Ukraine Border Guards Thwart Attack at Luhansk Checkpoint

By Reuters

May 9, 2014

Ukrainian border guards stand on guard at a base close to the Russian border near Donetsk. Konstantin Chernichkin / Reuters

About 40 armed men attacked a Ukrainian border post on the frontier with Russia on Thursday and tried to seize control of it, but were beaten off by Ukrainian forces, the border guard in Kiev said.

It said two minivans arrived at the border as if about to leave Ukraine at the Izvarino crossing point in the eastern region of Luhansk, a hotbed of pro-Russian insurgency. The men jumped out of the vehicles, surrounded the post, pointed their rifles and demanded guards lay down their weapons.

The border guards refused and opened fire, the assailants replying with petrol bombs. The attack ended with the men fleeing. The Border Guard office said steps were being taken to reinforce the post.

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