Kiev, Aug 25 (IANS/EFE) Some 250 Russian "mercenaries" have been killed in recent fighting in the eastern regions of Ukraine, the Ukrainian military command said Monday.
An official statement said Ukrainian forces had "killed 250 Russian mercenaries and destroyed eight tanks of the enemy, in addition to ten armoured vehicles, three missile launchers and a mortar".
The report was not confirmed by other sources.
The statement went on to say that pro-Russian militias had attacked with artillery fire and small arms the positions of the Ukrainian troops in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, but did not mention Ukrainian casualties.
According to latest figures from Ukraine's Council of National Security and Defence, since the beginning of operations against pro-Russian separatists in April, a total of 722 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed and 2,625 wounded.
--IANS/EFE
ab/dg
