Russian checkpoint on Ukraine border comes under fire

Moscow demands explanation from Kiev authorities after a Russian checkpoint on the border between two counties came under shelling on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
On Friday, the Russian checkpoint of Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov region was shelled by mortars, the Russia’s Border Service said. The rounds came from the Ukrainian side. A Russian customs service employee was seriously injured in the fire.
The shelling occurred as Lugansk self-defense forces clashed with Ukrainian military joined by the National Guard, who launched mortar fire that in the end hit the checkpoint, said spokesman of the Border Service in the Rostov Region, Vasily Malayev.
While the main target of the shelling was the Ukrainian border checkpoint Dolzhansky, controlled by the militia, several mortars hit Russia’s territory, he added.
The Russian checkpoint was severely damaged, especially its engineer constructions and communication lines, Malayev said.
Following the incident, the Russian Foreign Ministry filed a protest note to Kiev demanding an immediate explanation and investigation into the shelling.
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