Ukrainian Military Command: three Ukrainian soldiers were killed at Svitlodarsk salient
Three Ukrainian soldiers died in the vicinity of the Svitlodarsk salient in eastern Ukraine, rescuing the wounded friend, reported the Headquarters of the Ukrainian Military Command.
"Three of our guys, while rescuing their wounded friend, died heroically at the Svitlodarsk salient. One of them, while being injured, in order to avoid being captured and in trying to destroy the enemy was trying to detonate a hand grenade. However, he was unable to carry out his plan. He died on the spot from his wounds", the press service of the Ukrainian Military Command wrote on Facebook page.
The bodies of the soldiers were reportedly found, but could not be withdrawn because of strong enemy fire.
According to the Ukrainian Military Command, steps are being taken to withdraw the bodies of the Ukrainian soldiers.
"However, the enemy continues to manipulate public opinion and tries to discredit the Ukrainian armed forces. Thus, on one of the Russian sites, information was published calling the killed soldiers “a subversive-intelligence group”, which is not true," the message of the Ukrainian Military Command reads.
The Russian Zvezda (Star) TV channel published an article, citing a representative of LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic), that near the Svitlodarsk salient the separatists allegedly " ambushed and destroyed a subversive-intelligence Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine", which purportedly attempted to infiltrate the territory of LPR in the direction of Debaltseve (Donetsk region). The TV channel reported that, as a result of the fighting, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and the fourth was injured and was able to retreat.