Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says they have takenstrategic positions in area of Starognatovka

Ukrainian troops seized the strategic positions in the area of Starognatovka village, Donetsk region, overnight. The positions were under control of the self-defense forces before, the Defense Ministry of Ukraine said.

The ministry reported that seven Ukrainian militaries were wounded in the operation, while the self-defense forces “suffered major losses both in human life and equipment.”  Yana Zinkevych, the chief medic of the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps left a post on her Facebook page saying seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed and eleven were wounded near Starognatovka.  

 Mikheil Saakashvili, the Odessa governor, in turn, says a Georgian mercenary was killed too.

“Another Georgian – 24-year-old Giorgi Barateli - fell in the battle field for Ukraine. He was a volunteer of the 93rd brigade. He was from Sukhumi,” Saakashvili said in a Facebook post. 

Earlier, on Aprl 18, a solider of Azov punitive battalion Giorgi Janelidze was killed in the battle near Shirokino.