Ukraine’s military says it has pulled out of areas east of rebel stronghold Luhansk under pressure from pro-Russian rebels who have, according to a military spokesman, received fresh supplies.<br /><br />Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, has condemned what he alleges is Russian intervention in his country. <br /><br />“We have a worsening the situation from August 27 and thousands of foreign troops and hundreds of foreign tanks are now on Ukraine’s territory,” said Poroshenko ahead of a summit meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.<br /><br />“This poses a very high risk not only for the peace and stability for Ukraine but for the peace and stability in the whole of Europe,” he added.<br /><br />Moscow denies direct involvement by the Russian military.<br /><br />In the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk, several shells exploded near the city’s railway station on Friday damaging buildings.<br /><br />One local retailer returned to her shop on Saturday.<br /><br />“This morning we came here and thank God there’s something left. Other people have lost everything, everything was burned. People were left without money,” she said.<br /><br />Ukraine’s interior ministry said Ukrainian fighters broke out of an encirclement of Russian-backed separatists near Donetsk on Saturday.<br /><br />Other reports suggested many were still trapped.<br /><br />Russian-backed forces now threaten the key port city of Mariupol.
