More Russian soldiers and armaments continue to enter eastern Ukraine, even as battles have erupted again in about half a dozen spots in the region.

The renewed fighting sets aside the ceasefire signed in September, which is actually just honored in paper than in deed. According to the New York Times, deadly mortars are exploding at bus stops and killing or injuring civilians, while tanks are moving on snow-filled roads in areas controlled by the rebels.

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The conflict, considered the bloodiest in Europe since the Balkan wars, is proof that the Western sanctions against Russia and the collapse in oil prices did not diminish Russian President Vladimir Putin's support for the separatists. Putin even blamed the rise in violence to the Ukrainian government and the civilian deaths to "those who issue such criminal orders."

Putin said that Kiev officials gave an official order to bring large-scale military operations throughout the whole line of contact. He said it resulted in massive death and injury on both military and civilians.

The UN Human Rights Office estimates that the conflict has killed more than 5,000 people, 262 of whom died in the last nine days.

The rebel capture of Donetsk airport on Wednesday further emboldened the separatists that Aleksandr Zakharchenko, leader of the rebel group Donetsk People's Republic, vowed to continue the attacks until they have driven out the Ukrainian Army out of the region.

Belittling the value of ceasefire talks, Zakharchenko boasts, "Now we're going to watch how Kiev reacts. Kiev doesn't understand that we can attack in three directions at once."

Donetsk residents, meanwhile, have given up on having peace in their area. Not only have they got used to frequent shelling and electricity cut offs, even pensions and other government support payments from Kiev had stopped. The only surprise for them is that fighting began in winter rather than spring.

TagsUkraine crisis