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Kiev says situation in E. Ukraine "stabilizing"

Xinhua, March 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said here Friday that tensions between government troops and independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine have eased.

"The situation is gradually stabilizing. In the past day we recorded no use of artillery or armored vehicles," Lysenko told the press.

There had been "provocations" from the rebel side, but no major clashes, the spokesman said, adding that one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the attacks.

The press service of the insurgent army reported no rebel casualties at the front, but said that Ukrainian forces violated the ceasefire 34 times in the past day.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said in a statement that a civilian in his early 40s was killed during a shelling in Shyrokyno village near the port city of Mariupol. It was not immediately clear which side was responsible for the shelling.

The reduction in fighting came to eastern Ukraine after a ceasefire deal was reached on Feb. 12 in Minsk, capital of Belarus, under which the warring sides agreed to halt hostilities and withdraw their heavy weapons from the frontline. Endi