Donetsk, Mar 31 - DAN. Donetsk People’s Republic militiamen have shot down two more Ukrainian helicopters flying to Mariupol, DPR People’s Militia deputy commander Eduard Basurin said on Thursday.

“The political leadership in Kiev made another attempt to evacuate Ukrainian nationalist leaders from Mariupol,” Basurin said. “On Thursday morning, our air defense detected and shot down two enemy helicopters one of which fell in the Rybatskoye settlement area. We are updating the information about the location of the second helicopter crash site and the number of eliminated nationalists.”

He urged Ukrainian servicemen in Mariupol to lay down their arms and turn themselves in to DPR authorities.

It is Kiev’s third attempt to evacuate gunmen. Reports on Wednesday said that the Ukrainian pilot flying to Mariupol turned his helicopter around as he got scared of DPR air defense. On March 28, DPR forces downed the helicopter on the mission to evacuate the “Azov” leader. *jk