'Many' soldiers die in Donetsk attack

Ukraine's government has confirmed a deadly attack on troops in the eastern region of Donetsk, with reports saying at least eight soldiers died.

Heavily armed "terrorists" attacked a checkpoint in the Volnovakha area, killing or wounding a number of soldiers, the defence ministry said.

A Ukrainian journalist reported eight dead and 18 wounded, while a Russian website said 15 soldiers had died.

Separatists have been skirmishing with security forces in Donetsk for weeks.

Both the defence ministry and Ukrainian military journalist Dmytro Tymchu blamed the attack on "terrorists" - the term commonly used by Ukrainian officials for armed pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and the neighbouring Luhansk region.

The Russian source, pro-Kremlin news website Lifenews, suggested that Ukrainian far right militants had attacked soldiers for refusing to fire on civilians.

Ukrainians go to the polls on Sunday to choose a new president but voting in Donetsk and Luhansk has been seriously disrupted by the insurgency there.

The election was called after the last elected President, Viktor Yanukovych, was deposed in February amid mass protests against his pro-Russian policies.