Ukrainian soldier falls from speeding tank and is knocked out

• Ukrainian solider was one of a group of fighters sitting on top of a tank
• Vehicle was speeding along an icy road in front of gathered journalists
• Soldier tried to stand up on the tank but vehicle swerved at the same time
• He lost balance and landed heavily on the ground lying there motionless
• Injured soldier was eventually taken away by embarrassed officials

By John Hall for MailOnline

Published: 07:43 EST, 24 February 2015 | Updated: 08:03 EST, 24 February 2015

A Ukrainian military parade to show-off armoured vehicles used in the fight against pro-Russian rebels has backfired after a soldier fell off a tank, leaving him unconscious.

The embarrassing accident happened during the exercise outside the city of Debaltseve in south-eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast region, where fierce fighting between regime soldiers and separatist forces has taken place in recent weeks.

Journalists were lined up along the road as the tank came rumbling past, packed with soldiers who were clinging to the top supposedly ready for battle.

But as the tank swerved slightly to the right, one of the soldiers toppled off and landed heavily on the ground, lying there motionless afterwards and unable to move.

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Parade: Journalists were lined up alongside the road in as the tank came rumbling past, packed with soldiers who were clinging to the top supposedly ready for battle

Don't slip: While speeding along the road the tank swerved slightly to the right and a soldier toppled off

The footage shows the soldier trying to stand to his position, and then losing his balance.

Witness Malik Kundra said: 'We all ran over but the soldier didn't get up. He was taken away and I don't know what happened to him after that, as we weren't given any other information.'

According to the Ukrainian army's own military rules, it is illegal to transport people on tanks in the winter and especially not when travelling more than 30 mph.

However when it was posted online a lot of people have a less charitable interpretation, saying the soldier was obviously only looking for a ticket back home and away from the front line.

The Ukrainian military, which had been in control of Debaltseve during the month-long siege by pro-Russian rebels, were ordered to withdraw by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko recently and after they left, pro-Russian rebel forces began to enter the destroyed town.

Don't stand up: The footage shows the soldier trying to stand to his position, and then losing his balance

Tumble: According to the Ukrainian army's own military rules, it is illegal to transport people on tanks in the winter and especially not when travelling more than 30 mph

It was thought that the end to full-scale fighting in the strategically located city might give fresh hope to the ceasefire that was signed in Minsk on Feb. 12.

However, as fighting in Debaltseve began to scale down, shelling was reported in the port city of Mariupol in the south of Ukraine and in the city of Donetsk, a pro-rebel stronghold.

The conflict has claimed the lives of 5,692 people and left 14,122 wounded, according to a United Nations report. The true figure is likely to increase as Ukrainian commanders account for the captured and missing troops.

Howitzers were seen moving east Tuesday from the largest rebel-held city in eastern Ukraine further into separatist-controlled territory, but the Ukrainian government disputed the rebels' claim that a heavy weapons pullback had begun.

A peace plan worked out in marathon talks on Feb. 12 aims to create a wide buffer zone between separatists' and Ukrainian forces' artillery as part of efforts to end the conflict that has left nearly 5,800 dead since April.

The disagreement over a weapons pullback came as talks about a fragile peace deal for Ukraine were underway in Paris between the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France.

Pain: The soldier landed heavily on the ground, lying there motionless afterwards and unable to move

Unconscious: Witness Malik Kundra said: 'We all ran over but the soldier didn't get up. He was taken away and I don't know what happened to him after that, as we weren't given any other information'

The supposed cease-fire in eastern Ukraine has been troubled by violations. On Tuesday, military spokesman Lt. Col. Anatoliy Stelmakh said rebels had shelled the town of Popasna seven times and launched one barrage on the village of Luhanske.

Stelmakh also said rebels tried to storm Ukrainian positions near the southern village of Shyrokyne, which is near the strategic Azov Sea port of Mariupol. Concerns persists that rebels aim to take Mariupol to help establish a land corridor between mainland Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed last March.

Russia denies Ukrainian and Western claims that it is supplying the rebels with troops and equipment, with the possible aim of a full-scale war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview Monday with state television, said 'such an apocalyptic scenario is hardly possible.'

Western officials and NATO insist, however, that satellite photos show that Russian military equipment is in eastern Ukraine.