Nine killed after shells hit school, bus in Donetsk

A shell landed near a school as children began their school year in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Wednesday morning, killing at least three adults.

A shell landed 5 meters from Donetsk's School 57 about 10 a.m., shattering windows and doors on the first and second floors, local officials said. It was the first day of the school year in rebel-controlled areas of the Donetsk region, a debut that was delayed by a month because of shelling and clashes between separatists and the Ukrainian military.

Shells also hit a public transit bus in the city about the same time, killing six people in or near the vehicle, city officials said.

It wasn't immediately clear who was responsible for the shelling. The Donetsk regional authority blamed the rebels, who in turn blamed the Ukrainian military.

The shelling in Donetsk, held for months by pro-Russian rebels, came despite a ceasefire that Ukraine's government reached with separatist leaders last month.

Conflicting reports emerged over how many people were killed at the school. Officials at the rebel-held city office said a biology teacher and two parents died, and five other people were injured.

Officials with the Donetsk regional authority, which is aligned with the Kiev government, said four people were killed and eight were injured.

Both sides said no children died. It wasn't clear whether any of the injured were children.