(2 Jun 2014) Hundreds of pro-Russia insurgents attacked a border guard base in eastern Ukraine on Monday, with some firing rocket-propelled grenades from the roof of a nearby residential building.
An Associated Press crew witnessed heavy fighting as the pro-Russian forces targeted the base.
At least five rebels were killed when the guards returned fire, a spokesman for the border guard service said.
Until late afternoon it seemed Ukrainian forces had managed to keep the insurgents from overcoming the entrenched troops.
But after the initial attack by about 100 insurgents was met by gunfire from the border guards, the number of attackers swelled to around 400 a few hours later.
The spokesman for the border guard service said the Ukrainian armed forces had sent aircraft to the area, but had been unable to quell the attack.
Fighters in uniform near the Luhansk base said they had promised safety for government troops if they surrendered and laid down their arms.
A rebel commander who presented himself as Oleg said the ultimatum was turned down.
The pro-Russian insurgents, who have seized government and police buildings across eastern Ukraine, have waged increasingly aggressive attacks on government-held checkpoints and garrisons in an attempt to seize weapons and ammunition from Ukrainian forces.
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