At least one inmate was killed and 106 others escaped from a prison in Ukraine's troubled eastern city of Donetsk after their the jail was hit by a shell, local authorities said Monday.

According to the press service of Donetsk City Council, the mass jailbreak came following a fierce riot in Security Penal Colony No. 124 in the jail late Sunday, which erupted after a mortar shell struck the jail.

A total of 18 prisoners were injured during the attack, with three of them suffering serious wounds, the press service said in a statement.

As of Monday morning, some of the escapees were recaptured by police, the press service said, without giving further details.

In separate related developments in Donetsk overnight, bombing ripped through a residential area, damaging several apartments and private garages, but no information on casualties was immediately available.

For over three months, Donetsk has been one of the epicenters of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-independence insurgents. As a result of the confrontation, private and civilian infrastructure in the city was largely destroyed.

On Sunday, local media reported that the Azov Battalion, a pro-government volunteer armed group, launched "heavy offensive" to retake control over Donetsk and force insurgents out of the city. Endi

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