Ukrainian shelling sparks fire in Donetsk – mayor
The latest shelling of Donetsk has caused a fire in a downtown residential area, Aleksey Kulemzin, the mayor of the Russian frontline city has reported.
At least three projectiles fired by a multiple rocket launcher targeted the Voroshilovsky district, the official said on social media, posting an image purportedly showing the aftermath.
The attack caused a rupture of a gas pipeline in the neighborhood in addition to some structural damage, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) self-defense force reported.
A local monitor of military activities said the rockets had come from the village of Karlovka, around 20km west of Donetsk.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the attack.
Donetsk is the capital of the DPR, which Russia incorporated as a new region earlier this month, after its people voted for the move in a referendum. The city remains within the reach of Ukrainian artillery, which shells it on a regular basis.
The shelling came on the same day that Russia launched its latest missile attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, causing a further deterioration of the national energy system.
Moscow ramped up its pressure on Kiev this month, responding to what it called a pattern of Ukrainian sabotage attacks against key civilian sites in Russia. President Vladimir Putin took the decision to change tactics after a deadly truck bombing on the Crimean Bridge, which Russian investigators blamed on the Ukrainian military intelligence service.
