Since the beginning of this year, 69 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been killed, more than 420 injured in the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) zone, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"Only in the course of this year 69 soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been killed and more than 420 injured as a result of the enemy's shelling," the president said on Wednesday, speaking to the tank brigade during his working trip to the Luhansk region.

He also said that a total of 2,652 Ukrainian servicemen of various security agencies had been killed during the ATO.