Rebel attack kills Ukrainian troops

KIEV: Seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed when separatist shelling hit their armored vehicle near Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine, a military spokesman said on Monday, putting a fragile ceasefire under further strain.
It was the largest loss of life among Ukrainian soldiers in a single incident since the ceasefire came into force on Sept. 5 and cast a shadow over President Petro Poroshenko’s upbeat assertion last week that the worst of the war against the separatists was over.
Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said tank fire from the separatists struck a large armored carrier on Sunday night during rebel attempts to storm Donetsk international airport, which is held by government forces.
The rebels hold key points inside the city itself, an industrial hub with a pre-war population of about one million.
“During the evening attack, the Ukrainian armored transporter, with its crew and a paratroop unit, took a direct hit from a tank,” Lysenko told journalists.
“Intensive fighting broke out. Our paratroopers sustained losses,” Lysenko said, separately telling Reuters that seven soldiers had been killed. He said nine Ukrainian soldiers in all had been killed in the past 24 hours and 27 injured.