Rebel shells hit Ukraine town of Novoazovsk

A town in east Ukraine came under shellfire by pro-Russian rebels today, amid fears that they are launching a counter-offensive on government-held parts of the region.

In response to outgoing fire early today, rebel forces lobbed at least 10 shells at the government-held town of Novoazovsk. 

Plumes of black smoke rose above the town, which was hit repeatedly by shelling yesterday, injuring four residents in a local hospital, according to the town’s mayor, Oleg Sidorkin.

The renewed fighting came a day after the Russian and Ukrainian leaders met in Minsk, Belarus, to discuss the escalating crisis in east Ukraine.

Despite a one-on-one session between Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko that lasted over two hours, there was no indication of a swift resolution to the fighting that has dragged on since April and claimed at least 2,000 civilian lives.

After the talks, Ukraine’s president said Putin had accepted the principles of a peace plan for the region. The Russian leader, however, insisted that only Kiev could secure a cease-fire deal with the pro-Moscow separatists.

“This is not our business,” Putin said of any cease-fire plan. “This is Ukraine’s business.”

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