© RIA Novosti/Andrey Stenin
Dead body of a man in Maryinka, near Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, killed in his own apartment as the town was shelled by pro-Kiev forces. July 12, 2014.
Dead body of a man in Maryinka, near Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, killed in his own apartment as the town was shelled by pro-Kiev forces. July 12, 2014.
30 civilians have been killed in overnight shelling on Maryinka, a town near Donetsk, in southeastern Ukraine, by pro-Kiev military forces, according to estimates by self-defense forces.
"30 civilians died as a result of the Ukrainian army's shelling of Maryinka. Rubble cleanup is under way," says the Twitter of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.
Self-defense commander, Igor Strelkov, confirmed 30 casualties among the civilian population.
"None of the buildings used by self-defense has been damaged. None of us have been killed or injured. The civilians bore the brunt of the attacks," he told journalists.
Earlier a RIA Novosti correspondent on the ground reported 4 civilian casualties in the overnight shelling of Maryinka, a town of 10,000 residents, where self-defense forces are currently stationed. The same source said the town was shelled again on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Purgin, of the self proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said, that overnight "the town was shelled from two flanks: by heavy-caliber weapons from the Mariupol direction and by Grad and Uragan rocket launchers and mortars from near the village of Kurakhovo," Itar-Tass reported.
Missiles have hit apartment blocks. This footage by RT's Ruptly video agency shows damage done to one of the neighborhoods in Maryinka. It features a completely demolished section of the fifth floor of one of the houses.
"There are 2 bodies over here - and 1 more over there. In total, they say, 6 people have been killed," Maryinka resident, Igor, earlier told Ruptly video agency.
Among other town buildings hit in the attack are a cattle feed plant, a milk factory, a former tire plant and water purification station. The town has been left without water.
There's also as yet unconfirmed reports of a destroyed orphanage.
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