KIEV, June 2 (RIA Novosti) – At least five people died, 13 sustained injures on Monday in armed clashes between the self-defense forces and pro-Kiev military in the outskirts of the eastern city of Luhansk, Ukrainian State Border Service said.
Five self-defense supporters were killed and eight injured, the service said, adding that seven Ukrainian soldiers also sustained injuries.
Independence supporters have been struggling to gain control of the Ukrainian border service military base since early morning. The last storm started at 7:00 a.m. local time (4:00 a.m. GMT).
Small arms and grenade launchers have been used during the skirmish. A fighter jet of the Ukrainian Army has also been seen flying over the city early morning.
The Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics declared themselves independent states following the May 11 referendum and soon started to form governments and law enforcement agencies.
The interim Kiev government, backed by the Western allies, refused to recognize the legitimacy of any of these decisions and continued the military operation launched mid-April against the federalization protesters in the regions.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the new Kiev authorities for what it called "a punitive operation" and stressed the need for de-escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.
