LUHANSK, June 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Luhansk militia clashed with Ukrainian servicemen near the regional center on Monday night, and the fighting is still continuing, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic Valery Bolotov told a news conference.

"National Guard is bringing in equipment. We've seized six armoured vehicles, destroying three of them," Bolotov said.

He added that the fighting had broken out in direction leading to the town of Schastye and the village of Metallist.

According to Bolotov, columns of armoured vehicles are rolling towards Metallist. "I think we'll be able to handle them," he said.