(Dan Tri) – Ukraine’s new Defense Minister pledged to reclaim Crimea and restore the country’s territorial integrity.
Speaking before parliament in Kiev on July 3, Minister Valeriy Heletey said: “There will be a victorious march…in Ukraine’s Sevastopol.”
Mr. Heletey, 46 years old, was approved by members of parliament in Kiev as the new Minister of Defense after being nominated by new President Poroshenko.
Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula, where the majority speaks Russian, last March, after a controversial referendum.
Meanwhile, in eastern Ukraine, the government’s offensive against separatist, pro-Russian militias continues.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Hollande in a telephone conference called on Russian President Putin to use his influence to pressure militias in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
According to the Kremlin, Putin expressed `deep concern about the rising number of civilian deaths and the sharp increase in the number of refugees` entering Russia from southeastern Ukraine.
All three leaders agreed that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) must monitor the situation in the conflict zone more actively.
Afterwards, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he was ready to return to the ceasefire, if the ceasefire was monitored by both sides, and all hostages were released and border crossings with Russia were returned.
Mr. Poroshenko made the above statement after a phone call with US Vice President Biden.
Human loss
According to information from separatist forces as well as the Ukrainian government, at least 250 civilians have died in eastern Ukraine since April. In addition, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that nearly 200 Ukrainian soldiers have also died.
Many people in eastern Ukraine fled to Russia to seek refuge.
Meanwhile, the separatist forces said at least 800 of their people have died since April.
According to the United Nations, at least 110,000 people have left Ukraine to flee to Russia since the beginning of the year and most of these people are in eastern Ukraine.
The United Nations also said about 54,400 people lost their homes.
Attack on the village
Militia in Luhansk accused government forces of killing civilians in the village of Luhanska on Wednesday.
Videos have emerged showing burned houses and bodies.
Meanwhile, separatist forces in Donetsk said there was fierce fighting between them and government troops, supported by tanks and aircraft, in the village of Mykolayivka on Thursday.
In addition, 3 traffic police were shot dead overnight in Donetsk city.
In a separate incident, Ukrainian border guards accused Russian military helicopters of violating Ukrainian airspace in the Luhansk region.
Violence in eastern Ukraine erupted in April, when separatists declared independence in Donetsk and Luhansk.
In November, under pressure from Russia, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych decided not to sign an agreement with the EU.
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