Fighting raged on Sunday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk despite a request from the pro-Russian rebels for a cease-fire to prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe.” Ukrainian officials demanded that the insurgents surrender instead.
One person was killed and 10 injured in shelling that started early Sunday morning and continued into the day, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovinsky told The Associated Press.
In a press conference in Kiev, Andriy lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said the only way for the rebels in Donetsk to save their lives would be to “lay down their arms and give up.” He said the Ukrainian side hadn’t seen the rebels show any real willingness to cooperate.
“If white flags come up and they lay down their arms, nobody is going to shoot at them,” he said. “(But) we have not seen any practical steps yet, just a statement.”
Conditions were clearly deteriorating in Donetsk, the largest rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine. AP reporters heard 25 loud explosions in as many minutes around noon.