Rebels Shoot down Ukrainian Chopper

An Ukrainian helicopter with nine technicians on board was struck by a rebel missile near Slaviansk in eastern Ukraine, on Tuesday, killing all of them, the government forces spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov said. The technicians had been returning after installing a specialized equipment to monitor violations of a peace plan in Ukraine’s rebellious east when their Mi-8 cargo helicopter was struck down by the rebels.

The nine people killed included a three-man crew. “The fighters, having fired the rocket, hid in the nearby village of Bylbasovka,” Seleznyov said. The incident took place hours after the pro-Russian separatists, on Monday night, announced a ceasefire until June 27 to match a week-long truce by government forces which has been ordered by President Petro Poroshenko. Earlier the rebels had shot down a military helicopter on May 30, killing 14 servicemen, including one general.

Minutes after the breach of ceasefire, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, asked Russia’s upper house on Tuesday to revoke the authorization it had granted him on March 1st, to order a military intervention in Ukraine in defense of Russian-speakers there. The White House welcomed Putin’s backing for the ceasefire, but said there must be “tangible actions” to defuse the crisis. Putin said that he expected Ukraine to begin talks on guaranteeing the rights of its Russian-speaking minority, which Russia would continue to defend.

Obama to Impose More Sanctions

Meanwhile the Obama administration is preparing the sanctions to be imposed on the specific areas of the Russian economy, including energy and technology as a part of putting pressure on Russia to lessen the crisis in Ukraine and has held discussions with Canada, the U.K. and Australia. According to the sources, the sanctions would apply to technology used to explore, produce, transport, or deliver natural gas, crude and their refined products.

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