Violence escalates in eastern Ukraine as officials come under shelling attack on front

Two soldiers were killed and four wounded in shelling attack by the Moscow-backed rebels in the region on Saturday (19 February), said the Ukrainian military.

According to a spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, a group of lawmakers and foreign media visiting the conflict zone came under fire and had to be evacuated to a shelter.

Separatist officials accused Ukraine of attacking the rebel-controlled areas and said they had to respond accordingly.

Kiev has denied reports of shelling Russian territory and said its forces were not firing.