Pro-Russians Shoot Down Two Ukrainian Military Planes

Pro-Russian separatists shot down two Ukrainian military planes, both Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircrafts, in the eastern region of the country, said a spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces.



Aleksey Dmitrashkovsky, Kiev's Security Service (SBU) press service spokesman, said they have no information about the pilots' fate.



Both Ukrainian and Russian media differ as to the location where Sukhoi-25 fighters were shot down.  According to Ukrainian local media, the military planes were shot down in the Lisichansk region while on a routine flight, but Russian media say they were downed in the Savur Mogila area in the Shaktersky region near the Russian border.



Russia has already annexed Crimea and the downing of Malaysia flight MH17 has led to an increase in tensions with the West. 



The fighting in Ukraine has left at least 1,000 people dead, including the 298 victims of the Malaysian airliner MH17.



A ten-day ceasefire ended June 30 when Ukrainian troops re-launched their operation against secessionists.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Donets'ka Oblast'