Ukraine shelling kills four civilians, soldier

Late on Saturday, rebels said the attacks had killed one civilian, destroyed buildings and started several fires in the city.

More when compared to five, 500 individuals have been murdered because the disagreement crack out in japanese Ukraine in April in 2011.

Both sides have exchanged hundreds of prisoners and have reportedly complied with the weapons withdrawal in certain areas, but the ceasefire has been broken numerous times since it was implemented.

Eduard Basurin, an official with the separatist forces, accused the Ukrainian military of firing on the area from the village of Pisky near Donetsk airport. Ukrainian military spokesman Colonel Andriy Lysenko today said three civilians had been killed in shelling of the town of Avdiivka.

The Ukrainian military said one serviceman had been killed and seven wounded in separatist attacks in the past 24 hours.

Independent experts, the Ukrainian government, Western leaders and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation have all accused Russia of supplying the separatists with weaponry and troops, but Moscow denies the charge and says any Russians fighting in Ukraine are volunteers.

The sounds of intensive artillery strikes could be heard in the centre of separatist-held Donetsk on Saturday evening, according to the Reuters witness.

None of the casualty reports could be independently verified.

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Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is monitoring the ceasefire, has said neither side has fully withdrawn their heavy artillery from the frontline as required by the peace deal.

In fact, Ivica Dacic, the head of the OSCE, said on Friday that both sides must stick to the Minsk agreement if they want to avoid a worse humanitarian crisis and achieve peace.