(AP) – A land mine explosion injured three Ukrainian peacekeepers in Iraq on Oct. 27, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
The three peacekeepers were lightly injured when a mine exploded along a road they were checking, spokesman Andriy Lysenko said. The peacekeepers were hospitalized and were in a stable condition, he said.
Defense Minister Anatoliy Hritsenko said Oct. 24 that Ukraine’s 800 remaining troops in Iraq will be withdrawn following that country’s December elections.
Ukraine initially sent 1,650 troops to Iraq, becoming the fourth-largest contingent in the U.S.-led military operation in Iraq. In all, 18 Ukrainian soldiers have died and 36 have been injured there.
