Five civilians were killed and 12 others were injured on Saturday June 18 in Ukrainian shelling in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, according to a statement from the pro-Russian separatist authorities published on Telegram. “Early in the morning, massive enemy shelling [ont visé] the capital of the Donestk People’s Republic”they wrote.
A cinema and a café affected
Pro-Russian forces also claim that more than 200 155 mm caliber artillery shells fell on several districts of the city on Saturday. According to Russian news agencies, the bombings hit a cinema and a cafe in the city center in particular.
Donetsk is the de facto capital of the self-proclaimed “republic” of Donetsk, in the Donbass coalfield. Partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, this region has been the subject of fierce fighting between the Ukrainian army and Russian and pro-Russian forces.