Ukraine sends additional equipment to front lines

KIEV, Ukraine, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- While peace talks continue, Ukraine has reinforced its front lines of combat with new aircraft, heavy weapons and other equipment. The upgrade comes after a September truce in which Ukraine paused an advance on pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country. Moving military equipment would have violated a cease-fire announced Sept. 5, although the stoppage in combat has been broken regularly. "Ukraine was able to restore its military preparedness during the cease-fire," said Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko Tuesday.

He listed Ukraine's new equipment, which include two MiG-29 and two Su-27 fighter planes, 42 armored personnel carriers and 48 self-propelled howitzers.

The announcement of the reinforcement came a day after a bus carrying Ukrainian troops crashed, killing 12 and injuring 21, the Interior Ministry said.

The bus struck a military truck in bad weather near the village of Mynkovka, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The news agency Interfax-Ukraine said the Prosecutor General's Office is investigating the incident.