30 Ukrainian soldiers presumed killed in overnight rocket attack

The precise death toll of the incident remains unclear, with
conflicting figures cited by a
range of media outlets. A
statement
on the website of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry cites 19 deaths and 93 wounded.

“At 4.30 a.m. terrorists opened fire from a BM-21 ‘Grad’ multiple rocket launcher. As
a result of the attack, 19 soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces have been
killed, and 93 wounded. According to latest reports, militants fired from a
distance of over 15 kilometers. An air strike was carried out in response,”
says the statement.

Meanwhile, an adviser
to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Zorian Shkiryak claims at least 30 died in the
attack near the village of Zelenopillya, 90 kilometers south of the regional
capital.

“Information currently available suggests up to 30 dead, but
it’s possible there were more, as these bloody degenerates once again used Grad rockets and
the destruction there is substantial,” Shkiryak said at a briefing on
July 11.

Grad rockets are Russian-made, truck-mounted missiles fired
in bunches and noted for their inaccuracy. Following news of the attacks,
President Petro Poroshenko held an emergency meeting with army representatives
to discuss growing reports of their use by rebel forces.

“For every life of our soldiers the rebels will pay with
tens and hundreds of their own. Not a single terrorist will escape responsibility,
each will get his comeuppance,“
the president said at the meeting, according to a statement published on
the website of the presidential administration.

The precise
number of Ukrainian army casualties caused by the rocket attack is
still being clarified.

According
to anti-terrorist operation spokesman Vladislav Seleznyev, unreliable media reports have exaggerated
the death toll. In a post on
Facebook around 3 p.m., Seleznyev claimed 23 soldiers had been killed in 24 hours.

“In the
past 24 hours, while carrying out special duties in various regions of the
antiterrorist operation, 23 soldiers of Ukraine’s armed forces and border guard
service have been killed. 93 Ukrainian soldiers and border guards have been
wounded,” Seleznyev wrote.

The attack is the most deadly single incident for government forces since rebel forces shot down a Ukrainian military plane overnight from June 13 to 14, killing all 49 on board. More than 250 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the military conflict in the country’s east began almost three months ago.

Kyiv Post staff writer Matthew Luxmoore can be reached at mjluxmoore@gmail.com and on Twitter at @mjluxmoore.