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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Ukraine forces resume massive shelling on Semenovka near east Ukraine’s Slavyansk

“Bombing alarm sirens are switched on in the city,” a representative of militia said

© ITAR-TASS / Mikhail Pochuev

LAVYANSK, May 31 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s National Guard has resumed a massive shelling on the settlement of Semenovka near the eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk on Saturday.

“Bombing alarm sirens are switched on in the city,” a representative of militia told Itar-Tass. Meanwhile, automatic rifle fire is heard in Semenovka and the settlement of Krasny Liman on a highway to the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov, the representative added.

The shelling on Semenovka from Karachun Mount resumed again on Friday evening. “An intensive fire from mortars and howitzers” lasted several hours, the representative of people’s militia said. However, reports about casualties and destroyed buildings in this settlement are not available yet, because no one was permitted to enter this area over continuing gunfire.

The centre of the city also came under gunfire overnight to Saturday. The fodder-producing plant has been shelled, Stella Khorosheva, spokeswoman of Slavyansk People’s Mayor Vyacheslav Ponomarev, told Itar-Tass.

For his part, the militiaman noted that two residential houses had been partially destroyed in Revolution and Lenin Streets near the Ukrainian Security Service local department building. “Several people were wounded by pieces of broken windows,” he added.

However, militia in the city of Kramatorsk, situated ten kilometers away from the city of Slavyansk in east Ukraine’s Donetsk Region, denied several media reports that battles were on in the city. “Sporadic gunshots were heard, but, in general, all is calm in the city,” the militiaman said.

Reports about intensive clashes around the Donetsk international airport are not confirmed now. “As far as we know there are no active combat actions in this district now,” the militiaman told Itar-Tass.

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