U.S. Backs Probe into Ukraine School Shelling

The United States on Thursday backed a Ukrainian investigation into the shelling of a school in rebel-held eastern Donetsk which killed two teenagers.

"We condemn the shelling of a school in Donetsk that left at least two children dead and wounded many others," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

"We certainly would support an investigation into this."

On Wednesday, heavy bombardments raged around Donetsk's former international airport, where government forces are holding out against besieging separatists. One shell landed in a nearby school football field and killed two boys aged 14 and 18.

AFP journalists saw two corpses covered by a tarpaulin and witnesses said at least four others had been wounded.

Kiev has maintained that the Kremlin-backed fighters were behind the mortar attack, while the insurgents have blamed Ukrainian government forces.

International rights group Amnesty International has demanded an investigation, saying those responsible must be brought to justice if it were found to constitute a war crime.

Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in September, there has been no end to the fighting in eastern Ukraine where clashes between the army and pro-Russian rebel forces have left more than 4,000 dead since April.