Photo from TSN television news service

“The shelling by the militants [on Debaltseve] is not stopping,” Abroskin wrote.

Debaltseve, which sits on a strategic crossroads, has been held by Ukrainian troops since August, when an offensive by Kyiv to retake areas seized by militants stalled.

Kyiv says its advance ground to a halt when the Russian regular army intervened to help the militants.

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The town is now surrounded on three sides by militant artillery, and fighters from the Donetsk People’s Republic militant organization are pressing to encircle the Ukrainian troops in the town.