DHAKA: Many people died when rockets and mortars hit vehicles moving refugees from the Luhansk area of eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military says, reports the BBC.

Ukraine has blamed pro-Russian rebels but they have denied carrying out the attack, near the village of Novosvitlivka.

A rebel news outlet reported a heavy exchange of artillery fire in the area.

Ukrainian forces have moved into the outskirts of rebel-held Luhansk where basic supplies are running out.

Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said ‘militants’ armed by Russia had fired at a refugee convoy with mortars and Grad rockets, on a road east of Luhansk.

‘Many people have been killed, including women and children,’ he said, later adding that ‘dozens’ of civilians had lost their lives.

Another military spokesman said people had been burned alive inside their vehicles.

A spokesman for the rebel self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’, Andrei Purgin, denied that rebel forces had attacked the convoy.

BDST: 1258 HRS, AUG 18, 2014