A battle between Ukrainian troops and members of illegal armed formations took place near the Dovzhansky checkpoint in Luhansk region at the Ukrainian border with Russia, and a Russian customs officer received an injury, Dmytro Tymchuk, the head of the Information Resistance (sprotyv.info) group, reported.
“According to the Information Resistance group’s information, during Ukrainian armed forces’ operation to regain control of the Ukrainian state border with Russia today, there were military clashes between our units and terrorist groups near the Dovzhansky checkpoint. Militants have demonstrated fierce resistance,” Tymchuk wrote on his Facebook page on June 20 night.
Tymchuk said that the Ukrainian troops had come under mortar fire opened by “a mercenary unit equipped with mortars along with small arms”, and the mercenaries had come from Russia to assist the militants.
“The Ukrainian armed forces deployed in that area are not equipped with mortars,” Tymchuk wrote.
A Russian customs officer was injured as a result of a bomb explosion during the chaotic mortar fire.
At the same time, the Kremlin press office said on Friday night that Russia expects explanations and apologies from Kyiv in regard to fire upon the Russian territory and the injury of a Russian customs officer.
The statement of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on temporary ceasefire “was made, accidently or deliberately, amid the shooting upon the Russian territory near the Dovzhansky checkpoint, which led to the destruction of the building and, most importantly, to the injury of a Russian customs officer,” the Kremlin said.
“Russia expects explanations and apologies regarding this,” the press office said.
“In such a situation Russia should analyze closely the text of the relevant decree of the Ukrainian president and the procedure of implementing it,” the Kremlin said.
“Unfortunately, the initial analysis shows that this is not an invitation for truce and talks but an ultimatum to militia of southeastern Ukraine to lay down arms,” the press office said.
“It lacks the main element – the proposal to start negotiations,” the Kremlin said.
