Further gunfire in Donetsk amid war of words between Russia and US

Further gunfire has been exchanged between Ukrainian separatists and government troops in the eastern city of Donetsk.

Despite a supposed ceasefire being agreed by separatists and government forces in September, fighting continues around the Donetsk airport, still held by Ukrainian soldiers.

The city has in the past also suffered heavily shelling, and its infrastructure has been badly damages.

Before the conflict, the city’s population was around a million, now it is less than half that.

But amid the gunfire, a war of troops between Moscow and the West is escalating.

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has accused the West of trying to use sanctions imposed on Moscow to “seek regime change” in Russia.

This after the US Vice President slammed Russian actions as “unacceptable” during a visit to Kyiv and called on Moscow to pull its troops out of Ukraine. Russia denies it is helping the rebels.

On Thursday the Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow must be on the alert against what he called a “colour revolution” in Russia, referring to the mass protests that have toppled leaders in former Soviet states.

Sanctions have begun to hurt Russia; as well as freezing the assets and travel visas of key officials, the measures have limited access to foreign capital for some of the countries largest banks and companies.

Moreover, president Vladimir Putin has insisted that the sanctions could backfire and also complained of not being consulted by the EU about the recognition of Ukraine.

More than 900 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since the truce was signed and the UN says 4,300 have died since April.