12 civilians were killed by militants' shelling in Debaltseve on Saturday, regional police chief Viacheslav Abroskin has reported.

"I am in Debaltseve. Terrorists do not stop the shelling of residential areas in the city. 12 people were killed by shelling," he wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, city police officers cannot go to the sites of destruction because of incessant shell attacks.

Abroskin also reported that volunteers and the police under the fire are taking out civilians with their entire families.