Kiev, rebels see easing tensions in E. Ukraine amid truce

A ceasefire that started in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday has led to a notable decrease in hostilities along the entire frontline, but isolated skirmishes still occur, government and rebel representatives said Friday.

"The situation remains fairly stable. In the past day, the enemy has violated the ceasefire five times, but there was no use of heavy weapons," said government military spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

Ukrainian forces suffered no combat casualties in the past day, but one serviceman was killed after he stepped on an unknown explosive device in the area near the frontline, said Lysenko.

Meanwhile, the leadership of independence-seeking insurgents said that the situation in Donetsk and Lugansk regions was "generally calm", but accused the government army of violating the truce eight times in the past 24 hours.

"The number of attacks has sharply decreased. However, there were sporadic ceasefire violations -- the Ukrainian side committed provocations with the use of small arms," said Denis Pushilin, the rebel envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group on the Ukraine crisis.

The relative lull in fighting came after the Contact Group agreed last week in Minsk to start a complete ceasefire in the restive areas starting Sept. 1, when the new school year begins in Ukraine.

The partial cease of hostilities raised the hope for a peaceful settlement of the conflict that rages in eastern Ukraine since April 2014, claiming more than 6,800 lives. Endi