SLOVIANSK, June 06. /ITAR-TASS/. A Ukrainian Antonov An-30 reconnaissance aircraft has been shot down by militia and presumably fallen a few kilometers to the east of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk in the Donetsk Region, a militia spokesman said Friday.

“A Ukrainian reconnaissance plane made circles all day. Militiamen shot it causing an engine to catch fire. After that, it turned back and flew beyond the city’s boundaries,” the militia spokesman said, adding that there is no place for landing in the radius of several kilometers.

“A pillar of black smoke is rising above the presumed place where the plane fell,” he added.

Fierce fighting has been underway between the Ukrainian military and militias in Ukraine’s southeastern regions, which refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities propelled to power amid riots during a coup in Ukraine in February.