Authorities are preparing for the cold months, when they fear that many of the roughly 350,000 residents still inside Donetsk may not have access to heat, electricity or even clean water.

Meanwhile, one of Ukraine’s richest men, a grain merchant, was killed in a carefully targeted missile strike on his home.

In the eastern Donetsk region, shelling continues along the entire front line, with Russian forces targeting some of the region’s largest cities.

Russia’s top diplomat’s comments follow his warning last week that Russia plans to retain control over broader areas beyond eastern Ukraine, including regions in the south, and will make more gains elsewhere.