Ukraine leader vows to punish rebels after downing of chopper
Ukraine's president-elect Petro Poroshenko vowed to punish pro-Russian rebels who downed an army helicopter in the east of the country, killing 12 troops in one of the deadliest attacks of the insurgency.
The militants shot the Mi-8 helicopter gunship out of the sky with a sophisticated surface-to-air missile May 29, prompting the White House to say the incident raised concerns about the rebels being supplied "from the outside."
"We have to do everything we can to ensure no more Ukrainians die at the hands of terrorists and bandits. These criminal acts by the enemies of the Ukrainian people will not go unpunished," said Poroshenko, according to Ukrainian news agencies.
Defence Minister Mykhailo Koval was to give details on the attack near the industrial town of Slavyansk at a press briefing early May 30.
One of the separatists' leaders made a surprise admission May 29 that 33 out of more than 40 rebels killed during a raid on Donetsk airport this week were Russian nationals from Muslim regions such as Chechnya.
The revelation challenged President Vladimir Putin's rejection of Russian links to the separatist drive and supports Kiev's claims that the rebels do not represent the true will of the miners and steel workers who have turned the east into the economic engine of Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said late May 29 there was "evidence of Russians crossing over, trained personnel from Chechnya trained in Russia, who've come across to stir things up, to engage in fighting."
Kerry urged Russia to take advantage of Sunday's presidential election and "build a road forward where Ukraine becomes a bridge between the West and the East."
Russian troops massed...
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