Deadly fighting has broken out in the pro-Russian rebel-held city of Donetsk. It is the first serious violence since lawmakers in Kyiv voted to allow self-rule in Ukraine's restive east as part of a broader peace plan, reports GHN based on DW.
Donetsk city hall said Wednesday that two people had been killed and three injured fighting near the airport. Ukraine's military, meanwhile, said simply that several people had been "killed and wounded" in overnight skirmishes.
Recent violence in the region has focused on the airport since government forces seized control of the area following a major battle in May.
Wednesday's fighting comes just a day after Ukrainian parliament granted greater autonomy to the rebel-held areas in the east. The self-rule measure is part of a larger peace plan backed by Ukraine and Russia, which centered on truce that went into effect on September 5th.
Ukraine forces on alert
Amid the continuing unrest, Ukraine's prime minister told government forces on Wednesday to go on full battle alert.
"Russia will not give us peace so I am asking the defense minister for full battle readiness," Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.
The peace plan agreed to by President Petro Poroshenko did not mean "relaxing the work of the defense and interior ministries," Yatsenyuk added. "Full readiness [is required]. We can't believe anyone, especially the Russians."