DONETSK (Sputnik) — Cross fire and mortar shelling continues in the village of Shirokino in the south of Donetsk Region in Ukraine, a militia spokesperson for the neighbouring town of Novoazovsk told RIA Novosti.
"The shelling from the Vostochny microdistrict in Mariupol [controlled by Kiev troops] continues the whole day. We are forced to fire back," the spokesperson said.
The village of Shirokino is located on the shore of the Sea of Azov between the Ukrainian-held port city of Mariupol and Novoazovsk, controlled by the independence supporters from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
In autumn, the village was under the control of militias. Shortly afterwards, it was considered a neutral territory.
In early February, Shirokino was occupied by the Azov battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine. Since then the shelling in the area between the government forces and independence supporters has intensified sharply.
