(VOVworld) – Intense clashes and gunfire broke out on Tuesday in a western suburb of Donetsk, where the government army is tightening its siege on the city.

Many of those who have left their homes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions are seeking shelter in places further from the fighting.

The city leaders said that at least 2 civilians had been killed during clashes. The Ukrainian army said that it had reoccupied more than 600 sites during the 4-month offensive and had been closing in on Donetsk, after taking over Iasnouvata city, 20 kilometres north. The Kiev government reiterated that its policy was to isolate gunmen in Donetsk and Lugansk and cut off their escape routes to Russia’s border. However, the government troop’s arrival has made the civilians more fearful of up-coming bloody attacks.
Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s permanent representative at the UN, called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, due to the on-going humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine. He said the situation on the battlefield would be a disaster, especially when the International Committee of the Red Cross officially recognises the conflicts in eastern Ukraine as internal armed conflicts. Churkin added that Moscow had proposed to send humanitarian aid to Donetsk, Lugansk, and neighbouring cities, where many evacuated people had gathered.