One of the shops at the outskirts of eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiyivka was severely damaged on Thursday (February 2) as fighting between pro-Russian rebels and government forces continues in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"All people who work with us used to live downstairs - we have a room there. They lived there two years ago and it repeats again right after two years. We were lucky then as shells landed around (the shop) and now we turned out not to be that lucky," owner of the shop Ihor Chuykov.

A crew of Ukrainian TV 112 channel was caught under gunfire while filming the aftermath of shelling in Avdiyivka. The footage obtained by Reuters shows correspondent and Ukrainian serviceman laying on the ground as sound of fire can be heard.

However, the shelling, which had been most intense around the Kiev-held front line town of Avdiyivka, eased somewhat on Wednesday (February 2) and Thursday, but thousands of civilians on both sides of the front line remain without full access to electricity, heating or water in freezing winter temperatures.

The clashes have brought global attention back to the conflict with NATO and the EU calling on Russia to use its influence with rebels to stop the violence.

The February 2015 'Minsk' peace agreement locked the two sides in a stalemate that has been broken periodically by sharp surges in fighting that Kiev and the Kremlin accuse each other of instigating.

At least thirteen Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and around 30 wounded since Sunday, according to the military's press service in Kiev. Separatists have also reported casualties but do not provide an exact toll on a regular basis.

The clashes come as Kiev seeks to persuade the United States and the European Union of the need to maintain economic sanctions against Russia linked to its involvement to the conflict and annexation of Crimea.

Fighting between government troops and Russia-backed separatists first broke out in April 2014. Close to 10,000 have since been killed.