A ceasefire has technically been in place in eastern Ukraine since negotiations began in Minsk between the Ukrainian and Russian governments on September 5. But this attempted cessation in hostilities has failed to take effect on the ground.

Large parts of Donetsk have been destroyed as a result of the fighting, which has included large-scale and possibly indiscriminate shelling by both the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists. There have been allegations from Humans Right Watch that both sides have used cluster bombs in the attacks.

The fighting in eastern Ukraine has devastated Donetsk's international airport. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the region as fighting has continued, especially in the city center. One of east Ukraine's major population centers now has a post-apocalyptic quality to it. And it's partly because of fighting that occurred during what was supposed to be a halt in combat.

Despite a ceasefire that was meant to allow for a Russian-Ukrainian peace process, fighting continued almost unabated in Donetsk.

A woman walks past the burnt-out remains of a grocery stall, which was hit by recent shellings, in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, October 21, 2014. Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS

The separatist prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic declared that the ceasefire was over following a massive explosion — along with weeks of continued fighting in the city — on Oct. 20.

A local resident removes debris at a kitchen of a flat at a residential block which was damaged by a recent shelling in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, October 19, 2014. Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS

The conflict has had a nightmarish effect on the city, as shells have hit targets ranging from schools ...

School coach Yuriy Balabanov meets his students inside a gym which was damaged by a recent shelling in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, October 19, 2014. Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS

... to grocery stores.

People walk inside Amstor shopping center after it was shelled in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, October 8, 2014. Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS

Hundreds of thousands have fled the city in an attempt to avoid the conflict. There are more than 250,000 internally displaced people in Ukraine.

A woman pulls her shopping trolley as she walks past a building that was damaged by shelling in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, October 15, 2014 Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS

The UN estimates that over one million people have fled the fighting in eastern Ukraine, with over 800,000 refugees crossing over the border into Russia.

Fire-fighters extinguish fire on a vehicle hit by shelling near Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport during fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, October 6, 2014. Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS

Sadly, the Ukraine crisis does not appear to be any closer to reaching an end.