THE UNITED NATIONS, August 18./ITAR-TASS/. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is concerned over reports that a convoy of refugees who tried to leave the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk was attacked, Ban’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday.

Dujarric told journalists that the incident calls for reaching truce in eastern Ukraine as soon as possible and for diplomatic settlement of the situation.

Kiev’s military operation designed to regain control over the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which on May 11 proclaimed their independence at local referendums, kicked off in mid-April and has involved armored vehicles, heavy artillery and attack aviation.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed, many buildings destroyed and tens of thousands of people forced to flee Ukraine’s war-torn southeast.