At least two civilians were killed in heavy clashes on the outskirts of the main rebel-held bastion of Donetsk in east Ukraine, as the UN warned of a "massive exodus and destruction" if fighting intensified.
Powerful explosions rocked the western Petrovksy suburb of the sprawling million-strong city yesterday, the local administration said, as government forces pushed on with an offensive to oust insurgents.
Earlier, dozens of cars packed with terrified residents could be seen fleeing the industrial hub via a perilous humanitarian corridor that ran close to the scene of the clashes.
Ukraine's military called on insurgents in Donetsk, Lugansk and another frontline city, Gorlivka, on Monday to open corridors for several hours each day to allow civilians to escape.
But even as fleeing residents were supposed to be given free passage between 10 am and 2 pm out of the pro-Russian stronghold, explosions rumbled on along the road in the town of Maryinka.
"We are trying to leave," said a tearful elderly woman travelling with a group of people in a taxi. Asked where they were heading, she replied: "Wherever we can get to."
At a Ukrainian military checkpoint -- consisting of five tanks in a sunflower field -- cars started building up, one with children's pushchairs on the roof and many with elderly people inside.
At another checkpoint, a rebel commander told AFP: "We are not stopping anyone, everyone leaves freely. They go every day."
Some vehicles bore white scarves to mark them out as civilians. Smoke from the fighting could be seen on both sides of the otherwise deserted road.
Ukrainian forces announced Monday they were closing in around Donetsk, after already scoring significant gains over the last month.
But the rebels have pledged to fight on in the cities under their control, and government forces continue to come under heavy bombardment from separatist positions.
Ukrainian forces retreated from the town of Yasynuvata north of Donetsk, which they took a few days ago, to avoid putting the population at risk, security spokesman Andriy Lysenko said yesterday.
In the past 24 hours, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 46 injured, he said.
More than 1,150 people, mainly civilians, have died since the civil war erupted in mid-April.
