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| Picture of Pro-Russian Separatist |
The clashes said to involve heavy artillery and
tanks - took place in Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, outside the rebel-held city
of Donetsk. There were reports of multiple injuries in the towns held by
Ukraine's army.
Ukraine accused the rebels of launching a
full-scale offensive in violation of a truce, but the separatists deny this.
An eyewitness describes
the fighting as the heaviest since the ceasefire signed in February in Minsk,
Belarus.
"There was a near constant barrage of
artillery throughout the afternoon. Smoke rose on the horizon. And on three
occasions we saw Ukrainian troops fire multiple rocket launchers, known as
Grads, towards rebel positions".
"The Ukrainians also accused the rebels of
using Grads, which indiscriminately shower a large area of ground with rockets,
and are banned from exclusion zones near the frontline, under the Minsk
agreement".
"The exact number of dead might only emerge
with time, but both sides appear to have taken significant losses", he
said.
Clashes between government troops and the rebels
have recently intensified along the line of separation. The Ukrainian
government, Western leaders and Nato all say there is clear evidence that
Russia is helping the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions with heavy
weapons and soldiers. Independent experts echo that accusation.
Meanwhile, Moscow denied the accusation,
insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are volunteers.
More than 6,400 people have been killed in
fighting in eastern Ukraine that began in April 2014 when rebels seized large
parts of the two eastern regions. This followed Russia's annexation of the
Crimea peninsula.
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