Truce holding for third day in east Ukraine
12/11/2014 12:49:07 PM
A few artillery shells were still falling in eastern Ukraine on Thursday but a ceasefire was largely holding as it entered its third day.
"In 24 hours, the terrorists have violated the peace arrangements 22 times," said a Ukraine military spokesman, adding there had been 14 violations the day before.
In the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk, "the night passed without large bombardments", the city authorities said in a statement.
An Agence France Presse journalist in Donetsk said there had been several artillery salvos in the morning near the city's airport, site of major clashes in recent months.
In the nearby village of Tonenke, a Ukrainian military unit said the situation was calm.
"Everything is calm, no one is firing. There have not been any bombardments either in the night or morning," one soldier, Mikhail, told AFP by phone.
The town of Schastie in neighbouring Lugansk province -- often targeted by rebels trying to seize control of an electricity hub -- was also peaceful.
"In our area, there has been total silence in the night and the morning," said local official Volodomir Tyurin.
The ceasefire was introduced on Tuesday -- dubbed a "day of silence" by the government -- in the hope of ending an eight-month conflict that has claimed at least 4,300 lives and displaced close to a million people, according to United Nations figures.
"In 24 hours, the terrorists have violated the peace arrangements 22 times," said a Ukraine military spokesman, adding there had been 14 violations the day before.
In the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk, "the night passed without large bombardments", the city authorities said in a statement.
An Agence France Presse journalist in Donetsk said there had been several artillery salvos in the morning near the city's airport, site of major clashes in recent months.
In the nearby village of Tonenke, a Ukrainian military unit said the situation was calm.
"Everything is calm, no one is firing. There have not been any bombardments either in the night or morning," one soldier, Mikhail, told AFP by phone.
The town of Schastie in neighbouring Lugansk province -- often targeted by rebels trying to seize control of an electricity hub -- was also peaceful.
"In our area, there has been total silence in the night and the morning," said local official Volodomir Tyurin.
The ceasefire was introduced on Tuesday -- dubbed a "day of silence" by the government -- in the hope of ending an eight-month conflict that has claimed at least 4,300 lives and displaced close to a million people, according to United Nations figures.