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Ukraine army helicopter 'shot down' despite ceasefire | Ukraine army helicopter 'shot down' despite ceasefire |
(35 minutes later) | |
A Ukrainian military helicopter has been shot down by pro-Russian rebels in the east, with casualties feared, the Ukrainian military says. | A Ukrainian military helicopter has been shot down by pro-Russian rebels in the east, with casualties feared, the Ukrainian military says. |
It says the Mi-8 helicopter used for transporting military cargo was hit by a rocket shortly after take-off near the rebel-held city of Sloviansk. | |
Reports say all nine people on board were killed. | |
This comes a day after the rebels vowed to observe a ceasefire until Friday, in response to a peace plan by Kiev. | |
The rebels - who are continuing to hold a number of towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions - have not publicly commented on the claims by the Ukrainian military. | |
Before Tuesday, the rebels had shot down at least two Ukrainian army helicopters and a plane. | |
'Practical step' | |
In a separate development on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked parliament to revoke the right of military intervention in Ukraine. | |
The move was aimed at "normalising the situation" in the eastern regions of Ukraine, Mr Putin's press-secretary said. | |
The parliament authorised Mr Putin to use force in Ukraine on 1 March. | |
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Mr Putin's latest move was a "first practical step" towards settling the crisis in the east. It came after Moscow had officially supported Kiev's peace plan, which involved the week-long ceasefire. | |
Since March, Moscow has annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula. | |
This was achieved with the help of troops without insignia. Despite initial denials, Mr Putin later admitted that they were Russian armed forces. | |
However, Moscow denies accusations by Kiev that Russian troops are helping and arming the separatists in eastern Ukraine. |