KIEV, April 25 (agencies): Kiev accused Moscow on Friday of seeking to trigger a "third world war" as military tensions soared in east Ukraine and US President Barack Obama led a diplomatic charge against Russia.
A rocket-propelled grenade blew up a Ukrainian military helicopter sitting on the tarmac at a base near the eastern town of Kramatorsk, officials in Kiev said. The pilot escaped but was wounded. Smoke spewed in the sky over the nearby rebel-held town.
The brazen attack by the insurgents came amid an army offensive to dislodge pro-Kremlin gunmen who are holding a string of eastern towns.
Kiev announced Friday that its forces were now seeking to "blockade" rebels inside another flashpoint town, Slavyansk, to prevent militant reinforcements arriving.
Russia warned Kiev on Friday that it would face justice for a "bloody crime" in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces killed up to five pro-Russian rebels a day earlier, while Washington said Moscow was running out of time to defuse the crisis before facing further sanctions.
Ukraine accuses Russia of seeking \\\'third world war\\\'
FE Team | Published: April 26, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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