Ukraine crisis: Missile hits Georgian Consulate in Donetsk

A shell blast in Ukraine’s rebel-held city Donetsk has smashed into the Georgian Consulate after several explosions went off on Wednesday, Georgia’s Foreign Minister says.

It is believed no one was injured in the shelling. The city has been extensively targeted by missiles since Tuesday evening.

"Georgia’s Foreign Ministry implemented preventive measures and the staff of the Consulate had left the city … beforehand,” said Georgia’s MFA in a statement.

The Ministry advised from travelling to Ukraine, in particular to the regions where anti-terrorist operations were ongoing.

The Foreign Ministry also expressed major worries over the situation in Ukraine.

"We are concerned over the escalation of hostilities in Eastern Ukraine which causes the greatest sacrifices among the civilian population.”

 Georgia’s MFA believed the revelation of any kind of terrorism, separatism and extremism on a peaceful, democratic country’s territory must be assessed appropriately and strictly.

"Georgia’s Foreign Ministry reaffirms its firm support to the Ukrainian Government and its people and we expresses hope that with the maintenance of the international society, the Government will manage to refurbish the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the framework of the internationally recognized borders,” the statement read.

The Ministry’s comments focused that the Ukrainian Government would provide a peaceful and safe environment for its people.

The rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared independence from Kiev following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March.

Nineteen Ukrainian troops have died in recent days battling rebels in a strategic town east of Donetsk, the Ukrainian Government said.

More than 2,000 civilians and fighters have been killed since mid-April, when Ukraine sent its troops to oust the rebels.

Ukraine has accused Russia of arming the separatists and sending Russian soldiers into eastern Ukraine - a claim denied by the Kremlin.