Evacuation planned in frontline Ukraine town Avdiivka

Ukrainian officials are preparing for a possible evacuation of the eastern frontline town of Avdiivka amid renewed fighting with pro-Russian rebels.If evacuation takes place, officials say up to 8,000 people could be removed each day from the government-held town, which has no water or electricity. Shelling and the deaths of several more people were reported by both sides yesterday. Each blames the other for the upsurge in violence. It erupted despite an attempt to renew a ceasefire last month. Ukrainian forces say the outbreak began when rebels launched an attack on Avdiivka, which borders land controlled by the separatists. Seven soldiers and a number of rebels have been killed in recent days, and there have been civilian casualties on both sides but precise numbers are unclear. For several hours 200 coal miners were trapped underground yesterday when shelling cut power at a pit in the rebel-run area of Donetsk. Engineers at Zasyadko eventually managed to get generators working and started bringing the miners back to the surface. “Everything is going bad,” a resident in Avdiivka said. “People are scared and try to go out. It’s very cold. There are bread queues. Only a few shops are open,” said the woman, who identified herself as Nadiya. On Tuesday, the head of the Kiev-appointed administration, Pavlo Zhebrivsky, said plans were being made for an evacuation of residents. “As of now, we can evacuate up to 8,000 people in the course of the day. The region’s towns are ready to receive up to 9,000 people,” he was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency. The population of the town is uncertain but is believed to range between 16,000 and 22,000. Officials say the evacuation will go ahead if the fighting escalates further. About 10 tonnes of food will soon arrive in the city, they add. Recaptured from pro-Russian rebels in 2014, Avdiivka is a key stronghold for the Ukrainian army which it is desperately trying to retain. The town is close to rebel-controlled Donetsk and important roads and intersections used by the rebels to transport machinery and ammunition. Just as important is the town’s coking and chemical plant - the biggest of its kind in Europe. If it fell into rebel hands it would cut much-needed supplies to Ukraine’s steel industry.