Intense artillery fire in Ukraine’s rebel bastion Donetsk

Intense artillery fire broke out Sunday in the separatist bastion of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, according to AFP journalists in the area. Firing close to the town centre began to build up at 2:00 am (2300 GMT Saturday) and could still be heard at the same intensity, two hours later. It was a level of military activity not seen in the region since a barely-observed ceasefire was signed in September. But it was not immediately possible to evaluate the consequences of the artillery bombardment due to an overnight curfew imposed by the rebel authorities in Donetsk. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) voiced concern Saturday after its monitors witnessed columns of tanks, howitizers and troop carriers moving through east Ukraine in territory held by pro-Russia separatists.

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