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Four killed by artillery shell in Donetsk, Ukraine

The school struck the playground of School No. 57 in Donetsk.

By Ed Adamczyk
As military action intensified in Donetsk, Ukraine, a school was attacked, killing four. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko
As military action intensified in Donetsk, Ukraine, a school was attacked, killing four. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

DONETSK, Ukraine, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Four people, all adults, were killed Wednesday when an artillery shell struck a Donetsk, Ukraine, elementary school on the first day of classes.

Witnesses said two teachers and parent were among those killed at the school, several miles from the city airport where pro-Russian separatists are engaged in combat with the Ukrainian military. A cease-fire has been in place since Sept. 5 but has been often violated; members of the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic control much of the city.

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The school was attacked by multiple-launch rockets, the government regional administration claimed, saying in a statement, "The Donetsk People's Republic used rocket launchers to shoot at a school ... the shell exploded five meters (16 feet) away from the building."

Many of the school's windows were broken in the assault, but none of the 200 children present were injured. Although it was the first day of the semester, many students stayed home.

Several blocks away, a minibus was struck by artillery fire, killing six people aboard the bus.

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