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| Ukraine conflict: Ground forces 'storming Luhansk' | Ukraine conflict: Ground forces 'storming Luhansk' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Government forces in eastern Ukraine have begun storming the rebel-held city of Luhansk with tanks, Russian news agency reports quoting rebels say. | Government forces in eastern Ukraine have begun storming the rebel-held city of Luhansk with tanks, Russian news agency reports quoting rebels say. |
| Heavy fighting erupted as columns of government armour attacked from the south and west, rebel military leader Igor Strelkov was quoted as saying. | Heavy fighting erupted as columns of government armour attacked from the south and west, rebel military leader Igor Strelkov was quoted as saying. |
| He said there were unconfirmed reports of special forces landing by helicopter inside the city of 425,000 people. | He said there were unconfirmed reports of special forces landing by helicopter inside the city of 425,000 people. |
| There was no immediate confirmation from Kiev but bloggers report fighting. | There was no immediate confirmation from Kiev but bloggers report fighting. |
| Pro-Russian separatist rebels have been fighting the government in Kiev since declaring independence in Luhansk and the neighbouring region of Donetsk in April. | Pro-Russian separatist rebels have been fighting the government in Kiev since declaring independence in Luhansk and the neighbouring region of Donetsk in April. |
| Meeting briefly in Rio de Janeiro before the World Cup final, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed that the situation in Ukraine was "tending towards a deterioration", a Kremlin spokesman said. | |
| Mr Putin expressed concern about offensive operations by the Ukrainian government, saying they were unacceptable. Earlier, Russia protested after a man was allegedly killed on its side of the border by a shell fired from Ukraine. A Ukrainian official denied the attack. | |
| Talks in Rio between Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko were cancelled after the Ukrainian leader announced he would not be attending the final after all. | |
| 'Seventy tanks' | 'Seventy tanks' |
| "Heavy fighting is under way on the outskirts of Luhansk," Strelkov told Ria-Novosti news agency. | "Heavy fighting is under way on the outskirts of Luhansk," Strelkov told Ria-Novosti news agency. |
| "The enemy has thrown around 70 tanks into the battle in two compact groups of armour. There is as yet unconfirmed information about a helicopter landing of enemy special forces in the city itself." | "The enemy has thrown around 70 tanks into the battle in two compact groups of armour. There is as yet unconfirmed information about a helicopter landing of enemy special forces in the city itself." |
| The rebels were fighting artillery skirmishes with the Ukrainian army "along the front", he said. | The rebels were fighting artillery skirmishes with the Ukrainian army "along the front", he said. |
| Ukrainian forces entered the village of Sabivka, just west of Luhansk, on Sunday, according to a report (in Russian) on the local anti-rebel news website Informator, | Ukrainian forces entered the village of Sabivka, just west of Luhansk, on Sunday, according to a report (in Russian) on the local anti-rebel news website Informator, |
| Shooting broke out and local residents took shelter in cellars, it said. | Shooting broke out and local residents took shelter in cellars, it said. |
| Another local pro-Ukrainian news website, 0642.ua, also reported fighting in Sabivka, quoting an unnamed local woman. | Another local pro-Ukrainian news website, 0642.ua, also reported fighting in Sabivka, quoting an unnamed local woman. |
| Fighting was also reported around 17:00 (14:00 GMT) just south of Luhansk, in the villages of Heorhiivka and Rozkishne, by the Luhansk news website sxid.info. | |
| An Luhansk anonymous blogger, who tweets as @journal1st_88, wrote of hearing explosions, sirens, shooting and planes flying overhead in Luhansk. | |
| The government began an "anti-terrorist operation" in April to crush the rebellion in the eastern regions. | The government began an "anti-terrorist operation" in April to crush the rebellion in the eastern regions. |
| On Friday, it suffered one of its heaviest losses when an armoured column was hit by rebel rockets in Donetsk region and at least 19 soldiers were killed and about 100 injured. | On Friday, it suffered one of its heaviest losses when an armoured column was hit by rebel rockets in Donetsk region and at least 19 soldiers were killed and about 100 injured. |
| A rocket attack on the Donetsk city suburb of Marinka on Friday night killed at least four people, with the rebels and government blaming each other. | |
| More than 1,000 civilians and combatants are believed to have died in the fighting since April. | More than 1,000 civilians and combatants are believed to have died in the fighting since April. |
| Are you in Luhansk? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject 'Luhansk'. | Are you in Luhansk? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject 'Luhansk'. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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