Kiev dismisses fears over possible collapse of Minsk agreement

The Ukrainian military on Thursday dismissed public and media fears that the Minsk peace deal brokered in February may collapse over cease-fire violations.

When asked if there is a possibility of abandoning the deal, government military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said that the peace pact is still in place and its amendment or rejection is not on the agenda.

"The implementation of the Minsk agreement continues," Lysenko told a briefing.

Although the cease-fire is not being fully observed, it has helped to reduce fighting, conduct the exchange of prisoners and withdraw some of heavy weapons from the front line, Lysenko said.

He noted that since the agreement came into force, fewer clashes between government forces and pro-independence rebels have occurred and they have become less systemic.

Over the past day, three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in battles in eastern regions, but there were no deaths, Lysenko said.

As hostilities in eastern Ukraine continue and casualties keep rising, some local and foreign media were speculating that the three-month-old Minsk peace deal may crumble.

The agreement was reached in the capital of Belarus on Feb. 12 during talks involving leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France to end the conflict in Ukraine's eastern regions, which started in April 2014, and has killed over 6,100 people so far. Endi