(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Ev june 14 (qna) - pro-russian separatists have shot down a ukrainian military plane in the town of lugansk killing dozens of people ukraine's defense ministry announced saturday.
a statement released by the ministry accused pro-russian separatists of shooting down the ilyushin-76 aircraft which was about to land at lugansk airport.
the separatists cynically and treacherously fired with a large-calibre machine-gun hitting an ilyushin-76 of the ukrainian air force which was carrying troops on rotation and was about to land at lugansk airport the statement said.
it said several people had died but did not give a figure. as many as 49 are thought to have been on board.
the plane was carrying troops and military equipment.
the incident came less than a week after pro-russia rebels launched a series of attacks on ukrainian forces at luhansk international airport.
the airport has been under the control of government forces but the rebels hold most of the rest of the city.
luhansk is the main city of one of two eastern regions where pro-russia separatists have declared independence from kiev. (qna)
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