Rebels in the separatist stronghold of Donetsk, Ukraine said Tuesday that artillery fire has killed

(3 Feb 2015) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 2045217 Indiscriminate shelling and the escalation of fighting in eastern Ukraine have killed at least 224 civilians in the past three weeks alone, the United Nations said Tuesday as it raised the overall death toll to more than 5,350 people. Hostilities between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops resumed with a vengeance in January after a month of relative calm. The latest peace talks broke down Saturday, with both sides blaming the other for prolonging the conflict that began in April. Rebels in the separatist stronghold of Donetsk said Tuesday that artillery fire killed at least eight people and wounded 22 others in the past day, while Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said five servicemen had been killed and 27 wounded in the same time period. The rebels' main offensive is now directed at Debaltseve, a railway junction that lies between the rebel-held cities of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Almost 2,000 residents have fled in the past few days alone. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...