The battle for Donetsk apparently enters the decisive phase. For the first time the Ukrainian Air Force has bombed the Separatist stronghold. There are reports of civilians killed.
For the first time the Ukrainian Air Force attacked the center of the separatist stronghold of Donetsk in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Around midnight, two fighter jets flew over the city of millions in the east of the country, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists. How correspondent Christian Neef reported that the machines fired at low altitude from multiple rockets. They met on a street. The AFP news agency reported that a bullet had left a four-meter wide and five feet deep crater in a street.
About possible victims there were different information. Associated Press reported, citing rescuers of two injured workers. The Russian Interfax news agency reported, however, relying on the City Council of Donetsk that three civilians were killed in the air raids.
At night, Ukrainian government troops and militias supplied heavy fighting in Donetsk, as reporter Neef further reported. In the vicinity of his hotel was heard repeatedly artillery fire. AFP reported at least two deaths. According to the city administration are the victims were civilians.
The Ukrainian army on Tuesday was ever advanced to Donetsk. The mayor’s office reported heavy fighting in the western suburb Petrovsky. According to news agencies also occurred in south-western suburb Mariinka battles. There were periodic explosions heard, columns of smoke rose. With nightly mortar attacks a power plant has been damaged near Mariinka. A Ukrainian army spokesman said the armed forces were preparing for the capture of the city before.
For weeks, the Ukrainian army tries to drive out the separatists from their strongholds Donetsk and Luhansk. While it succeeded in the army, Slowjansk, Mariupol and retake other smaller towns, but got the offensive in the face of fierce resistance from the rebels repeatedly stalled. The current strategy in Donetsk was to isolate the separatists until their resources are exhausted. In addition, they should be cut off from the Russian border. Kiev and the west throw Russia plan to support the separatists with weapons and fighters.
Ukraine Conflict:UN warns of worsening of the humanitarian situation
The UN warned of a dramatic worsening of the humanitarian situation in the embattled eastern Ukraine. “We are talking about 3.9 million people who live in a region plagued by violence,” said John Ging of the UN Emergency Relief office on Tuesday in New York in a special session of the Security Council. “The infrastructure has been destroyed, there is hardly any electricity and water only a few hours a day.” Every day, about a thousand people would flee from the battle field. Since the conflict began in 1376 people were killed, more than 4000 were injured.
“There is a real war,” said Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who had called for an emergency meeting. “Despite international agreements Kiev continues its military operations continue. Residential areas are shot, and there are even used cluster bombs.” Churkin said Russia had received 800,000 refugees. According to the UN there are but 168,000.
The U.S. accused Russia of hypocrisy. “Russia can end it all,” said Deputy Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo. “The violence ends on the day on which Russia suspends its aid to the insurgents.” Moscow must respect the Ukraine and end the occupation of the Crimea, she said. “And Russia must stop with the destabilization of Eastern Ukraine.”
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