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| Ukraine crisis: Shells hit Donetsk amid Russia convoy row | Ukraine crisis: Shells hit Donetsk amid Russia convoy row |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Heavy shelling has hit the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk, amid a continuing row over a controversial Russian aid convoy. | Heavy shelling has hit the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk, amid a continuing row over a controversial Russian aid convoy. |
| People poured out of offices in the city centre after an evacuation warning sounded. At least one person has died. | People poured out of offices in the city centre after an evacuation warning sounded. At least one person has died. |
| Donetsk has been surrounded for several weeks by Ukrainian forces battling pro-Russian rebels. | Donetsk has been surrounded for several weeks by Ukrainian forces battling pro-Russian rebels. |
| The convoy of at least 260 lorries carrying Russian aid has now halted, after moving towards the border. | The convoy of at least 260 lorries carrying Russian aid has now halted, after moving towards the border. |
| There is continuing confusion over the final destination. On Thursday afternoon, the lorries had got to within a few miles of the border, where they had parked in a field, reports the BBC's Steve Rosenberg, who is following the convoy. | There is continuing confusion over the final destination. On Thursday afternoon, the lorries had got to within a few miles of the border, where they had parked in a field, reports the BBC's Steve Rosenberg, who is following the convoy. |
| At the scene: BBC's Steve Rosenberg, with the Russian convoy | At the scene: BBC's Steve Rosenberg, with the Russian convoy |
| We followed the convoy for about nine hours, having left Voronezh before dawn. The convoy turned off the main highway - the M04 - on to a smaller road to the border. All the lorries are now parked here in a field. | We followed the convoy for about nine hours, having left Voronezh before dawn. The convoy turned off the main highway - the M04 - on to a smaller road to the border. All the lorries are now parked here in a field. |
| We asked one commander to show us the contents of the lorries. He selected one, and it contained sleeping bags. But it was just one of at least 260 lorries. I cannot say accurately what the contents of the others are. The lorries will wait here until the convoy is given orders - but there is no indication when that will be. | We asked one commander to show us the contents of the lorries. He selected one, and it contained sleeping bags. But it was just one of at least 260 lorries. I cannot say accurately what the contents of the others are. The lorries will wait here until the convoy is given orders - but there is no indication when that will be. |
| I spoke to one driver. He was very anti-American and asked why the United States was trying to take Ukraine away from Russia. | I spoke to one driver. He was very anti-American and asked why the United States was trying to take Ukraine away from Russia. |
| The key question now is what Russia does next. If it takes the convoy across the border, it will be seen by the Ukrainian authorities as a major provocation. | The key question now is what Russia does next. If it takes the convoy across the border, it will be seen by the Ukrainian authorities as a major provocation. |
| Follow tweets @BBCSteveR | Follow tweets @BBCSteveR |
| Russia has dismissed as absurd claims that its convoy is a pretext to send military supplies to the rebels. | Russia has dismissed as absurd claims that its convoy is a pretext to send military supplies to the rebels. |
| But Ukraine has said the Russian convoy must be inspected by international monitors before it can be let in. | But Ukraine has said the Russian convoy must be inspected by international monitors before it can be let in. |
| Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said that if this did not happen, "movement of the convoy will be blocked with all the forces available". | Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said that if this did not happen, "movement of the convoy will be blocked with all the forces available". |
| Meanwhile, the situation is reported to be desperate in the rebel-held city of Luhansk, where civilians have been short of water, food and electricity for more than a week. Phone lines are also down as shelling continues. | Meanwhile, the situation is reported to be desperate in the rebel-held city of Luhansk, where civilians have been short of water, food and electricity for more than a week. Phone lines are also down as shelling continues. |
| Putin visit | Putin visit |
| Artillery fire could be heard all around Donetsk on Thursday, with the authorities urging people to stay off the streets. | Artillery fire could be heard all around Donetsk on Thursday, with the authorities urging people to stay off the streets. |
| Two shopping centres were reportedly hit. | Two shopping centres were reportedly hit. |
| It was unclear who had fired the shells. | It was unclear who had fired the shells. |
| One city resident, Valentina Smirnova, told Associated Press as she cleared up rubble: "My son left and now I am staying with my daughter. I don't know what to do afterwards. Where should I run to after that?" | One city resident, Valentina Smirnova, told Associated Press as she cleared up rubble: "My son left and now I am staying with my daughter. I don't know what to do afterwards. Where should I run to after that?" |
| A senior International Red Cross (ICRC) official, Laurent Corbaz, is flying to the Ukrainian capital Kiev and then on to Moscow to discuss the Russian aid initiative. | A senior International Red Cross (ICRC) official, Laurent Corbaz, is flying to the Ukrainian capital Kiev and then on to Moscow to discuss the Russian aid initiative. |
| The ICRC tweeted that it had made initial contact with the Russian convoy but that "many practical details are still to be clarified". | The ICRC tweeted that it had made initial contact with the Russian convoy but that "many practical details are still to be clarified". |
| Ukraine is also sending a humanitarian aid convoy to the east. | Ukraine is also sending a humanitarian aid convoy to the east. |
| Some 75 lorries with 800 tonnes of aid left Kiev, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk for Luhansk on Thursday morning, the presidential website said. | Some 75 lorries with 800 tonnes of aid left Kiev, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk for Luhansk on Thursday morning, the presidential website said. |
| Some 2,086 people have been killed since the conflict in the east began in mid-April, more than half of them in the past two weeks, the UN says. | Some 2,086 people have been killed since the conflict in the east began in mid-April, more than half of them in the past two weeks, the UN says. |
| The violence began when pro-Russian rebels seized government buildings and tried to declare independence. | The violence began when pro-Russian rebels seized government buildings and tried to declare independence. |
| The military launched an operation to retake the east, and stepped up its activities in June. | The military launched an operation to retake the east, and stepped up its activities in June. |
| Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been visiting Crimea, where he announced he had approved a defence ministry plan to set up a "Russian military taskforce". | Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been visiting Crimea, where he announced he had approved a defence ministry plan to set up a "Russian military taskforce". |
| However, Mr Putin also struck a conciliatory tone, saying: "We must calmly, with dignity and effectively, build up our country, not fence it off from the outside world." | However, Mr Putin also struck a conciliatory tone, saying: "We must calmly, with dignity and effectively, build up our country, not fence it off from the outside world." |
| He added: "We do not intend, like some people, to dash around the world with a razor blade and wave that blade around. But everyone should understand that we also have such things in our arsenal." | He added: "We do not intend, like some people, to dash around the world with a razor blade and wave that blade around. But everyone should understand that we also have such things in our arsenal." |
| Russia annexed the territory from Ukraine in March, in a move that drew international condemnation. | Russia annexed the territory from Ukraine in March, in a move that drew international condemnation. |