DHAKA: The shelling of a bus and clashes in Ukraine’s separatist east left 34 people dead on Thursday as Kiev was forced to abandon its defense of Donetsk’s airport in one of the deadliest days of the nine-month war.

In the worst incident, 13 civilians died when shelling hit a trolleybus on Thursday morning in the rebel bastion of Donetsk, with Kiev alleging that ultimate blame for the tragedy rested with Russia.

The violence came only hours after peace talks in Berlin called for a ceasefire and as the toll from the conflict surpassed 5,000 dead, with a million people also forced from their homes, reports the Times of India.

Another 10,000 people have been wounded by rocket and mortar strikes raining down daily on the industrial region’s residential districts, Michael Bociurkiw of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe told Ukrainian radio.

With intensifying clashes rocking Donetsk airport in recent days, Ukraine’s military said early Thursday that its troops had abandoned the main part of the site.

BDST: 0130 HRS, JAN 23, 2015