Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists on Wednesday fought their first serious battles in months and Ukraine’s defense minister said an attempt by rebels to take the eastern town of Maryinka had been thwarted. Ukraine’s military said the Russian-backed rebels had tried to advance using tanks and up to 1,000 fighters west of the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk, in the most significant escalation of the conflict in around three months and in defiance of a ceasefire deal. The separatists denied their forces had launched an assault on government-held Maryinka, a town which had a pre-conflict population of around 9,900 and …read more
Source: Egypt Independent
