Three civilians, two soldiers killed in Ukraine

Kiev, Nov 19 (IANS/EFE) Three civilians and two soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, authorities said Wednesday

Three civilians were killed and four others were injured in missile strikes on the town of Toshkivka in eastern Ukraine, municipal government press chief Gennady Moskal.

Moskal said the city was hit by Grad missiles and blamed pro-Russian militias, according to the Unian news agency.

Moskal told the agency that several missiles hit a residential building, destroying several apartments.

Three people were killed instantly in the strike and four others were seriously injured, including two children, one aged five and the other six months.

Despite a ceasefire agreed in September by the Ukrainian government and the Moscow-backed separatists, fighting has continued in the region.

The Ukrainian military command reported earlier Wednesday that at least two soldiers were killed and 13 wounded in attacks by the pro-Russian militias over the past 24 hours.

A command statement on Facebook claimed that the pro-Russian separatists "did not cease their attempts to undermine the situation to destroy the fragile peace in eastern Ukraine".

According to the Ukrainian military, the militias violated the ceasefire agreed in September 43 times over the past 24 hours.

In one incident, the separatists fired Grad rockets at Ukrainian units defending the strategic Bajmutka road.

The statement added that the battle around the airport in Donetsk continued overnight and that despite numerous attempts by the militias to capture the strategic spot, Ukrainian troops held their positions.

--IANS/EFE

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