Police Officer Dead, Two Hurt in Rebel Attack near Slavyansk

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A Ukrainian police officer was killed and two others injured Friday when insurgents near the separatist stronghold of Slavyansk launched a mortar attack on a checkpoint, officials said.

The insurgents, who had taken up position in a church, opened fire on Ukrainian forces, deputy interior minister Serhiy Yarovy said in a statement. 

"One police officer was killed, while two seriously injured have been hospitalized," he said.

Ukrainian forces have been carrying out a military operation in the east of the country since April 13 to quell a pro-Russian rebellion.

Some 200 people have died in the ensuing violence, including Ukrainian soldiers, insurgents and civilians.

The head of the regional administration of Donetsk, Kiev-appointed Serhiy Taruta, said on Friday that the "anti-terrorist" operation had not achieved its objective.

He said that the Ukrainian military is now facing professional fighters who have arrived from Chechnya, a republic in Russian Caucasus, and South Ossetia, a separatist pro-Russian republic in Georgia.

But Taruta cautioned against trying to bring about peace in east Ukraine's Donbas region with a blunt military campaign.

"Every new death is a tragedy for Donbas and creates ten new terrorists," he said.

Some 200 people are currently being held hostage, Taruta said, adding that his administration is in negotiations to secure the release of those being held by separatists.

"The insurgents currently hold more than 200 hostages of various nationalities," he said.

Two observer groups from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe -- eight people in total -- disappeared late last month and are believed to be being kept in the eastern region of Lugansk, according to a pro-Russian rebel leader. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's president-elect Petro Poroshenko met Friday for the first time during D-Day events in Normandy.

Putin's spokesman said both leaders are calling for an end to bloodshed and violence on both sides.

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