Ukrainian authorities and rebels evacuate civilians from front line town of Debaltsevo

Convoys of buses carrying many local residents to safety left the besieged town of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine on Friday as government forces kept up artillery fire to defend their positions against pro-Russian separatists.
The two convoys of empty buses, one of around 20 vehicles coming from territory controlled by the Ukrainian army and another of more than 30 from the rebel-held city of Donetsk converged in Debaltseve town center’s narrow streets and a small square near the district administration building.
Hundreds of civilians were waiting, on a frosty day, to board and leave the town either to Ukrainian or rebel-held territory.
Between 500 and 700 people said they would be leaving today,» said Oleksandr Klymenko, a Ukrainian government official. «For those leaving to (government-controlled) Slaviansk we have rail cars ready with blankets and heating and they will be (later) distributed elsewhere to Ukraine.»
An estimated 3,000 people still remained in the town which had a population of around 25,000 before the conflict, he said.
Both convoys, which were accompanied by Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors, left Debaltseve at around the same time, though the one returning to rebel-controlled Donetsk, about 60 km (37 miles) away, took only 60 people. Most buses returned empty.
But even as the evacuation progressed, Ukrainian defenders kept up regular howitzer and mortar fire at separatists beyond the town’s perimeter from a position about 200 meters from the town center.

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