Ukraine Interior Ministry reports deaths of five people in Debaltseve

Published Feb. 5, 2015 at 3:47 pm

A Ukrainian soldier is seen atop of a Ukrainian armored vehicle while resupplying their battalion at the gate of the town of Debaltseve, in the Donetsk region, on February 3, 2015. At least 19 civilians and five government troops were killed over the previous 24 hours as fierce clashes raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine's outgunned forces in the east of the country, insurgent and government officials said. AFP PHOTO / MANU BRABO

Photo by AFP

Police in the Donetsk region have reported the death of five people in Debaltseve after the town came under fire on Thursday morning.

“In the morning on February 5, the militants conducted artillery strikes against Debaltseve, Maryinka and Krasnohorivka… At around 11:00 a.m., the adversary shelled Debaltseve once again. Five people died as a result of shelling,” the press service of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s branch for the Donetsk region reported on Thursday.

Two civilians are believed to have died from fragmentation wounds sustained as a result of the strikes, and another three reportedly “died from a stroke, being unable to bear constant bombardments and the agonizing conditions of their life,” the press service said.

Reports detailing the number of people killed or injured in other parts of the Donetsk region are being verified.