Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has called a day of national mourning following a series of rocket attacks in the port city of Mariupol.

The violent attacks have claimed 30 lives and have left scores injured, with Kiev throwing the blame on militants operating in the Donbass region and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) arguing the rockets came from areas controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

The UN Security Council has meanwhile failed to adopt a declaration condemning the attacks, with Russia blocking any possible discussions on a draft.

An OSCE report reveals that a "heavy barrage lasting 35 seconds" was first heard by its special monitoring mission and was followed by shelling in the area of Olimpiiska Street north-east of Mariupol's center, near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint.

It also says "multiple impacts on buildings, retail shops, homes and a school" had been observed in the area.

The mission argues it had counted "19 rocket strikes and is certain there were more", with Grad and Uragan rockets used in the shelling.

"Donetsk People's Republic" head Alexander Zakharchenko denies any involvement of rebels in the attack.

World leaders and organizations were quick to condemn the incident, and President Poroshenko believes there should be a UN Security Council meeting on the issue.

NATO for its part declared on Saturday it believes "Russian troops" are providing militants with the weapons used for "these offensive operations." In a statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia has been present in the east of Ukraine "for several months" and there has been "a substantial increase in Russian heavy equipment." He also urged Russia "to stop its military, political and financial support for the separatists."

Russia has not yet come up with an official statement on the matter.

Earlier in January, Kiev and the Donbass rebels were trying to observe a truce which had resulted in "days of silence" with arms being laid down in some regions otherwise caught in fighting between Ukraine's armed forces and militants.

Tensions however have recently re-escalated. Mariupol in particular, a city with a population of 500 000, has been under government control for months after fierce battles in April of last year.

UN figures suggest over 5000 have lost their lives in the conflict that has been raging in Ukraine's east and southeast since spring began in 2014.

 

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