Thousands of Ukrainian refugees stream into Russia

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said around 730,000 Ukrainians have left the country for Russia this year.

On Tuesday night, 133 people reportedly arrived by train. One third of them were said to be children.

On Wednesday, the UN released figures that show the death toll of the recent conflict has doubled in the past two weeks and now stands at 2,086 people killed.

"The fighting never stops and people don't get a moment to breathe," said one refugee carrying a child in her arms.

"Those who fled are more or less okay, but those who are still there cannot leave anymore."

She described the situation she left behind: "There is no gas, no electricity, very little food. My mother is still there, and we try to stay in touch by phone. But there is hardly any telephone connections. They're hanging on, they are in the basement. I am from Lugansk, and when I was leaving, there was fighting in the village."

Meanwhile, at least three people were killed in Yasynuvata, 20 kilometers from rebel stronghold Donetsk, as the government intensified its shelling campaign in their push to quash the pro-Russian insurgency.

A market and two apartment blocks were shelled leaving the main square in ruins.

The town is a current frontline between Ukrainian forces and separatist rebels.

Source: Euronews

Photo source: The Wall Street Journal, RT