On Sunday, the Ukrainian military accused Russian-backed separatists of firing what it called the most deadly attack in months on one of Ukraine’s most important military bases. The assault killed at least 51 Ukrainian soldiers in the Donetsk region.
The military said that a barrage of Grad rockets was fired by the separatists at the government-held military base late Saturday, hitting several buildings, including an ammunition depot. In addition to the 51 soldiers killed, 92 others were reportedly wounded.
The Ukrainian military also accused the rebels of using heavy artillery and other devastating weaponry in the attack. According to the defense ministry, the shelling continued for several hours before finally ending.
Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, vowed to respond to the “barbaric attack” and said that the army will “respond appropriately” to the strikes.
In a statement released on Sunday, NATO condemned the attack. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that “such brazen violations of the ceasefire agreements are completely unacceptable” and that “Russia must take all necessary measures to make sure its proxies respect the ceasefire.”
The latest violence comes at a time of renewed tensions between the two sides in Ukraine’s four-year war. In recent weeks, there have been more military clashes on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine, which have seen a steady and dangerous escalation of hostilities.
