East Ukraine residents flee their homes amid violence

Violence in the restive eastern parts of Ukraine has forced people to flee their homes as diplomatic efforts are still underway to settle the escalating unrest in the country, Press TV reports.

Residents in eastern Ukraine are evacuating their homes in search of a safe shelter amid heavy fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russia forces in the volatile region.

“They shoot and shoot. They bomb and bomb…. We want peace. We do not want our children and grandchildren to live in war,” an elderly resident of one of the conflict-torn areas told Press TV while she was running away to a train station.

On Monday, many people were reportedly killed in rocket and mortar attacks on vehicles transporting displaced civilians from Ukraine’s eastern region of Lugansk.

On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Berlin, where they exchanged views on ways to end the Ukraine crisis.

Lavrov said no progress was made during the Berlin talks over the establishment of a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and the start of peace negotiations between the warring parties. However, the officials agreed to continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.

People in eastern Ukraine blame the Kiev government and its Western allies for the chaotic situation they are grappling with.

“America, Germany and [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko want to destroy us. They invade our land to produce shale gas,” said another elderly resident in an interview with Press TV.

Ukraine’s eastern regions have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations there in mid-April.

Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of supplying arms to pro-Moscow forces in the east, an allegation the Kremlin has denied.

Latest figures show that the unrest in eastern Ukraine has so far claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people and displaced around 300,000 others.