Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Ukraine Close to Retaking Rebel-held Donetsk by VOA News The Ukrainian military said on Monday it was preparing for a "final stage" of taking back the city of Donetsk from pro-Russian separatists after making significant gains that have split rebel forces on the ground. Spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Kyiv's troops had now cut Donetsk off from the other main rebel-held city of Luhansk, 150 kilometers (90 miles) away, on the border with Russia. "The forces of the anti-terrorist operation are preparing for the final stage of liberating Donetsk," Lysenko told Reuters. "Our forces have completely cut Donetsk off from Luhansk. We are working to liberate both towns but it's better to liberate Donetsk first - it is more important." The city, which had a pre-conflict population of 900,000, rocked to the crash of shells and gunfire over the weekend and heavy guns boomed through the night into Monday from the outskirts of the city. There was no definitive word on casualties from either side from the weekend assault by the government. Prison hit, prisoners escape More than 100 inmates broke out of jail when shells rained down on a high-security prison in Donetsk, killing one prisoner, local authorities said Monday. Three convicts were injured in the bombardment, officials said. By Monday morning some prisoners had been returned to the facility, a prison official said. Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky said the prison housed people jailed for murder, robbery and rape. The prison break became possible after a substation providing the building with electricity was damaged, disabling the facility's alarm system. Further shelling on Monday from the direction of the international airport and Yasynuvata to the north knocked out a string of power stations, the municipal authority added. Government forces called on the rebels to surrender on Sunday. The separatists, who have proclaimed "people's republics" in the Russian-speaking east, have said there will be no end to fighting until Kyiv withdraws its troops. Though the government says it is tightening a cordon around the separatists in Donetsk amid changes in their leadership and desertions in their ranks, swaths of the east are still under rebel control including the big border city of Luhansk, Horlivka to the north of Donetsk and Makiyivka to its east. Casualties A total of 568 Ukrainian government forces have been killed since fighting with pro-Russian separatists started in early May, a military spokesman said on Monday, a higher figure than earlier estimates. The spokesman, Andriy Lysenkom, said an additional 2,120 service personnel had been wounded. United Nations agencies say that more than 1,100 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine, including troops, rebel fighters and civilians. Though Lysenko said government forces had cut off the Donetsk-based rebels from their comrades in Luhansk, the key town of Krasny Luch, which lies between the two cities, is still not under government control, military sources in Kyiv said. Krasny Luch is a rail and road junction through which Russian military equipment has been transported to the rebels, Kyiv says. Donetsk, a once bustling metropolis, is facing an increasing shortage of food, water and fuel. Few people are on the streets, though groups of armed separatist fighters can be seen. There is relatively little traffic, with petrol in short supply. Those who have not left for the countryside are staying indoors. Banks are closed and pensions and social allowances are not being paid. Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/ukraine-close-to-retaking-rebel-held- donetsk/2409367.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/ukraine-close-to-retaking-rebel-held-donetsk/2409367.html