Ukrainian minister admits 108 army servicemen killed in trap set near town of Ilovaisk

World October 03, 2014, 20:47

Earlier, defense minister declined to answer questions put by members of an investigative commission citing secrecy of the requested information as the reason

KIEV, October 3. /TASS/. A total of 108 Ukrainian army servicemen were killed in a trap set for the Ukrainian troops near the town of Ilovaisk, Ukrainian Defense Minister Valery Geletei told a briefing on Friday.

" The names and surnames of the killed army servicemen as well as their home addresses have been kept secret. We have no data about other volunteers, Interior servicemen or members of the National Guards who were killed in the same place," the defense minister said.

Two days ago the defense minister declined to answer questions, put by members of an investigative commission appointed by the Ukrainian Rada, citing secrecy of the requested information as the reason.

Chairman of the Investigative commission Andrei Senchenko said that he had to appeal to the Ukrainian National Security Service, asking to find out at the Defense Ministry and the General Headquarters whether the information about the dead was classified legitimately. “The public has been demanding an answer to many questions connected with the events near Ilovaisk," Senchenko said.

During fierce fighting with self-defense forces in the Donetsk region in August a large group of Ukrainian law enforcers was forced into a trap near Ilovaisk encircled by self-defense fighters.

After a tragic defeat of the Ukrainian army servicemen in the Ilovaisk battle President Petro Poroshenko blamed commanders of two army battalions, who deserted their positions where they ought to have stayed to control the situation.

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