Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have opened fire, including artillery fire, on government held territories almost 100 times in the last day, according to Ukraine's defence forces.
Recent increasing skirmishes between Ukraine-loyal forces and separatist fighters in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as a buildup of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border have prompted fears of potential further escalations of violence.
According to the Facebook page of the command charged with security operations in the conflict stricken region in the east (ATO), the situation in the east remains "serious" and that state held territories, including military outposts and civilians areas, have been fired at almost 100 times by separatist in the last day.
Between 6pm yesterday afternoon and this morning approximately 40 armed separatist attacks on Ukrainian forces were recorded by the ATO, according to their statement, while attacks with large howitzers near the villages of Marinka, Krasnogorovka, Opytne , Taramchuk, Berezove and Peski also took place before midnight yesterday.
According to the ceasefire agreement signed by the governments of Ukraine, Russia and the leadership of the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel groups in Minsk, Belarus earlier this year, heavy weapons are to be pulled away from the frontline and are not to be used near populated areas.
The ATO press desk also reported that two villages near the Donetsk town of Artemovsk came under mortar shelling, as did the village of Sokolniki in neighbouring Luhansk. After midnight the town which saw the heaviest shelling since the settling of the ceasefire, Marinka, was also reportedly under fire from 120mm mortar shells.
In his daily press conference, the ATO's spokesman Andriy Lysenko, said that two Ukrainian servicemen had died in the last day while 20 had been wounded. He also added that Ukraine's defence forces had tracked the flights of 25 enemy surveillance drones.
Lysenko added he believes that the separatists are trying to provoke Ukraine to retaliate in firing heavy weapons so that they can accuse Kiev of breaking the ceasefire.
Over the weekend the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine reported that the level of violence remained high in and around Donetsk airport and also spotted new a damage to civilian settlements and houses in the region.
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