DONESTK, December 22. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces have opened fire at Debaltsevo controlled by the self-proclaimed Donestk People's Republic (DPR) for the first time since February 2015, acting head of the city administration Alexander Reingold said.

"As a result of a shelling by Ukrainian forces, three houses and a garage in Debaltsevo were damaged at Kurchatov and Ulyanov streets. A house was destroyed by a direct hit in the settlement of Novogrigorovka (near Debaltsevo)," Donetsk News Agency quoted Reingold as saying.

According to preliminary information, no one was injured.

Military actions near Debaltsevo started on December 18 when Ukrainian forces, backed by artillery, attempted to break through from the settlement of Luganskoye to the village of Kalinovka. Andrey Marochko, representative of the LPR defense ministry, said self-defense forces lost four militiamen when repelling the attack near Debaltsevo.

LPR said earlier today that over 50 Ukrainian servicemen and three infantry fighting vehicles made another attempt to break through near Debaltsevo.