Medical services close to the eastern Ukrainian town of Debaltseve are coming under increasing strain as Ukrainian government forces and separatist rebels battle for control of the area.<br /><br /> Debaltseve is an important railway hub linking the rebel held towns of Donetsk and Luhansk.<br /><br /> The casualties keep on coming. <br /><br /> Colonel Ihor Ilkiv is from the Medical Service of Ukraine’s National Guard: “Every day, around 40 or 50 wounded guys are brought in, two, three or more of them seriously. We also get about 10 or more civilians a day.” <br /><br /> Latest reports suggest Ukranian artillery fire has repelled separatist attempts to encircle government troops and cut off any escape route back into Kyiv controlled territory.<br /><br /> NATO claims that hundreds of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are deployed in eastern Ukraine.<br /><br /> The Kremlin denies involvement, but says some Russian volunteers are fighting alongside the rebels.
