(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The pro-Russian separatists launched a major offensive on Mariupol city, east Ukraine, on Saturday and recaptured eastern parts of the city from the government troops.
The attack is still going on and the separatists, using Grad missiles and heavy machineguns, laid siege on Debaltseve town in the Donetsk Oblast province, the Russian Interfax news agency reported.
Alexander Zakharchenko, president of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk, hailed the offensive, saying it the best monument to avenge "all our dead." The separatists have recently accused the government forces of using Mariupol and Debaltseve as launch pads for attacking their strongholds in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the wake of the collapse of the truce.
The fighting, which renewed five days ago, claimed dozens of lives on both sides besides large-scale material damage.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ordered mobilizing 250,000 servicemen to the eastern frontline while his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin urged deescalating the conflict and resumption of dialogue.
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