Three Ukrainian soldiers killed in troubled east

Three Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 16 others injured in a fresh wave of clashes with pro-Russia forces in the troubled eastern parts of Ukraine, the military says.

According to the reports, Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military, made the announcement on Sunday, saying eight of the injured soldiers suffered concussion during artillery shelling over the weekend near the village of Luganske, about 50 km northeast of Donetsk.

He said the pro-Russians used grenades and heavy machine guns to attack Ukrainian positions in the region, which led to the destruction of a residential building.

Pro-Russia forces, for their part, accused the Ukrainian troops of shelling the town of Gorlivka in Donetsk region, injuring four civilians, two women and two men.

Frequent clashes in recent weeks have claimed several lives from both sides despite a fragile ceasefire agreement aimed at halting the 26-month conflict in eastern Ukraine.

SS