KIEV, Ukraine
Most of the perpetrators of the rocket attacks that claimed at least 30 lives in Ukrainian southeastern port city of Mariupol were killed, said Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on Sunday.
"The government forces killed 110 armed pro-Russian separatists on Saturday, around 600 in the last three days," said Poroshenko at the beginning of his country's security meeting in capital Kiev.
Ukrainian troops destroyed eight multi barrel rocket launchers belonging to the separatists, said Poroshenko, adding security forces captured one perpetrator whom he said was under interrogation.
Poroshenko also pointed out they had evidence that Russia backed "terrorists" who carried out Saturday's attack that wounded hundreds of Ukrainians.
The president called for "exact" and "full" implementation of the Minsk agreement reached between the Kiev government and the separatists in Belarus in September.
"If the sides had abided by the Minsk truce, the attack in the east would not have happened," said Poroshenko.
On Saturday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Russia to end its military, political and financial support for the separatists, stop destabilizing Ukraine and respect its international commitments.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak delivered a speech at the meeting and said the separatists and Russian armed forces' servicemen suffered 850 losses between Jan. 17 and 24.
He also added 405 others were wounded and the government forces destroyed 23 tanks, 67 military vehicles, 18 multi barrel rocket launchers, 21 motorized shelling systems and 23 vehicles.
Tensions increased Wednesday when Ukraine's military confirmed it had abandoned Donetsk Airport to pro-Russian separatist militias.
Close to 5,000 people have been killed since April 2014 after pro-Russian rebels seized parts of Luhansk and Donetsk and declared independence from Kiev.
