Live on Twitter: Russia breaks ceasefire in Mariupol

Explosions have now been confirmed near Mariupol, reports a number of western journalists including Will Vernon and Fergal Keane of BBC, Roland Oliphant of the Telegraph, and Shaun Walker of The Guardian. The press service of the DNR has also stated that they are storming the city. Recall that yesterday Russia's ambassador to the OSCE anticipated the "liberation" of the city by Russian-backed forces, falsely stating that the region was 90% "ethnic Russian" and that this would be "natural." (the region is actually 38% Russian) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLd8rD0tc8E

Sounds of shelling audible in #Mariupol

— Will Vernon (@BBCWillVernon) September 6, 2014

#Ukraine Definitely shelling outside Mariupol. Hear it loud and clear now.

— Fergal Keane (@fergalkeane47) September 6, 2014

#Ukraine shelling started at approx 2235 local and is continuing

— Fergal Keane (@fergalkeane47) September 6, 2014

Boom boom boom, audible from Mariupol centre

— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) September 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/shaunwalker7/status/508346027305598976

#mariupol. Not a long ceasefire.Strong sound of shelling. Near East check-point.

— Nataliya Gumenyuk (@ngumenyuk) September 6, 2014

Heavy continuous shelling heard from the frontline between #Mariupol and #Novoazovsk.

— John Wendle (@johnwendle) September 6, 2014

Mariupol now, via @JuMistress pic.twitter.com/OggAFothbA

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) September 6, 2014

NOW: Shelling can be heard on the eastern outskirts of #Mariupol. Cease fire is obviously over now.

— Daria Sipigina (@DariaSipigina) September 6, 2014

@BBCWillVernon: Saw flashes and heard booms as shells landing on eastern edge of #Mariupol #Ukraine

— Will Vernon (@BBCWillVernon) September 6, 2014

Shelling — "as loud as ever" — is coming from Mariupol port area, according to my colleague Silver @meikar, who is there.

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) September 6, 2014

Listening to DNR radio. Presenters almost chuckle as they announce what they "believe to be storming of Mariupol …" pic.twitter.com/3RAE6v60KO

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) September 6, 2014

Eastern checkpoint hit. Tank just went straight into town don't know whose

— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) September 6, 2014

Those were Ukrainian tanks pulling back into city

— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) September 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/press_dnr/status/508359309621985280 Translation: "Armed Forces of New Russia taking Mariupol." https://twitter.com/shaunwalker7/status/508359844709949441

Eastern checkpoint and nearby petrol station in flames. Local guess artillery, not mortars or grad.

— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) September 6, 2014

Fire towards #Mariupol is coming from Sakhanka halfway to #novoazovsk. So far strongest fire close to city.In the centre people walk

— Nataliya Gumenyuk (@ngumenyuk) September 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/shaunwalker7/status/508365143626219521 https://twitter.com/shaunwalker7/status/508368302427889664 https://twitter.com/MatBabiak/status/508362631548530688

RIA quotes DPR sources as saying that the Ukrainians have seized Telmanovo near RU border. Too weird to believe. http://t.co/3YPQV5PTGV

— Leonid ХВ Ragozin (@leonidragozin) September 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/shaunwalker7/status/508369564183592961

After rebels @press_dnr tweet they're "taking Mariupol," leader Zakharchenko quoted as saying ceasefire's not being observed. Well, yeah

— Alec Luhn (@AlecLuhn) September 6, 2014

Minister of Internal Affair #Avakov says #Mariupol was shelled w #Grad BM-21 16times tonight http://t.co/1CKbYUVTUw pic.twitter.com/IWjDOstOcE

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 6, 2014

Aaaaand one more volley of something or other explosive. Bedtime

— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) September 6, 2014