Luhansk, Donetsk and Horlivka - three Ukrainian cities that have been held by insurgents for months - are receiving efforts from tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops to retake the areas in an ongoing process.

The fighting started last year over an issue on whether Ukraine would implement closer ties with Europe or Russia. Estimates from U.N. officials show as many as 2,000 people have died and 5,000 wounded due to the conflict.

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Ukrainian forces are now focusing on controlling strategic motorways that link to rebel-held areas including M-04 near the towns of Novosvitlivka and N21 near Shakhtarsk.

A number of towns and villages in southeastern Ukraine are experiencing intense armed clashes. "Armed clashes continue near Donetsk, Luhansk, Horlivka, Pervomaisk, Shakhtarsk (Molodetske), Torez, Popasna, Krasny Luch and Ilovayisk," coordinator of the Kyiv-based Information Resistance group Dmytro Tymchuk said on his Facebook account Friday.

According to Donetsk mayor's office, eleven civilians were killed Thursday and Friday in Donetsk, as rebels try to hold off Ukrainian troops.

The mass amount of Ukrainian forces and intense armed clashes are now forcing the insurgents to relocate their personnel and equipment to the border with Russia.

"Obviously, the district of Sverdlovsk-Rovenky-Molodohvardiysk-Izvaryne, which has access to the border with the Russian Federation, will be the 'last stronghold' of the militants," Tymchuk said.

Simultaneously, more than 200 trucks are parked in southern Russia near Ukraine, but Russia claims the trucks contain only relief goods for any civilians that are devastated by the war.

Many people including The Red Cross are trying to find out what exactly are in the trucks. The Red Cross "will temporarily deploy additional personnel to Ukraine and Russia for the purpose of this operation and is already in the process of identifying its staff ready for deployment," said Loersch, a spokesperson for Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. "A four-member team is already present today in the vicinity of the convoy, and more staff are on their way." 

TagsUkraine, Luhansk, Donetsk, Horlivka, Russia, Tymchuk, Ukrainian forces