Pro-Russian separatists said on Saturday that at least 30 civilians have been killed during heavy artillery attacks from Ukrainian government troops.
“We are aware of 30 deaths. But all of the debris hasn’t yet been removed; there may be more,” Russian-born separatist commander Igor Strelkov told the Interfax news agency.
He added that the pro-Russian forces were evacuating attack sites, including the suburb of Marjinka, which was still under heavy shelling.
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There have been no losses among separatist troops, said Mr. Strelkov, from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. He denied Ukraine government allegations that at least 500 separatists had been killed during air strikes on the neighbouring town of Dzerzhinsk.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian government troops, Vladislav Seleznev, had given the figure of 500 troops.
“He (Mr. Seleznev) can say what he wants,” Mr. Strelkov said. “There were only half that many people in the entire Dzerzhinsk garrison.” The separatists were pulled back prior to the strikes, Mr. Strelkov added. Only one fighter was wounded.
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The separatists have also declared the Donetsk and Luhansk regions independent from Ukraine, with Borodai — a 41-year-old political consultant from Moscow — appointed in May as Prime Minister.