At least 30 dead and 90 injured as rebels shell Mariupol in Ukraine

#mariupol #donetsk #Ukraine #crimea #minskagreement Pro-Russian rebels attacked the city of Mariupol in Ukraine with grad rockets – the attacks were in residential areas and left at least 30 dead with another more than 90 injured.
The attack happened on the day when the leader of the pro-Russian group had announced an assault on the city – this was in spite of previous denials about involvement of the rebels. It seems both the rebels and Russian television has claimed that the Ukrainians had shelled their own territory by mistake. But, observers who had visited the scene, were of the opinion that the missiles had been launched from rebel territory.
Incidentally, both the warring factions own and use Grad missiles – these can fire a salvo of up to 40 rockets across a wide area and are notoriously imprecise. As per information of the UN, the number of casualties in the conflict till now is more than 5,000 people dead, more than 10,000 have been injured and about a million have been displaced from their homes since the violence began in east Ukraine began last spring following the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
A ceasefire had been agreed upon in Minsk last September but it has had no effect – in fact, from incidents that have taken place over the past fortnight the situation has threatened to return to full-scale war.
Mariupol is under control of Ukraine forces and, seizing it would provide the rebels in Donetsk with an easy access to the sea and, also, pave the way for a potential land route between Russia and annexed Crimea.

Trolleybus shelled in Donetsk – at least 13 persons killed

#ukraine #donetsk #trolleybus #minskagreement Shelling, reportedly by pro-Russian activists, have killed at least 13 persons who were waiting at the bus stop in Donetsk for their trolleybus. The defense ministry of Ukraine has put the blame on the pro-Russian rebels.
The incident happened in the residential area of the city which is controlled by the illegal militias. It was an artillery attack in the rebel stronghold and it happened even as talks on the country's crisis has led to a sort of agreement to pull back heavy weaponry from a demarcation line defined in last year's Minsk agreement.
The deal had been brokered by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier with his counterparts from France, Russia and Ukraine when the talks were held in Berlin.
However, Moscow has denied the charges and has, instead, blamed the attack on Ukrainian troops branding it as a "crime against humanity", aimed at undermining efforts to resolve the bloody conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people.
Subsequent to the deadly strike, the separatists paraded around 20 captured Ukrainian soldiers through the streets of Donetsk - angry residents apparently hurled pieces of glass and abuse at them.