Ukraine shelling kills four civilians, soldier

Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels have accused each other of shelling residential areas despite a ceasefire, with four civilians and one soldier among the dead following a week of the deadliest fighting in over a month.

Pro-Russian separatists said one man was killed by shelling from Ukrainian forces in the central eastern city of Donestsk.

More than 6,500 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine in April last year. Attacks have lessened since a peace agreement was brokered in Minsk, Belarus, five months ago, but both sides accuse each other of violations.

“The vast majority of shelling and armed attacks by the rebels take place at night to avoid attracting the attention of international observers,” Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

He said separatists had focused their attacks on residential areas north-west of rebel-held Donetsk city and that one serviceman, a woman, her granddaughter and a 49-year-old man had been killed.

Rebels meanwhile accused Ukraine of intensifying their assault. On Sundya, rebels said that at least one person was killed and several injured as Ukrainian forces shelled a hospital and several residential blocks in central Donetsk. Almost 50 cases of ceasefire violations on Saturday have been blamed on Kiev by the rebels.

None of the casualty reports could be independently verified.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which is monitoring the ceasefire, has said neither side have fully withdrawn heavy artillery from the frontline as required by the peace deal.