MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax) - Five people were killed on Friday morning as a result of shelling of a Donetsk community center, where humanitarian aid was being distributed at that time, the city administration has reported.
"The community center, where humanitarian aid was being distributed among the population, came under artillery fire. Casualties have been reported," the city administration told the Donetsk news agency.
According to the Emergency Situations Ministry, five people were killed.
"Five people were killed and another three were injured as a result of shelling of the Kuibyshev community center, located at 86, Panfilov Avenue," ministry spokesperson Yuliana Bedilo told the Donetsk news agency.
A shell fired from within territory controlled by Ukrainian government forces damaged several garages, causing a fire she said.
For his part, Vyacheslav Abroskin, head of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's branch for the Donetsk region said that seven civilians had been killed in the Donetsk region on Thursday after the militia had launched strikes against Debaltseve, Vuhlehirsk and Marynka.
"In the past 24 hours, seven civilians have been killed, including two in Debaltseve, two in Vuhlehirsk, one in the Artemivsk district and one in the Marynka district, and another ten have been injured," Abroskin said on his Facebook account on Friday.
The "situation remains tense" near Vuhlehirsk and Debaltseve, which are controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, he said.
"The adversary made unsuccessful attempts to reach the outskirts [of Vuhlehirsk and Debaltseve]. As a result, the militants sustained heavy losses and retreated," he said.
"Officers of the city's police department continue serving in Debaltseve. My deputy Serhiy Knyazev has also been working there for several days. Last night, he visited Vuhlehirsk amid heavy fighting," Abroskin said.