Ukrainian troops shelled the city of Donetsk using 122-mm caliber artillery and BM-21Grad rockets in the early hours of Monday, the Donetsk People's Republic's mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination on the ceasefire regime (JCCC) said shortly after the shelling took place.

Kiev's forces launched a total of four Grad rockets at one neighborhood in Donetsk in the course of fewer than 15 minutes during the night, the DPR missions revealed on its Telegram channel, while another neighborhood was subjected to hostilities using 122-mm caliber artillery.

Donetsk, alongside Lugansk, has been a victim of Ukrainian hostilities for eight years at this point, which started following the Crimea crisis as their people began showing signs of wanting independence from the Kiev regime. The hostilities escalated recently, which pushed the local authorities to ask Russia to interfere and stop the Ukrainian aggression.

In response to the demands, Moscow launched a special military operation in the Donbass region. President Putin announced that had decided to launch the mission to protect people "who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years."

Two explosions shake Russia's Belgorod region

Two powerful explosions have occurred in the Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine, the governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Sunday, but no damages or casualties have been reported.

"Thirty minutes ago I woke up because of two strong blasts. According to the operational headquarters, there is no damage or destruction. There were no casualties," Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel late on Sunday night.

"Footage of flashes in the sky has already appeared on social networks. Most importantly, there were no casualties or damage. I'll try to get more information in the morning," he added.

At the start of April, a fire was reported at an oil depot in Belgorod, located some 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. He reported that the fire was caused by Ukrainian airstrikes that entered Russian airspace at a low altitude. 

Ukraine has carried out several attacks on the Russian regions along its border in light of the war in Ukraine, with Gladkov saying two villages bordering Ukraine had been shelled, injuring two people. 

The governor said Thursday the situation in the region remained difficult, though he assured local residents that all the necessary measures were being taken to ensure people's safety.