Over 100 Ukrainian troops, 50 civilians killed during ceasefire: DM

More than 100 Ukrainian government troops and at least 50 civilians have been killed since the beginning of a truce regime in Ukraine's eastern regions in mid-February, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said here Monday.

"Since the establishment of the ceasefire regime on Feb. 12, the insurgents violated it more than 4,000 times, of which 120 attacks were targeting residential areas," Poltorak told a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council.

Over the past weeks, ceasefire violations have become more frequent, Poltorak said, adding that since the beginning of May, Ukrainian forces have come under about 2,000 attacks by pro-independence insurgents.

Irina Gerashenko, Ukrainian President's envoy for settling the situation in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, who also attended the Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council meeting, said that currently about 300 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are being held captive by insurgents, while over 1,200 people are still unaccounted for.

Since fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine between government troops and insurgents in April 2014, more than 6,400 people have been killed.

A truce regime came into force in the restive regions under a peace deal reached in February in Minsk, capital of Belarus, during talks involving leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. Endi