Donetsk authorities report three civilian deaths overnight

Three civilians were killed in an air strike carried out during active hostilities in Donetsk last night, the city council said on Wednesday morning.

The city's Petrovsky and Kirovsky district came under artillery fire which damaged several residential buildings, a boiler-house and part of a water main.

"Unfortunately, civilians have been killed in Donetsk: one at 5 Liotna Street; a second at 59 Zeleny Hai Street; and a third in the city's Kirovsky district near a bus stop opposite the market," the statement said.

Also, a fire broke out after three shells hit a solid household waste dump site at the Petrovsky treatment facility. Firefighters were unable to access the site because of the shelling, leading to the blaze spreading over an area of 1,000 square meters. On-duty emergency teams in Donetsk region did not start putting out the fire before 0630 this morning, the city council said.

"An air strike was carried out near number 40 Sechenova Street (Kalininsky district) overnight. As a result, a four by 1.5 meter crater has formed on the road. Bomb fragments have damaged a gas pipeline in Sechenova Street and a motorway leading to the asphalt plant. Also, there is one unexploded shell, bomb disposal experts are working at the scene. There are no victims among civilian population," the statement said.

By 0930 the situation in Donetsk had remained tense, the city council said.