At least 10 people were killed when shells hit a mini-van and a school playground in Donetsk on Wednesday, which shows how fragile the existing cease-fire between the Ukraine government forces and the separatists.

Reports said that teachers from school No. 57 managed to bring their students to safety inside a cellar when the shelling began. Municipal authorities said that no children were killed during the shelling.

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The shelling took place around 10 a.m. at the start of the new school year. Teachers said 50-60 student aged eight to 10 were already in the school's vicinity when the shelling occurred.

Those reported dead included a father of one of the schoolchildren and a male biology teacher.

According to Reuters correspondents, one of the casualties was a separatist fighter. They also saw six more bodies inside a burning mini-van in a nearby street.

Donetsk regional administration tallied 10 people who died in the shelling. The city is the current stronghold of pro-Russian separatists that continue to wage a rebellion against the Kiev government.

Meanwhile, the rebels said there were 12 people who died in the shelling with two bodies removed from the scene.

City officials put the blame on the rebels for shelling the school and the city, while the rebels believe otherwise. The current shelling has interrupted the already fragile cease-fire in a conflict that has claimed more than 3,500 lives, according to UN data.

Last week, Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko said that the cornerstone of peace has been laid down now that the cease-fire is in effect.

But incidents last Monday and Tuesday in which nine Ukrainian soldiers clashed with the rebels show how fragile the peace process is.

The school is located a district a few kilometers from the city's main airport. This is the area where separatists defeat government forces for days.

TagsUkraine, Russia, pro-Russian separatists, Donetsk, Donetsk airport, War Conflict, education