Residents of Debaltseve in panic: Sheltering from bombs we can’t even bury our dead

Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 27 wounded in fighting with pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s eastern regions in the past 24 hours, Kyiv military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian military say fighting has been particularly intense around the town of Debaltseve, a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk, which government troops are still holding.

“Fighting is going on between the terrorists and military forces in the area of Debaltseve and nearby populated areas. The (separatist) fighters are unsuccessfully trying to surround units of the Ukrainian armed forces,” Reuters quotes Lysenko as saying.

“Despite constant shelling and attacks, Debaltseve remains under the control of Ukrainian forces,” he said.

There is no water, electric power and mobile communication in Debaltseve.

“Most people are sheltering from bombings in their flats, basements of tower-blocks or detached houses… in fact, they hardly leave them… There is no opportunity to bury the killed people … We are panicking, ” local residents said on Facebook.

Non-governmental organisation ‘Donbas SOS’ has adressed to all unindifferent people asking to help the residents of Debaltseve. The organisation is raising funds to buy food, diapers, batteries and medicines.

Talks on Saturday between Ukraine, Russia and representatives of the so-called DNR and LNR in Belarus had raised hopes of a new ceasefire to stem the violence, but they broke up without progress. Fighting resumed soon after.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict between Russian-backed separatists and government forces, of which Ukrainian media estimate more than 1,500 are Ukrainian soldiers.

www.belsat.eu/en. following Reuters