![Why Donbas is at the heart of the Ukraine crisis](https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/220214235157-07-ukraine-russsia-tensions-unf-super-tease.jpg)
Why Donbas is at the heart of the Ukraine crisis
CNN
Even as Russian forces mass on Ukraine's border, the spotlight this week has swung back to the rumbling low-intensity war in eastern Ukraine and its possible role in setting the stage for a broader conflict.
Over the past three days, there has been an upsurge in shelling along several parts of the front lines. The Ukrainians say shelling by the Russian-backed separatists is at its highest in nearly three years, and for their part the separatists allege the use of heavy weapons by Ukrainian armed forces against civilian areas.
On Thursday, a kindergarten in Ukrainian-controlled territory less than 5 kilometers from the front line was hit. On Friday and Saturday, the Ukrainian authorities reported a further spike of shelling by heavy weaponry, which is banned from within 50 kilometers of the front lines by the Minsk Agreements.
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