At least 5 people have been killed and 13 injured by artillery fire in the past day, authorities in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine said on Tuesday.
The rebels routinely set up firing positions on government troops in residential areas in the city, attracting return fire.
Artillery fire damaged homes in four districts of the city, the city hall said in a statement.
Recent talks to settle the conflict broke down on Friday with both sides blaming each other for derailing the peace process to end a conflict that has killed more 5,100 people.
Hostilities between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government troops resumed in January after a month of relative calm. Their main offensive is now directed at Debaltseve, a railway junction once populated by 25,000 people that lies between the rebel-held cities of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Almost 2,000 residents have fled in the past few days alone.
Separatists last week took the town of Vuhlehirsk, crucial for the advance on Debaltseve. Rebel leaders, however, insist that they are not planning to storm Debaltseve because of potential huge civilian casualties.
In a sign of the volatile situation on the ground, Donetsk rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said in comments carried by RIA Novosti Tuesday that they are helping to evacuate Vuhlehirsk because of the heavy fighting in the area.
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/16qDPL7
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