Four people died in Donetsk, the disputed Ukrainian region now home to the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. The rebels said Ukraine’s government is attempting to take over the city.
According to Reuters, Kiev claimed that no one sent in the Ukrainian army. Max Seddon from Buzzfeed reported that Kiev said it was a volunteer battalion that started the attack. However, Ukrainian military spokesman Vladislav Seleznev said the attack was planned to move the rebels away from the airport.
“This is a planned offensive,” he said. “Aviation and artillery are not aiming at civilian residences. Their only aim is to block the terrorists and fighters.”
The deaths occurred as a Grad rocket hit a civilian apartment complex, killing two men and two women. The Guardian‘s Shaun Walker reported that, in addition to the rocket attack, another nine-story building had been burning all day. Pro-Russian rebel groups told Walker that Ukrainian tanks had attempted to break into Donetsk in the morning. No one is guarding the victims of MH17 in the Torez train station, and the fighting will not make it easy for investigators to reach the MH17 site.
Shell landed in front of this guy’s car near Donetsk station. 10m further and would be in 18 story block of flats pic.twitter.com/VGSPlTvZty
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) July 21, 2014
Apartment building near the station. pic.twitter.com/ueXd5GQGZf
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 21, 2014
Central district of #Donetsk. 3 people died here today. It’s a yard between residential buildings pic.twitter.com/svvWrqiiBZ
— Will Vernon (@BBCWillVernon) July 21, 2014
Rebel tank and APCs near #Donetsk train station. Civilians fleeing.Hv been casualties. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/ffF0zpda7P
— Richard Galpin (@Richardgalpin) July 21, 2014
Residents of apt complex say 3 ppl – 2 men, woman – killed when Grad rocket hit. Pics:impact crater, bloody stairwell pic.twitter.com/cRuGjxZ1fY
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 21, 2014
Factory burning in #Donetsk. Echoes of Grad rocket fire all around. Residents leaving en masse from area. pic.twitter.com/GVYvz56GSe
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 21, 2014
A shell. Fighting still ongoing in the distance. pic.twitter.com/9V8g1KFKIK
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 21, 2014
This guy’s car was hit by shelling. pic.twitter.com/MhHmXZnJJv
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 21, 2014