During the third day of the government 's offensive on the insurgent-stronghold of Horlivka , between 20 and 30 civilians were killed on 27 July . Horlivka was virtually abandoned , with electric power and water cut off . Shelling damaged or destroyed many buildings , including a hospital , greengrocer 's , and energy company office . Ukrainian troops also entered the town of Shakhtarsk , fought the insurgents that had been occupying it , and captured it around 14:30 . This cut off the supply corridor between the territories held by the DPR and LPR , isolating insurgents in Donetsk city . Skirmishes also broke out in the nearby towns of Snizhne and Torez . The intense combat across Shakhtarsk Raion forced a party of Dutch and Australian policemen to call off an attempt to investigate the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 . 41 Ukrainian soldiers deserted their posts and went to the insurgent-controlled Izvaryne border crossing , where they told insurgents that they refused to fight against their " own people " . The insurgents allowed them to flee Ukraine , and cross into Russia . By 28 July , the strategic heights of Savur-Mohyla were under Ukrainian control , along with the town of Debaltseve . Insurgents had previously used Savur-Mohyla to shell Ukrainian troops around the town of Marynivka . By 29 July , a further 17 civilians had been killed in the fighting , along with an additional 43 people injured . Shelling continued in the Leninskyi and Kyivskyi districts of Donetsk city . According to the city administration , these districts were heavily damaged
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
War in Donbass