The Ukrainian Army has been intensifying its military crackdown on pro-Russian rebels in Slavyansk, Ukraine. 14 Ukrainian Army soldiers were killed, including an army general, when rebels shot down a Ukrainian Army helicopter over the city. As the situation has deteriorated, civilians have been caught in the crossfire and a local psychiatric hospital has been shelled.
Also killed were Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and his interpreter Andrey Mironov who died when they were hit by mortar fire in Slavyansk.

These photos illustrate the chaos of Slavyansk between May 24-29, 2014. Included in the photos is 65-year-old local woman Olga Prokhorenko, who was killed by shrapnel from a mortar shell. Images also show damage done to civilian infrastructure, including the home of a local Meskhetian Turk, and smoke rising from the area of the downed Ukrainian military helicopter.

A Ukrainian general and 14 soldiers were killed today when pro-Russian rebels shot down a military helicopter near Slaviansk in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine's interim president Oleksandr Turchynov says the chopper was brought down by a portable SAM weapon fired by insurgents.
Sloviansk, located in the Donetsk region, has been the center of major clashes in recent weeks between Ukrainian troops and the pro-Russian separatists.
Residential areas have frequently come under shelling, resulting in civilian casualties and prompting some people to flee the area.
Video shows the aftermath of fighting in one neighborhood.
Lodmila, Slaviansk Resident: "they started bombing at 4 o'clock and the rockets fell near the house where we live... one house was destroyed and all the windows in my house too…"

Yasinov Sanwar, of the minority Meskhetian Turks community, stands in front of his house on the outskirts of Slavyansk that was hit by an artillery shell on the morning of May 29, 2014. His neighbors say the shell was fired from a Ukrainian Army position on nearby Karachun Mountain.

The heavily damaged home of Yasinov Sanwar of the minority Meskhetian Turks community on the outskirts of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine. Neighbors say the house was hit by an artillery shell fired from a Ukrainian Army position on nearby Karachun Mountain on May 29, 2014.

Looking out from inside the damaged home of Yasinov Sanwar of the minority Meskhetian Turks community. Neighbors say the house in the outskirts of Slavyansk was hit by artillery fire from a Ukrainian Army position on Karachun Mountain on May 29, 2014.

Yasinov Sanwar of the minority Meskhetian Turks community inspects his heavily damaged house on the southeastern outskirts of Slavyansk after it was hit by an artillery shell on May 29, 2014. Neighbors say the shell was fired from a Ukrainian Army position on nearby Karachun Mountain.

Smoke rising from the wreckage of a Ukrainian Army MI-8 helicopter shot down by pro-Russian militia on the northeastern outskirts of Slavyansk on May 29, 2014. Fourteen soldiers, including a general, were killed.

Photographer Alexander Zemlianichenko of Associated Press checks the pulse of a 64 year old woman, Olga Prokhorenko, who was killed by shrapnel from an exploding mortar shell near Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine 10 minutes before this photograph was taken on May 26, 2014.

Fragments of the mortar shell that killed 65 year old Olga Prokhorenko near Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine on May 26, 2014.

Residents of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine gather at a statue Vladimir Lenin to discuss the situation in the area with members of the city council on May 26, 2014. Slavyansk is the scene of fighting between pro-Russian militia and the Ukrainian Army. The main theme of the gathering was where to take shelter from artillery fire.

Pro-Russian militia members examine a fragment of an artillery shell that fell near their position on the grounds a psychiatric hospital near checkpoint 'Semenovka' on the outskirts of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine on May 25, 2014.
Rebels and hospital officials say the fire came during the night from Ukrainian Army positions. Patients were evacuated to the basement of the hospital.

Armed pro-Russian militia members stand in the damaged dining room of a psychiatric hospital they occupy on the outskirts of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine on May 25, 2014. The rebels and hospital officials say the building was hit by an artillery shell fired from a Ukrainian Army position about 3 kilometers away. During the shelling patients were evacuated to the basement of the hospital.

The car in which Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli, 30 and his Russian interpreter Andrey Mironov were riding before they were killed in eastern Ukraine while covering fighting between government forces and pro-Russia insurgents on May 24, 2014. The two men died when they were hit by mortar fire as they were taking shelter in a roadside ditch in Slavyansk according to French photographer William Roguelon who was travelling with them. Roquelon was wounded in the attack.

Passports and documents belonging to Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and his interpreter Andrey Mironov who were killed while covering fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian militia on May 24, 2014. The two men died when they were hit by mortar fire as they took shelter in a roadside ditch in Slavyansk.

The personal belongings of Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and Russian interpreter Andrey Mironov who were killed on May 24, 2014 while covering fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian militia in Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine. The two men died when they were hit by a mortar while taking shelter in a roadside ditch.

An armed pro-Russian militia member on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital, a scene of fighting on the outskirts of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine on May 25, 2014.

Armed pro-Russian militia on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital near checkpoint 'Semenovka' on the outskirts of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine on May 25, 2014.

Smoke rises from a fire started by fighting between pro-Russian militia and the Ukrainian Army in the Slavkurort district of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine on May 24, 2014.

Pro-Russian militia men patrolling Slaviansk in an armored vehicule.

The armored vehicule of pro-Russia rebels of the "Donetsk Republic" going to center of Slavyansk.

Pro-Russian rebels are building a check point in the northern outskirts of Slavyansk.