Ukrainian Solider Killed After Driving Over Mine In Donbas

A Ukrainian solider was killed inside a military truck that ran over an explosive device on January 5 near the frontline town of Khutir Vilniy in the easternmost Luhansk region, Ukraine’s military announced on social media.

Another soldier was in “critical condition,” the statement said.

The servicemen were carrying out “logistical support measures” when their truck ran over what was “presumably an anti-tank TM-62 mine” in the area.

“As a result, one military serviceman was killed on the spot and another sustained serious wounds,” the Ukrainian military said on Facebook.

Overall, the cease-fire “was violated two times” in the last 24 hours. Eight 82-millimeter mortar rockets were fired on Ukrainian positions during the period in the conflict zone where Russian-backed separatists have controlled parts of the easternmost Luhansk and Donetsk regions since April 2014.

Ukrainian forces liberated the town of Khutir Vilniy, also known as Zolote-5, in late September 2018 in the Luhansk region.

Russian-backed forces had often fired on Ukrainian positions from the town, Kyiv had said. It currently has less than 20 civilian residents.

Nearly 14,000 people have been killed in the Donbas conflict and 1.5 million more have been internally displaced.