About 30 civilians killed by artillery fire in Gorlovka, in eastern Ukraine
Ampliar
Smoke billows from a damaged church in Horlivka, Ukraine, 27 July 2014. According to reports, Ukrainian army has taken measures to regain control over Horlivka, a town considered a separatist stronghold. (Ucrania) EFE/EPA/IGOR KOVALENKO (Ucrania) EFE/EPA
Kyiv, Jul 27 (EFE).- About 30 civilians died Sunday when artillery fire and rockets rained down on the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlovka, the Ukrainian online daily Ukrainska Pravda reported.
“The number of dead civilians is between 20 and 30, the correspondent for the Ukrainian newspaper reported from Gorlovka, adding that the bombardment was concentrated on the city center.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, one of the artillery shells fell in the vicinity of the city’s main maternity hospital.
Gorlovka is located just 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) from Donetsk, the main staging area for pro-Russian separatist militias who are fighting forces loyal to Kyiv in eastern Ukraine.
“People are taking refuge in the basements,” said the reporter, who added that the attack came from outside the city, where Kyiv authorities say that government troops are located.
The spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense and National Security Council, Col. Andrey Lisenko, said Sunday that army and national guard troops are on the outskirts of Gorlovka, control of which is key for continuing Kyiv’s offensive against Donetsk.
Meanwhile, the head of military operations against the secession-minded militias on Sunday morning said that the pro-Russian forces were using Ukrainian-flagged armored cars to bombard residential neighborhoods in Donetsk and other cities and then blame the attacks on government forces.