Deadly Shell Attack On Tram Stop In Ukraine

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At least 13 people have been killed after a tram was hit by shelling in the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk, say reports.

Ukraine's defence ministry blamed pro-Russian rebels, saying in a statement: "On Thursday, the terrorists shelled a trolleybus in Donetsk.

"The terrorists shelled the passenger transport from city residential areas controlled by the illegal militias."

The deadly artillery attack in the rebel stronghold came as talks on the country's crisis led to an agreement to pull back heavy weaponry from a demarcation line defined in last year's Minsk agreement.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier brokered the deal with his counterparts from France, Russia and Ukraine during talks in Berlin.

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Gallery: Fierce Fighting Continues On Front Line In Ukraine

A Ukrainian serviceman fires a weapon during fighting with pro-Russian separatists in Pesky village near Donetsk

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia on Wednesday of sending 9,000 troops to back separatist rebels in the east of his country, something Russia strongly denied

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Local residents remove debris at a house damaged by recent shelling in Donetsk. IMF chief Christine Lagarde said she backed extra financial help for Kiev as the conflict inflicts severe economic damage

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A Ukrainian armoured vehicle during fighting with pro-Russian separatists in Pesky

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An overnight blast destroyed a railway bridge in the eastern Ukrainian region of Zaporozhye, cutting a railway link between the city of Mariupol and Ukraine's west

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"A lot depends on the question if what we have agreed on will not only remain printed paper, but will also change the situation on the ground," Mr Steinmeier said.

In a joint statement released by the German foreign ministry, the ministers noted "with serious concern" that fighting in eastern Ukraine had severely escalated, causing the loss of many lives.

"This must stop immediately and the regime of quiet must be restored," the statement said.

They called on signatories of the Minsk peace plan to meet in the coming days to implement the ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons.

Kiev and Moscow blame each other for failing to implement a ceasefire agreed in Minsk last September to end the conflict, where more than 4,700 have died in fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian rebels.

The development comes after the Ukrainian President claimed more than 9,000 Russian soldiers are currently backing up pro-Moscow fighters in the separatist east of the country.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Petro Poroshenko said Russian troops were backed by a range of heavy weapons including tanks and artillery systems.

"We have more than 9,000 troops of the Russian Federation on my territory, including more than 500 tanks and heavy artillery and armed personnel carriers," he said.

"If this is not aggression, what is aggression?"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov challenged Kiev to "present the proof".

US officials later cranked up the diplomatic pressure on Russia with Secretary of State John Kerry calling Russia's actions "a blatant land grab".

:: BAFTA-winning filmmaker Ross Kemp has witnessed Ukraine's bloody conflict against pro-Russian separatists.

In the first instalment of Extreme World 4, showing on Sky1 HD tonight at 9pm, he looks at the country's fight against the rapid rise of far right groups.

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