DONETSK, February 21. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ shelling has killed a civilian on the outskirts of the city of Donetsk in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the DPR People’s Militia said in a statement on Monday, adding that a militia member had been killed in a shelling attack and another one suffered wounds.

"Unfortunately, a DPR People’s Militia member was killed, another one suffered severe wounds and two more were shell-shocked as a result of Ukraine’s aggression," the statement reads. "In addition, according to the latest information, a civilian - a miner who was heading to work - was killed at a public transport stop during a shelling attack on the Trudovskaya Mine settlement, which involved 120 mm mortars," the DPR militia added.

According to the militia, the situation along the line of contact remains critical. The Ukrainian military continues attempts to raise tensions and spread panic among civilians, the statement said.

Tensions escalated along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine on the morning of February 17. The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR) reported the heaviest shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in months. On February 18, the heads of the LPR and DPR, Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin, announced the evacuation of the republics’ residents to Russia. A general mobilization was ordered in the Donbass republics on February 19.