Ukraine’s military death toll in the war zone of Donbas continues to rise as another two soldiers were reported killed on April 6.
Soldier Maskym Steblyanko of the 1st Armored Brigade was killed early in the day, struck by an “unknown explosive device while carrying out a mission,” according to his unit.
A truck driven by Steblyanko hit a landmine on an unknown dirt road, killing him on the spot. Six other soldiers who were in the truck were not injured.
Originally from the Sumy Oblast, Steblyanko was 23 years old.
According to later reports, the incident occurred close to the front line town of Stepne in Donetsk Oblast, 30 kilometers southwest of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk.
Later in the day, another deadly incident claimed the life of a commissioned officer, Senior Lieutenant Volodymyr Shpak.
Shpak, 37, served as an anti-tank platoon leader with the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade.
He died shortly after taking a fatal shrapnel injury during an enemy attack near the town of Nevelske, 20 kilometers west of occupied Donetsk.
Two other service members were killed just one day prior.
According to official figures, at least 28 Ukrainian service members fighting Russian-sponsored militants in Donbas were killed since the latest ceasefire was declared on July 27, 2020.
Ukrainian service people who were killed in the Donbas since the beginning of the ceasefire in July 2020. The list of non-combat related fatalities includes soldiers who were killed in accidents, such as landmine blasts.
At least 25 soldiers and officers have been killed since the beginning of 2021. Several warfighters were lost to what command described as non-combat-related incidents, such as landmine blasts or trench fires.
The drastic increase in the intensity of the static war in Donbas takes place amid the worst regional security crisis in years, as Russia masses newly-deployed troops in occupied Crimea and close to the Ukrainian state border.
The massive military maneuvers and fiery warlike rhetoric from the Kremlin prompted Ukraine, NATO and the United States to sound the alarm about a possible all-out invasion by Russia.
“Each day of the war takes the toll of the lives of brave, patriotic people who would have been building the future of Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 6.
