Ukraine Army Pushes Into Rebel-Held Territory

Ukrainian troops say they have made a significant push into rebel-held
territory, claiming control over a large part of the separatist
stronghold of Luhansk and nearly encircling Donetsk, the largest city
still in rebel hands.The push follows days of street battles and weeks
of shelling.

The army's advance against pro-Russian separatists comes as the
civilian death toll is mounting from sustained artillery strikes and
rebel cities are slipping into a humanitarian disaster.

At least 52 deaths were reported on Wednesday, along with 64 wounded.
Due to the dangers of the war zone in eastern Ukraine, no deaths were
reported from Luhansk, meaning the actual toll could be even higher.

Ukrainian troops have been trying for weeks to drive the rebels out of
Luhansk and cut off Donetsk, a city of 1 million that has shrunk by a
third as frightened residents fled.

In the last few days, several neighbourhoods in Donetsk have been hit
with sustained artillery fire and fighting on the city's outskirts has
become more intense.

In the Donetsk region, 43 locals were killed and 42 wounded in less
than two days, including in two deadly artillery attacks on Wednesday
afternoon in the capital, Donetsk city, local authorities said.

In addition, nine troops died and 22 were wounded in fighting in a
town outside Donetsk.

Luhansk city authorities, meanwhile, reported running battles between
the two sides.

By early evening, government forces took control of "significant
parts" of Luhansk, an eastern city just 20km from the Russian border,
said Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's National Security
Council.

The renewed offensive comes as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
gears up for a meeting in Minsk with Russia's Vladimir Putin, the
heads of Belarus and Kazakhstan, and EU officials next week.

That encounter will come after German Chancellor Angela Merkel jets in
to Kiev on Saturday in a show of support for the country's pro-Western
leadership.

Poroshenko this week said the army was regrouping to continue its push
on the separatist hubs of Donetsk and Luhansk and to fragment the
rebel-held territory to stop the flow of weapons from Russia.