onvoy of more than 60 vehicles entered Starobilsk on 2 March, but was stopped from advancing by protesting locals. The Verkhovna Rada meanwhile stated that Russian shelling on Izyum killed eight people. Russian forces entered the town of Balakliia during the day. Separatist-held Donetsk had been under shelling for several days. Some neighborhoods had no electricity supply and there were burnt cars on the streets. Ukrainian official Oleksiy Arestovych stated that the Ukrainian forces went on the offensive for the first time during the war, advancing towards Horlivka. Ihor Zhdanov later claimed that "there were reports" that a part of the city had been captured by Ukrainian forces. According to Ukrainia