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 Attacks have fallen in the past week, but accusations from both
sides of violations show the fragility of the peace deal agreed in
Minsk last month, which calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons
from the frontline.
"(Rebels) are continuing to transport equipment and artillery
ammunition intensively via the Debaltseve railway junction and build
weapons storages around Donetsk," military spokesman Andriy Lysenko
said in a televised briefing.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which
monitors the pull-back of weapons, has said it cannot fully confirm
withdrawal on both sides as it has not been given access to all the
locations where some weapons have been moved.
Lysenko said Ukrainian positions had come under attack from
separatists 31 times on Monday, including five instances of
artillery fire, and reported nine servicemen had been wounded in the
past 24 hours.
"The most troubled areas are Shyrokyne and around Donetsk airport
... yesterday there was fighting almost all day in Shyrokyne,"
Lysenko said, referring to a village on the outskirts of
government-held Mariupol, a strategic port city Kiev fears could be
the focus of the next rebel offensive.
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On the rebel side, officials said Ukrainian forces had violated the
ceasefire 17 times in the past 24 hours, but reported no casualties,
separatist press service DAN said.
(Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Alessandra Prentice;
editing by Ralph Boulton)
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