DPR. Donetsk. Firefighter eliminating the aftermath of a fire at the site of shelling in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk. The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on the morning of February 17. The DPR and LPR reported the most intense shelling from Ukraine in recent months. On February 24, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin announced the start of a military special operation in response to the appeal of the leaders of the Donbass republics (DPR and LPR) for assistance. Alexander Ryumin/TASS