Combined Russian-separatist forces attacked Ukrainian government positions at least 70 times within the last 24 hours. The sharp escalation of violence coincided with the first meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in 2016.
Ukraine Today: Violence in eastern Ukraine escalates as Trilateral Contact Group meets in Minsk
A picture taken on Dec. 22, 2015 shows local residents receiving free wood briquettes delivered by the Red Cross in the village of Pischevik, in the Donetsk region.
