Donetsk , Ukraine ( CNN ) Twelve people were killed Friday in shelling in the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk , an official with the pro-separatist City Council said , as the conflict between the military and pro-Russian separatists escalated in the past week . CNN could not confirm 12 deaths , but its team in Donetsk saw seven bodies after a series of shell blasts near the center of the city . Five bodies , concealed under sheets , could be seen at a spot by the Hotel Europe , where a local billionaire has organized food aid handouts by his staff . One man had died at the wheel of his car . A shell apparently hit near where dozens of people were waiting in line for much needed supplies . Elsewhere , two more bodies could be seen where a trolley bus was hit . Until now the fighting has largely been concentrated on the outskirts of the city , near the airport . But Friday , the blasts moved significantly closer to the city center , where there are no obvious military targets . It 's not clear who is responsible for the shelling . In previous instances , each side has blamed the other . What is clear is the mounting civilian death toll , with the ordinary residents of Donetsk being caught up in the fighting . Last Saturday , at least 30 civilians were killed in shelling in the southeastern city of Mariupol , while eight people died when a transit stop in Donetsk was shelled two days earlier . There has been fierce fighting around the town of Debaltseve , northeast of Donetsk , where separatist forces have almost surrounded Ukrainian troops . U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki condemned the fighting there in remarks Thursday and pointed the finger firmly at the pro-Russian rebels for any casualties . `` Over the past week , the separatists have fired countless rockets at the city , killing and wounding scores of innocent people , and prompting the Ukrainian government and local NGOs to organize a citywide evacuation , '' she said . `` There can also be no mistake about Russia 's role in the escalation of violence , which is causing suffering and death among those Russia has claimed it wants to protect . '' The government in Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of fueling the violence by sending troops and military equipment over the border into Ukraine . Moscow denies the allegation , although it has said some Russian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine as volunteers . Presenting his annual report Friday at NATO headquarters in Brussels , Belgium , Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said 2014 had been a `` black year '' for European security . Russia is following a `` disturbing pattern , '' he said , `` using military force to annex Crimea , destabilize eastern Ukraine and intimidate its neighbors '' in disregard of international law . On Thursday , the European Union Foreign Affairs Council announced it was extending the financial sanctions imposed against Russian and Ukrainian separatist interests until September in response to the mounting violence . It will also decide whether to add more names to the list of those sanctioned when it meets February 9 . EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she was pleased the European Union was maintaining a united front on the issue . `` We hope this can help put pressure , in particular on Russia , to take positive steps and prevent negative steps to you 've seen in recent days , '' she said . In a statement , the council strongly condemned `` the indiscriminate shelling of the residential areas , especially in Mariupol and the recent escalation of fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine . '' It said it was shocked by the high number of casualties , adding : `` It notes evidence of continued and growing support given to the separatists by Russia , which underlines Russia 's responsibility . '' There are now 900,000 internally displaced people and 600,000 refugees as a result of the conflict , the council said . The EU has already given 95 million euros for humanitarian assistance , it said . Russia 's Foreign Ministry said Friday that it was `` disappointed '' by the council 's decision on sanctions and accused it of bias in favor of Kiev , saying it was hostage to an `` aggressive minority '' that is opposed to Russia . `` It 's time for the European Union to realize the futility of the sanctions standoff that only hurts people and our economies , '' the ministry said in a statement . Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced Monday that Kiev would ask the Hague tribunal to investigate alleged `` crimes against humanity '' in the conflict in eastern Ukraine . The conflict broke out last spring after Russia annexed Ukraine 's southeastern Crimea region and as pro-Russia separatists claimed control of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions . A ceasefire agreed to in Minsk , Belarus , in September crumbled long ago . New talks were supposed to be taking place in Minsk , aimed at finding a political solution to the crisis , but there are conflicting reports as to whether they had been delayed . The new talks were unlikely to happen because representatives for Ukraine 's government had not arrived Friday , even though rebel representatives were there , said Eduard Basurin , the self-declared defense minister for the rebel group Donetsk People 's Republic . From mid-April to January 21 , the conflict killed at least 5,086 people and injured at least 10,948 others , according to the United Nations . CNN 's Nick Paton Walsh reported from Donetsk , and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London . CNN 's Alla Eshchenko and Lucy Pawle contributed to this report .
12 were killed in shelling , says official with pro - separatist City Council . He also reported seven wounded ; some die near a food aid gathering spot .