Hundreds of Shells Hit Ukraine's Volatile East

Shells struck by the hundreds along the tense front lines in eastern Ukraine, drones monitoring a fragile cease-fire lost their way when the GPS signal they rely on was jammed, and then the cellphone network went dark. In a sliver of land where pro-Russian separatists have battled for years against Ukrainian government forces, a group of international monitors tasked with keeping the peace reported more than 500 explosions in the 24 hours ending Thursday midday, around four times as many as an average day over the past month, the AP reports. As the world warily watches Russian troops massing near Ukraine's borders for signs they're preparing to invade, Western officials have warned that the spark could come from the volatile east.

Repeatedly in recent weeks, the US has said the simmering conflict could provide cover or an excuse for Russia to roll across the border. The number of explosions eased as the day went on, but by then the village of Stanytsia had already suffered more than its share. One shell crashed into a kindergarten, blasting a hole in the wall that sent soccer balls flying off the classroom shelves just as the school day started. Others blasted craters into the schoolyard and shattered windows of nearby homes. Three people were wounded and half the village lost power. Oleksandr Pavliuk, a Ukrainian army commander, said the explosions were intended to provoke a response and ultimately a counter-response, echoing the warnings from the United States. Russia denies any plans to attack.

Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have been in place in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014 to try and maintain the ceasefire. But even they were drawn into the fray this week. "The gradual fraying of the cease-fire ... has regrettably accelerated,” Yasar Halit Çevik, the mission's chief monitor, told the UN Security Council on Thursday. Ukrainian political analyst Maria Zolkina told the New York Times that the nature of the shelling was unusual. "Today it was long-distance and synchronized shelling," she said. "It was simultaneous. This is notable." (More Ukraine stories.)