(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fighting around two flashpoint cities in eastern Ukraine yesterday rattled a tenuous truce between government troops and pro-Russian rebels less than 48 hours after it came into force.
Insurgent militias bombarded a government-held checkpoint on the eastern edge of the port city of Mariupol overnight, local officials said, killing one woman and triggering panic among residents.
Artillery fire was also heard near the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk, witnesses said, with the Ukrainian government accusing separatist gunmen of trying to attack the city's airport.
The violence erupted just hours after a phone call between Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who agreed that the ceasefire was "generally being observed".
Mariupol city hall said one woman had died in the shelling, the first reported death since the ceasefire. The 12-point pact signed in Minsk on Friday was the first to win the backing of both Kiev and Moscow after five months of warfare that set off the deepest crisis in East-West relations for a generation.
"The Ukrainian army has met the truce conditions fully, and has ceased fire. At the same time, our checkpoints came under attack from the terrorist side," said National Security and Defence Council official Volodymyr Poloviy.
The peace plan was drawn up after the rebels - reportedly backed by Russian troops and firepower - launched a lightning counter-offensive in late August that dramatically reversed recent gains by the Ukrainian army and set alarm bells ringing over Moscow's territorial ambitions.
Mariupol residents have for days been fearful of an insurgent assault in what analysts see as a possible land grab to carve out a corridor between Russia and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in March.
The situation was calm in the Azov Sea port city Sunday but several buildings and vehicles were damaged. "I want peace but I think this ceasefire is finished, this is the third night we haven't been able to sleep," a 46-year-old woman said.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.