Loud explosions have been heard in the centre of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.<br /><br />A separatist leader said government forces were trying to enter the rebel-controlled city and that fighting was underway near a railway station.<br /><br />An official from the rebels’ self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said at least four tanks and armoured vehicles were trying to break in.<br /><br />The Ukrainian military would not comment on the reports, saying only that the general operation against the separatists was in an “active phase”.<br /><br />President Poroshenko has vowed to retake Donetsk, which is at the heart of the rebel uprising against the Kyiv-based authorities. <br /><br />Flare-ups in and around the city happen regularly, especially at the airport.<br /><br />A major government operation is underway around Luhansk, another main city in the east. At least one correspondent thinks it unlikely that the Ukrainian military has the capacity to launch a major offensive in Donetsk simultaneously.
