(Vatican Radio) Ukrainian officials say six Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another
eight were wounded after their armoured column was ambushed by suspected pro-Russian
separatists.
Tuesday's attack happened when they approached a bridge near
the eastern troubled town of Kramatorsk, Ukraine's Defence Ministry said.
Kramatorsk
is in the Donetsk region, one of two regions in eastern Ukraine that declared independence
Monday, following controversial referendums.
The Defence Ministry said two
of the soldiers died when their armoured car was hit, and four others were killed
in an ensuing exchange of fire.
Ukrainian officials said the attackers
included at least 30 pro-Russian separatists, who were using grenade launchers and
automatic weapons.
WORST ATTACK TO DATE It was the worst loss
of life for regular armed forces since the crisis began.
The bloodshed added
to a sense of urgency to avoid civil war. Following talks with the Ukrainian prime
minister, European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said upcoming presidential elections
were crucial to restore order in Ukraine.
“The holding of free and fair
elections on 25 May will be an important step to overcome the crisis,” he said. “I
urge all political actors to fully support the process. There must no outside interference.”
He stressed that the EU stood by Ukraine and did not recognise the independence
votes in the east.
Van Rompuy criticized Russia for allegedly failing to
implement last month's internationally brokered Geneva Agreements, aimed at easing
tensions.
RUSSIA PRESSURED Ukrainian Interim Prime Minister Arseniy
Yatsenyuk accused Russia of supporting armed separatists, who he called “terrorists”.
“Russia
should stop supporting terrorists and call on them to lay down weapons and vacate
the buildings. Russia should stop financing them,” he said. “Then there will be peace
in Ukraine.”
Moscow has denied wrongdoing and Russian President Vladimir
Putin says he has ordered the withdrawal of Russian forces near Ukraine’s borders.
However,
the NATO military alliance has made clear that satellite images show as many as 40,000
Russian troops remaining in the area.