Shelling Rocks Outskirts of Mariupol as Talks to End Ukraine Conflict Due to Begin
Heavy shelling rocked the outskirts of a key Ukrainian port city Friday just hours ahead of talks on ending the conflict.
Witnesses reported heavy shelling north and east of the city of Maruipol, a strategic city of some half a million people that lies between Russia to the east and the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula to the west.
Seizure of Mariupol, which could provide a land corridor between Russia and Crimea, would give Russian-backed separatists a strong presence in the area just as talks aimed at ending the conflict are due to start later Friday in Minsk, Belarus. Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the pro-Russian separatists and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are meeting in Minsk.
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