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| Ukraine crisis: Military plane shot down in Luhansk | Ukraine crisis: Military plane shot down in Luhansk |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Several Ukrainian troops have been killed after pro-Russian rebels shot down a military plane, officials say. | Several Ukrainian troops have been killed after pro-Russian rebels shot down a military plane, officials say. |
| Ukraine's defence ministry said the Il-76 transport plane crashed after coming under heavy anti-aircraft fire over the eastern city of Luhansk. | Ukraine's defence ministry said the Il-76 transport plane crashed after coming under heavy anti-aircraft fire over the eastern city of Luhansk. |
| It said several people had died but did not give a figure. As many as 49 are thought to have been on board. | 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 and was about to land at the city's airport. | The plane was carrying troops and military equipment and was about to land at the city's airport. |
| A statement from the ministry said that "terrorists" had "cynically and treacherously" fired on the aircraft as it came into land at Luhansk airport. | |
| The ministry offered its condolences to the families of the "killed soldiers", but did not say how many had died. | |
| 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. | |
| An "anti-terrorist operation" by Ukraine government forces has left at least 270 people dead over the past two months. | |
| Meanwhile, the US said it was confident that tanks being used by separatists in eastern Ukraine came from Russia. | |
| "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area," a US state department official spokewoman said. | |
| "We are confident that these tanks came from Russia," she added. | |
| The appearance of the tanks, filmed in various towns in the Donetsk region, sparked a row between Kiev and Moscow. | |
| Russia has denied allegations that the tanks had entered Ukraine from its territory. |