Pro-Russian Rebels Shoot Down Ukrainian Plane, Attack Border Guards

KIEV — Using highly sophisticated surface-to-air missiles, Kremlin-backed rebels shot down a Ukrainian Ilyushin-76 military-transport aircraft, as it prepared to land at an airport in the eastern city of Luhansk early Saturday, killing all 49 servicemen on board.

The setback marks the largest loss of Ukrainian troops in a single incident since the government began its “anti-terrorist operation” in April to purge pro-Russian insurgents from its eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In all, since the start of the operation, at least 115 servicemen have been killed.