Fighting near Kramatorsk, seven dead

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed rose to seven, and that eight were wounded today in an attack in the rebel-held east of the country, according to Ukrainian media.

The seventh deceased was seriously wounded and lost his battle for life on the way to the hospital.

According to the announcement, the soldiers were attacked by at least thirty rebels in the vicinity of the city of Kramatorsk, using hand grenades and automatic weapons.

The Donetsk Self-Defense Forces, as the pro-Russian rebels call themselves, claim that the fighting between them and the forces of the Ukrainian army is taking place near Kramatorsk, Russian media reported.

Pro-Russian forces disabled several armored vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces, including an armored personnel carrier, the press service of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" told Itar-Tas.

Before that, the acting president of Ukraine stated that Kiev continues with anti-terrorist actions in the east of the country.

Wounded governor of Luhansk

As reported by Itar-tas, the "People's Governor" of the Luhansk region Valery Bolotov "on the territory of the region" received a gunshot wound, and "his life is not in danger".

"He is alive and well, the wounding was easier," said Nikitin, without specifying what kind of weapon was used.

Interfax reports that one of the leaders of the "Luhansk People's Republic" is in a private clinic, and that the leadership of the self-proclaimed republic believes that the assassination of Bolotov is the government's response to the referendum on the status of the region, held on May 11, in which the majority of voters voted for secession from Ukraine and that the order came from the authorities in Kiev.