UKRAINE’S Kiev government flatly dismissed a call for a humanitarian ceasefire by Donetsk rebels today.

A military spokesman insisted this could only take place once rebels had shown “white flags” and surrendered.

The rebels replied that they remained ready for a temporary truce to head off “a humanitarian catastrophe” but added defiantly: “As long as the Ukrainian army is continuing military action there can be no ceasefire.”

Donetsk People’s Republic leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko had said on Saturday that the rebels were ready for a truce with government forces to allow humanitarian aid in.

“In the event of a storm of the city the number of victims will increase by magnitude,” he warned.

“We have no humanitarian corridors. There is no supply of medicines … food supplies are nearing their end.”

Mr Zakharchenko said that that about 2,000 residential buildings now had no electricity.

But, with with the negative response from Kiev, the shelling of Donetsk continued and at least one person was killed and 18 wounded in shelling that hit 30 blocks of flats and a hospital later on Saturday.

Government forces continued to tighten the circle around Donetsk yesterday.

Residents there reported heavy shelling from early in the morning.

Mr Zakharchenko also admitted that Ukrainian forces had seized the key town of Krasnyi Luch, effectively cutting Donetsk off from the rest of the rebel-held east.

Concerns were also rising about a possible humanitarian catastrophe in Lugansk, where authorities said on Saturday that its citizens had been without water and electricity for a week.

[email protected]