More than 600 shells fell on Ukraine within a 12-hour period from the Russian-backed separatists trying to goad the government into a response, the Ukrainian Joint Forces HQ announced
Image: Russian Defense Ministry/AFP via)
A home was destroyed after flames ripped through the building when pro-Russian separatists apparently shelled an area of eastern Ukraine.
There have been claims of continued heavy shelling in the eastern part of the country.
A Cossack village called Stanytsia Luhanska, inside Ukraine, was hit, apparently by pro-Russian separatists.
A home was smashed by a heavy weapon and left burning but nobody was injured.
It comes after Ukrainian officials revealed the astonishing extent of Russian shooting provocation from the early hours of Thursday.
More than 600 shells fell on Ukraine within a 12-hour period from the Russian-backed separatists trying to goad the government into a response, the Ukrainian Joint Forces HQ announced.
From 5am to 5pm, a total of 41 ‘provocative’ incidents across the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, a total of 601 shells were fired, said the statement, including tank shells, grenades, mortars and howitzers.
Meanwhile, two RAF Rivet Joint spy planes were flying intense reconnaissance missions above Ukraine’s borders last night.
Signaling a heightened intensity to their spy missions they were flying relay formations so that the entire northern and eastern flank was constantly surveilled.
They flew from RAF Waddington in the UK and their operation was ongoing last night.
All week Britain and America has swapped this role but the missions have been conducted by just one surveillance plane.
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Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Sources said it was “highly unusual” to have two flying the same mission.
They were tracked on the Flight Radar app and had transponders switched on as they were in civilian commercial airspace.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Moscow was attempting “false flag operations” after reports emerged of shelling in the eastern Ukrainian region of the Donbass.
Speaking after two days of talks among the 30-member group’s defense ministers, he added: “We cannot accept a return to the age of spheres of influence where big powers bully, intimidate or dictate to others.”
An estimated 130,000 Russian forces remain stationed on Ukraine’s borders amid ongoing fears the Kremlin could order an assault.
An invasion could be launched “with very little or no warning”, said Mr Stoltenberg.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is set to host a call on Friday about the Ukraine crisis.
The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the UK the European Union, and NATO will take part, the office of Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
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