DONETSK. Aug 9 (Interfax) - A Ukrainian soldier has been killed trying to defect to the militia, the spokesman for the militia of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Danil Bezsonov, said at a press briefing on Thursday.
"A Ukrainian serviceman made a courageous attempt to stop participating in the operation of the occupation forces and take our side yesterday. Ukrainian troops opened massive mortar and small-arms fire as he was approaching our positions," Bezsonov said.
After the fire ceased, it was seen that the soldier had been killed by mortar shells. His body was taken to the territory of the republic, Bezsonov said.
"The deceased was carrying a service-issue weapon and the ID of Ukrainian private Dmytro Mykhailovych Ukrainsky, born in the Donetsk region in 1979. The Ukrainian serviceman warned us about his crossing in advance, but the situation changed, and he started crossing in a different place and at a different time," he said.