Over 70 die in three days of fighting for Donetsk
Iran Press TV
Thu Aug 14, 2014 2:33PM GMT
Official sources in Donetsk say more than 70 civilians have died over the past three days of battle between Ukraine forces and pro-Russians.
Heavy clashes between the Kiev government forces and pro-Russia fighters continued in the eastern city of Donetsk.
"Over the past three days, 74 residents of the region were killed and another 116 were wounded as a result of fighting," health officials in Donetsk said in a statement on Thursday.
Latest reports say the Ukrainian military has heavily pounded Donetsk, which is known to be the stronghold of pro-Russia forces in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian troops also shelled the volatile eastern city on Wednesday night, inflicting heavy damage on residential homes in the area, according to locals.
The United Nations said on Wednesday that the number of fatalities in eastern Ukraine has nearly doubled over the past two weeks.
Nearly 300,000 people have also been forced to flee their homes due to fierce fighting in the east, according to the UN.
The latest developments come as the pro-Russia forces in Donetsk have voiced preparedness for a ceasefire to avert a humanitarian disaster in the area. However, the Kiev government has rejected the call.
Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking regions in the east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations to stifle the pro-Russian protests.
The political unrest in eastern Ukraine has so far claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people, according to figures by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
MKA/HSN
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