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Two Ukrainian soldiers killed in rebel east despite truce

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Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fresh fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in the east even as a new truce took effect, Kiev said Saturday.

"As a result of hostilities, over the past 24 hours two Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and four others wounded," Ukraine's military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told journalists.

The new casualties came as the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian insurgents on Friday agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk a new truce that began from midnight.

The agreement is aimed at reinforcing a deal co-signed by France and Germany in February 2015 after an upsurge in violence in the industrial east of Ukraine.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe warned that the bloodshed had reached levels not seen for months.

The deal came ahead of Orthodox Easter Sunday and covers holidays that include labour day on May 1 and the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany during World War II marked on May 9.

Lysenko said several attacks had been recorded after the new truce came into force.

"The enemy does not respect the ceasefire," he said.

"But we hope that it happened accidentally and the enemy will stick to the agreements that have been reached at the international level."

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's envoy to the OSCE-mediated talks in Minsk, Leonid Kuchma, said multiple violations of the new agreement had been recorded in the villages of Shyrokyne, Avdiivka and Mariinka.

Speaking through his spokeswoman Darka Olifer, he said Ukraine was sticking to the agreement and called on Russia and rebels to respect the truce.

Around 9,300 people have died and more than 21,000 have been injured since the revolt against Ukraine's pro-Western leadership erupted two years ago in the predominantly Russian-speaking east.

A series of truce agreements have helped reduce the violence, although sporadic clashes persist, preventing the two sides from reaching a political reconciliation deal.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fresh fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in the east even as a new truce took effect, Kiev said Saturday.

“As a result of hostilities, over the past 24 hours two Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and four others wounded,” Ukraine’s military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told journalists.

The new casualties came as the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian insurgents on Friday agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk a new truce that began from midnight.

The agreement is aimed at reinforcing a deal co-signed by France and Germany in February 2015 after an upsurge in violence in the industrial east of Ukraine.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe warned that the bloodshed had reached levels not seen for months.

The deal came ahead of Orthodox Easter Sunday and covers holidays that include labour day on May 1 and the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany during World War II marked on May 9.

Lysenko said several attacks had been recorded after the new truce came into force.

“The enemy does not respect the ceasefire,” he said.

“But we hope that it happened accidentally and the enemy will stick to the agreements that have been reached at the international level.”

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s envoy to the OSCE-mediated talks in Minsk, Leonid Kuchma, said multiple violations of the new agreement had been recorded in the villages of Shyrokyne, Avdiivka and Mariinka.

Speaking through his spokeswoman Darka Olifer, he said Ukraine was sticking to the agreement and called on Russia and rebels to respect the truce.

Around 9,300 people have died and more than 21,000 have been injured since the revolt against Ukraine’s pro-Western leadership erupted two years ago in the predominantly Russian-speaking east.

A series of truce agreements have helped reduce the violence, although sporadic clashes persist, preventing the two sides from reaching a political reconciliation deal.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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