Ukrainian jets shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine have been confirmed on Wednesday. According to Kiev with Ukrainian jets shot down, what brought the aircrafts down could have been missiles fired from Russia.
Apparently, Kiev's assumption was true as according to The Washington Post, separatists fighting the Kiev government have already claimed credit for the two Ukrainian jets shot down Wednesday.
The two Ukrainian jets shot down occurred over eastern Ukraine near the area where the passenger aircraft of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 crashed six days ago. The passenger plane crashed after getting struck by another missile and killed all 298 passengers on board. According to The Post, Ukrainian jets shot down happened about 25 miles south of its perimeter.
Apparently, the international shock over the missile which struck the passenger airliner has done little to discourage rebels from shooting down plans. However, the tragedy might actually even have given them some latitude, says reports. This was because commercial airliners are now avoiding flight paths over eastern Ukraine.
The Malaysia Airlines disaster has reportedly drawn international outrage and has only showcased the advanced firepower that the region has obtained.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military said that the two Ukrainian jets shot down were flying at nearly 17,000 feet. This height was reportedly out of the reach of shoulder-fired missiles which rebels said they used to put down the jets. Meanwhile, claims from the government nor the rebels could not be verified.
According to Reuters, a Ukrainian military operations spokesman also confirmed the Ukrainian planes shot down occurred near Savur Mogila.
The military jets were hit at the altitude of 5,200 metres by missiles, said Ukraine's Security Council, and according to preliminary information, the missiles where the two Ukrainian jets shot down were launched from Russia.
Andriy Lysenko, the council's spokesman said of the pro-Russian rebels fighting the government forces in eastern Ukraine, 'They were shot down very professionally. The terrorists do not have such professionals.'
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that in Washington, the Pentagon said it was already aware of reports of the two Ukrainian planes shot down as SU-25 "Frogfoot" ground attack aircraft. However, the incident could not immediately be confirmed independently.
Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters, 'We're continuing to work with the Ukrainians and thorough our own channels to determine the exact circumstances surrounding that incident.'
On Wednesday, a violent fight reportedly occurred amongst the rebels' two main centres in Donetsk, as well as nearby Luhansk.
Early Wednesday afternoon, Reuters reports that a train from Luhansk resulted in many people fleeing the violence and went to Kiev. Galina Berezina, an elderly resident of Luhansk said, 'It's impossible to live there right now. Fights are going on, apartment buildings are being destroyed, people are being killed. Why else do you think I'd flee my own home at my age?'
According to Kiev, the separatists were already leaving their positions on Donetsk's border on Wednesday. They are reportedly retreating towards the city centre.
Residents said the rebels had also dug trenches in downtown Donetsk outside the main university, where they were living amongst student dormitories.
According to a statement from the headquarters of what Kiev calls its "anti-terrorist operation", 'In Donetsk, rebels abandoned their positions en masse and went towards the central part of the city. It cannot be ruled out that the appearance of such movements could suggest the spread of panic and attempts to leave the place of warfare.'
During the night, residents said they heard gunfire. They also saw one of the shells striking a chemical plant in the city which caused a fire.
According to reports, both Kiev and the West are accusing Russia of supporting the separatist rebellion, which includes providing fighters, arms and financing. Amidst all accusation, Moscow is denying charges.
Although details of the two Ukrainian jets shot down Wednesday remained unclear, according to The Post, it was a sign that rebels can now cause significant damage on the Ukrainian military.
Reports say that the pilots of the two SU-25 Ukrainian jets shot down were among four planes fired upon returning from a mission near the Russian border. They are considered to have bailed out over rebel-held territory. The pilots' conditions and whereabouts are currently unknown.
Rebel spokesman Sergey Kavtaradze said of the shoulder-mounted missiles which shot down the planes, 'We shot them down with MANPADS.'
Ukrainian jets shot down incident could not have been hit by ordinary missiles as they were reportedly flying too high, said spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Andriy Lysenko. He said, 'It can be reached only by heavy missile complexes.' Lysenko added that the missiles which hit the jets were fired from Russian territory. He said in reference to the pro-Russian rebels, 'They were shot down very professionally. The terrorists do not have such professionals.'
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