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A hospital caught fire in the Donetsk People's Republic in light of shelling from the Ukrainian side, causing several injuries among civilians and prompting an evacuation, the capital's mayor, Alexei Kulemzin, said on Sunday.

"Witnesses are reporting a fire at Kalinin Hospital's Building No 6. Numerous people are reported to be injured," Kulemzin added on social media.

Donetsk, un impacto directo en el hospital de Kalinin.
Están evacuando a los pacientes desde el hospital. Se sabe que el golpe cayó en el sexto edificio de la institución médica:departamento de neurocirugía. #Donetsk pic.twitter.com/YVmvJJrPyQ

— Lyudmila Z (@asturestepa) December 18, 2022

A blaze was also reported at the complex's Building No 2, he noted, revealing that patients were being evacuated into a safe place.

A member of the republican emergencies service told Russian news agency Sputnik that a total of three hospital buildings had been damaged in the shelling.

Ukrainian armed forces have been shelling Donetsk from the northwestern village of Orlivka. Several rounds hit the hospital as well as a medical university, a market, a hostel, and transport infrastructure, in addition to shattering windows in residential blocs

Footage from a hospital in Donetsk after Ukrainian shelling pic.twitter.com/o8mLEBpfTo

— bigrussianshop🇷🇺 (@bigrussianshop) December 18, 2022

Kiev has long been shelling the DPR, with reports coming out earlier in the month saying Ukrainian troops shelled the city of Donetsk using BM-21 Grad rockets.

In a statement on Telegram, the Joint Center for Control and Coordination on the ceasefire regime said, "Shelling was recorded from the side of the armed formations of Ukraine in the direction of 03:49 [00:49 GMT on Monday] Tonenkoye village - city of Donetsk (Voroshylovskyi District) 10 rockets were fired from BM-21 ‘Grad’."

🇺🇦🇷🇺Restaurant in flames after Ukraine fires rockets on center Donetsk pic.twitter.com/6CIxenGR0M

— Yves (@YvesUitGent) December 18, 2022

A Sputnik correspondent reported that two buildings were on fire in Donetsk following the attack. One of the buildings houses a funeral home. A church was also damaged during the shelling.

According to the DPR mission, two people, including a teenager, were injured in the shelling. Ukrainian troops also shelled the city of Horlivka overnight, the mission said.

Just yesterday, as well, the JCCC said Ukrainian troops have shelled the city of Donetsk using BM-21 Grad rockets.

"Shelling was recorded from the side of the armed formations of Ukraine in the direction of: 2:26 [23:26 GMT on Friday] Tonenkoye village - city of Donetsk (Budyonnivskyi District) six rockets were fired from BM-21 ‘Grad’," the DPR mission said in a statement on Telegram.

According to DPR, three civilians were injured in the shelling.