A Ukrainian military spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, has told Reuters that Kyiv's forces have now cut Donetsk off from the other main separatist-held city of Luhansk in the east.
He also said that a total of 568 Ukrainian troops have been killed during the past four months of fighting and that 2,120 soldiers had been wounded.
This from newsru.com. Russia is conducting military exercises near the Estonian border.
Interesting if true. Via Kevin Rothrock: "Ukraine claims rebel leader Igor Strelkov has fled Donetsk & is “drinking heavily.” Russia fired on a Luhansk suburb?"
We wrote last week about Strelkov's growing frustrations.
And here's the latest situation map on the fighting in eastern Ukraine from the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council's information center.
And here's a picture of the shelled prison:
And here's more from our news desk on the artillery strike on a prison in Donetsk:
In eastern Ukraine, more than 100 inmates have escaped from a prison in the city of Donetsk after it was hit by an artillery shell fired in fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels.
One inmate was reportedly killed in the artillery strike.
In a statement, the Donetsk City Council said the high-security prison housed dangerous criminals. Spokesman Maksim Rovenskiy said the fugitives include people jailed for murder, robbery, and rape.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian military spokesman says government forces are preparing for the final stage of recapturing the city.
Andriy Lysenko told Reuters that Kyiv's forces had now cut Donetsk off from the other main separatist-held city of Luhansk in the east.
Ukrainian media reports, citing residents, said Donetsk came under renewed shelling on August 11.
Meanwhile in Russia. A tank biathlon.
Absolute devastation at Luhansk airport: