SHAKHTYORSK, January 13. /TASS/. People that fled Soledar and are now housed in a temporary settlement in Shakhtyorsk have told TASS that Ukrainian forces opened fire on them as they were leaving the embattled town.

Soledar resident Tatiana said she was sure that Ukrainian forces were aware they were shelling fleeing civilians. Some other people in the temporary settlement also said the shelling of the evacuating people was deliberate.

"We were afraid of going outside for three days," Tatiana recollected.

She said her home had been destroyed by Ukrainian shelling.

"The house was falling apart, engulfed by fire. That was scary," she said. "We have nowhere to go back to. We are basically homeless."

Another town resident, Larisa, recounted two instances of looting by Ukrainian troops. She also said a complaint by a local resident that his car had been stolen was followed by Ukrainian shelling of his garages with incendiary munitions.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said Russian troops had liberated Soledar on the evening of January 12, after days of fighting.