Citizens of Donetsk have recorded multiple videos of white glowing particles raining on residential quarters. The locals allege that Ukraine's military has shelled their city with internationally prohibited phosphorus incendiaries.

On Thursday night, people in the Lenin district of the city of Donetsk saw a flow of white fire pouring down from the dark sky alongside the now-familiar sound of bombing, RIA Novosti reported.

They suspect these have been incendiary shells stuffed with white phosphorous, similar to those reportedly used by the military during the blockade of another eastern city of Slavyansk in June.

So far there have been no official reports from the scene about the results of the night shelling of Donetsk, which could confirm whether white phosphorous munitions have really been used against densely-populated areas.

Interfax news agency reported that unusual munitions that resembled "fireworks or white rain" after exploding have been seen on a front of the battlefield up to 5 kilometers wide.

Charles Shoebridge, a former UK counter-terrorism intelligence officer and Scotland Yard detective, who first investigated the use of white phosphorus by the Israeli Defense Force during the Gaza War of 2008-09, told RT that the video "does appear to show some of the characteristics one would expect to see with the use of white phosphorus or a similar incendiary ammunition."

"In particular, a large number of brightly burning particles falling rapidly to the ground, without the assistance of for example parachutes to slow their descent, suggests this wasn't a more commonly used illumination ammunition, such as flares," Shoebridge said, stressing though that "one would associate large volumes of smoke with white phosphorus use," which are not visible, probably because the video was recorded at night.

The Ukrainian Army claims they are in the final stages of freeing the city of Donetsk from the local militia. Pro-Kiev forces are using heavy artillery, such as rocket launchers, against a city with a population close to 1 million (approximately 950,000 citizens).

Further scenes of devastation are emerging from across the city, with many buildings burned out or riddled with shell-holes. A large number of private homes in Donetsk have been burned down as firefighters fail to extinguish fires caused by shelling.