Reports that pro-Russian rebels shelled a column of civilians fleeing fighting in east Ukraine are deeply disturbing, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging safe passage for refugees.
Two senior UN officials -- UN Under-Secretary General Jeffrey Feltman and humanitarian aid chief Valerie Amos -- will travel to Kiev later this week amid an upsurge in fighting in east Ukraine.
Ban urges all sides to "allow safe passage to anyone attempting to leave areas of active military operations," his spokesman said.
"This tragic incident makes the urgency of a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution even more stark," he said.
The Ukrainian military said insurgents shelled adults and children today who were traveling in a convoy that displayed white flags on a road from the restive city of Lugansk. The rebels denied the allegations.
Foreign ministers from France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine failed during talks on Sunday to make progress in ending the conflict that has killed more than 2,100 people since April.
