Loud Explosions Heard in Donetsk City Center

A loud explosion rang out in central Donetsk on Thursday evening followed by a series of smaller explosions that sounded like artillery, Agence France Presse journalists said.

The explosions were heard shortly after 10:00 pm local time (1900 GMT). A spokeswoman for the separatist Donetsk people's republic could not be immediately reached for comment.

And a spokeswoman for the separatist government told AFP that a car belonging to Donetsk rebel leader Denis Pushilin was blown up in the restive eastern Ukrainian city, wounding three bodyguards.

Pushilin, who was not in the car when the explosion hit, is one of the leaders of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic".

The separatist rebel movement has its headquarters in the former regional government building in the heart of the coal mining city.

"Pushilin's car was blown up. Three bodyguards were injured. He was not in the vehicle," spokeswoman Klavdiya Kulbatskaya said by telephone.