Moscow forces has reached 270 in the two regions since the beginning of the operations.

HRM/MAM/AS

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/06/23/368187/kiev-bombards-lugansks-town/