Pro-Russian rebels parade seized Ukrainian troops

Pro-Russian separatists have paraded dozens of captured Ukrainian soldiers through the streets of the rebel held city of Donetsk.

ITV News Reporter Martha Fairlie reports.

Pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine town of Donetsk paraded captured Ukrainian troops through the streets of their main stronghold.

The POWs looked dirty and unshaven and bowed their heads as they passed. Some had bandaged arms and heads. They were guarded by rebel fighters with guns, their bayonets fixed.

People who came to watch the parade shouted "fascists!" and "murderers!" and some threw bottles at the POWs.

Armoured vehicles and soldiers have been parading in Kiev today, Ukrainian Independence day.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the nation's military was being mobilised for a historic war of independence from Russia.

Soldiers, some due to head directly to the front where government forces are fighting pro-Russian separatists, staged a marchpast on Kiev's Independence Square followed by a parade of armored vehicles armed with anti-tank weapons and trucks towing missile systems.

During the ceremony, Poroshenko declared that Ukraine's war against pro-Russian separatists, who it says are armed by Moscow, would likely enter history as 'the 2014 patriotic war'.

Ukraine declared its independence from a collapsing Soviet Union on 25th August 1991, but many Ukrainians believe Moscow has never truly let it function as a sovereign state, and is now trying to restore its control. Russia denies helping the rebellion, or trying to intervene in Ukraine's internal affairs.

ITV News' Europe Editor James Mates reports that the alleged marching of prisoners-of-war through Donetsk is a violation of two articles of the Geneva Convention.

• Witnesses: Ukrainian POWs marched through Donetsk

Eyewitnesses have reported seeing pro-Russian rebels force-marching dozens of Ukrainian prisoners-of-war along a main street in the rebel-held town of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has said that his country will face a constant military threat for the foreseeable future.

• More: Latest updates on the Ukraine conflict

All 227 vehicles that entered Ukraine as part of a Russian aid convoy have now returned to Russian soil, security watchdog the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said.

Donbass Arena, the home of Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk, has been damaged by shelling.

The club said two "powerful explosions" had rocked the stadium early this morning, but there are no casualties among stadium staff.

The ground hosted England's match with Ukraine in the 2012 European Championships.

German Chancellor Angel Merkel urged Russia to engage in peace talks with Kiev on her first visit to Ukraine since the crisis erupted there early this year.

Angela Merkel has called on both sides to engage in order to bring peace to Ukraine as she pledged €500 million to help rebuild the war-shattered eastern regions.

She said new sanctions against Russia were not her main consideration, despite Moscow sending aid trucks into Ukraine without permission.

Peace will not be possible until there are better border controls between the countries, the German Chancellor added.