Ukraine says soldier killed in shelling by Russia-backed forces

Kyiv says another soldier seriously wounded by artillery fire by Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country.

The Ukrainian military said that a soldier was killed and another seriously wounded in artillery fire from Russia-backed separatist rebels, as hostilities rise sharply in the country’s east. As of the reported attack on Sunday, Ukraine says 27 soldiers have been killed in the east this year, more than half the number who died in all of 2020. Russia denies Western claims that it has sent troops into eastern Ukraine to help the rebels, but officials say the army could intervene if Ukraine tries to retake the area by force.