Teens playing football killed by shelling in Ukraine’s Donetsk; peace plan fizzles

Two teenagers were killed by shelling on Wednesday while playing football on a school field in the rebel-held city of Donetsk in Ukraine. Three others were wounded, officials said. It reportedly happened more than 3 kilometres from Donetsk airport, where separatists are trying to seize control despite a ceasefire agreed on Sept. 5. A Donetsk city council statement attributed their deaths to “a missile strike from the conflict zone”. The deaths came as Vladimir Putin expressed concern that the ceasefire had failed to end a civil war that has killed more than 4,000 people — mainly civilians — since February.

Despite the Minsk agreements, firing on peaceful cities continues and civilians are still dying.

Russian president Vladimir Putin

The Ukrainian leadership and pro-Russian separatists blame each other for truce violations. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she believes the West should consider adding Ukraine’s rebel leaders to sanction lists after they staged disputed elections on Sunday. Ukraine’s prime minister announced on Wednesday a freeze in subsidies for eastern territories controlled by rebels following the elections.

We should take another look at possibly listing certain people who are now in charge in eastern Ukraine after these illegitimate elections.

German chancellor Angela Merkel

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