All the Ukrainian-controlled cities in the eastern region of Luhansk were constantly being shelled by Russian forces on Saturday and the barrage was intensifying, the region's governor Serhiy Haidai said on television.
He said Ukrainian forces were leaving some settlements there in order to regroup, but that the move did not amount to a critical setback. Russia denies targeting civilian areas.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Mark Heinrich)