In the centre of Donetsk, rebel forces pitched tents outside the regional administration building on Tuesday in a bid to recruit volunteers. <br /><br />The move follows Monday’s heavy losses sustained by the separatists in the battle for the city’s airport. <br /><br />One rebel recruit in Donetsk accused Ukrainian government forces of shelling civilians. <br /><br />‘‘We will defend our city, we will fight till the end. Shooting mortars at ordinary peaceful people is wrong. A lot of civilians suffered at the train station yesterday. They were fired upon with mortars,’‘ he said. <br /><br />In addition to the fighting in Donetsk violence has also erupted near east Ukraine’s other main city Sloviansk, with reports of at least four killed and one wounded. <br /><br />Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency said the dead had been shelled by Ukraine’s military, a claim denied by the Defence Ministry in Kyiv. <br /><br />It insisted its forces were not active in the area at the time and has blamed insurgents for the deaths.
