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| Ukrainian military plane shot down by pro-Russia rebels | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Pro-Russian separatists have shot down a large military transport plane in Ukraine's east, with 49 people on board reported to have been killed in a major blow for the Kiev government's efforts to put down the insurgency. | Pro-Russian separatists have shot down a large military transport plane in Ukraine's east, with 49 people on board reported to have been killed in a major blow for the Kiev government's efforts to put down the insurgency. |
| Ukraine's defence ministry said the plane was downed as it approached an airport at Luhansk. The Il-76 transport plane had been carrying service members as well as equipment and food. A military spokesman, Vladislav Seleznyov, told the Reuters news agency that 49 people died. | Ukraine's defence ministry said the plane was downed as it approached an airport at Luhansk. The Il-76 transport plane had been carrying service members as well as equipment and food. A military spokesman, Vladislav Seleznyov, told the Reuters news agency that 49 people died. |
| The toll would be the biggest suffered by government forces in a single incident since Kiev started a military operation to try to defeat the insurgency in east Ukraine.A defence ministry statement said the rebels "cynically and perfidiously" shot down the plane using anti-aircraft guns and heavy calibre machine guns. | The toll would be the biggest suffered by government forces in a single incident since Kiev started a military operation to try to defeat the insurgency in east Ukraine.A defence ministry statement said the rebels "cynically and perfidiously" shot down the plane using anti-aircraft guns and heavy calibre machine guns. |
| An Il-76 is a four-engined jet that can be used to transport heavy gear and people. Luhansk, in Ukraine's east near its border with Russia, is an area where separatists have seized government buildings and declared independence after holding disputed referendums. | An Il-76 is a four-engined jet that can be used to transport heavy gear and people. Luhansk, in Ukraine's east near its border with Russia, is an area where separatists have seized government buildings and declared independence after holding disputed referendums. |
| On Friday the US state department said a convoy of military vehicles, including three tanks, had been transported from a Russian depot into Ukraine this week. | On Friday the US state department said a convoy of military vehicles, including three tanks, had been transported from a Russian depot into Ukraine this week. |
| Three T-64 tanks, multiple rocket launchers and other military vehicles crossed from Russian into the Ukraine near the town of Snizhne, the state department said, describing this as "unacceptable". The vehicles – apparently out-of-use Russian tanks – appear to have been commandeered by Ukrainian separatist forces. | Three T-64 tanks, multiple rocket launchers and other military vehicles crossed from Russian into the Ukraine near the town of Snizhne, the state department said, describing this as "unacceptable". The vehicles – apparently out-of-use Russian tanks – appear to have been commandeered by Ukrainian separatist forces. |
| Ukraine first raised concerns about the tanks crossing into its eastern region on Thursday, after several reports, including video footage uploaded to Youtube, appeared to show Russian tanks passing through Snizhne. | Ukraine first raised concerns about the tanks crossing into its eastern region on Thursday, after several reports, including video footage uploaded to Youtube, appeared to show Russian tanks passing through Snizhne. |
| Kiev maintains that the pro-Russian forces who facilitated the annex of Crimea and are now laying claim to parts of eastern Ukraine are being covertly supported by Moscow. Russia denies direct military involvement in eastern Ukraine. | Kiev maintains that the pro-Russian forces who facilitated the annex of Crimea and are now laying claim to parts of eastern Ukraine are being covertly supported by Moscow. Russia denies direct military involvement in eastern Ukraine. |
| Ukraine's newly elected president, Petro Poroshenko, raised concerns about the tanks directly with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday. Russia has not officially responded to the claims. | Ukraine's newly elected president, Petro Poroshenko, raised concerns about the tanks directly with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday. Russia has not officially responded to the claims. |
| On Friday, the US state department deputy spokesperson, Marie Harf, said it believed separatists in eastern Ukraine had "acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers". | On Friday, the US state department deputy spokesperson, Marie Harf, said it believed separatists in eastern Ukraine had "acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers". |
| Harf said internet videos had shown the same type of tanks that crossed the border in the eastern cities of Snizhne, Torez and Makiyivka. The statement did not explicitly blame Russia for supplying the weaponry directly to the Ukrainian separatists. | Harf said internet videos had shown the same type of tanks that crossed the border in the eastern cities of Snizhne, Torez and Makiyivka. The statement did not explicitly blame Russia for supplying the weaponry directly to the Ukrainian separatists. |
| But it stated Washington's unequivocal belief that the tanks had crossed the border and hinted at Moscow's complicity. The US secretary of state John Kerry also raised the issue with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, according to the state department. | But it stated Washington's unequivocal belief that the tanks had crossed the border and hinted at Moscow's complicity. The US secretary of state John Kerry also raised the issue with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, according to the state department. |
| "We have information that Russia has accumulated tanks of a type no longer used by Russian forces at a deployment site in southwest Russia, and some of these tanks recently departed," Harf said. | "We have information that Russia has accumulated tanks of a type no longer used by Russian forces at a deployment site in southwest Russia, and some of these tanks recently departed," Harf said. |
| "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area. We are confident that these tanks came from Russia." | "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area. We are confident that these tanks came from Russia." |
| Harf added: "We also have information that Russia has accumulated multiple rocket launchers at this same deployment site in southwest Russia, and these rocket launchers also recently departed." | Harf added: "We also have information that Russia has accumulated multiple rocket launchers at this same deployment site in southwest Russia, and these rocket launchers also recently departed." |
| Earlier on Friday, Harf told reporters: "They [the tanks] were somehow pulled out of the Russian warehouses, someone taught them how to use them, and they were sent from Russia to Ukraine." | Earlier on Friday, Harf told reporters: "They [the tanks] were somehow pulled out of the Russian warehouses, someone taught them how to use them, and they were sent from Russia to Ukraine." |
| Also on Friday, the Associated Press reported Ukrainian troops attacked pro-Russia separatists in the southern port of Mariupol, driving them out of buildings they had occupied in the city. Mariupol is the second-largest city in the eastern Donetsk region, where armed separatists have declared independence from the government in Kiev. | Also on Friday, the Associated Press reported Ukrainian troops attacked pro-Russia separatists in the southern port of Mariupol, driving them out of buildings they had occupied in the city. Mariupol is the second-largest city in the eastern Donetsk region, where armed separatists have declared independence from the government in Kiev. |
| Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report | Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report |