DONETSK, August 18 /ITAR-TASS/. Artillery strikes in the war-torn city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, damaged a water cleaning plant and left the city without water on Monday.

The absence of water complicates the work of local bakeries, and food supplies are coming to an end. Continuous shelling has practically stopped food deliveries, and people have to queue up for milk and drinking water. There is no milk in food stores and one can only buy it at a market place.

In the past month, food prices have increased by 20%, while vegetable prices have gone up by 40% since August of last year. According to retail chains’ representatives, food stocks will last no more than a week.

The water cleaning plant in Donetsk has stopped operation due to broken power lines, the city mayor’s office said.

“It’s impossible to assess the damage and say how much time will be needed to get things repaired because of the ongoing fighting. We are working on how to deliver drinking and technical water to city residents,” the mayor’s office said.

City authorities also asked the people who have water wells to share water with their neighbours.

As many as 88 transformer power substations have also been de-energised.

The press services of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics said several gas pipelines had been reported damaged as a result of the fighting.

Repair groups are ready to fix things up and “as soon as the situation normalises, they will start repair works,” the press services said.