Fresh combat casualties reported in eastern Ukraine despite ceasefire

The conflicting sides in eastern Ukraine on Monday reported more combat casualties among their soldiers despite a ceasefire that has been in place since Sept. 1.

The government military spokesman Olexandr Motuzyanyk said one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the hostilities in the restive region in the past 24 hours, but there were no deaths.

Besides, six other servicemen and a border guard officer were injured in two separate cases of ordnance explosion, Motuzyanyk said.

Meanwhile, the press service of the government military operation in eastern regions said that despite the casualties, the ceasefire regime in the area is widely observed -- the Ukrainian military has recorded 20 attacks on their positions in the last day, a drastic decline from 75 attacks reported on Aug. 31, a day before the ceasefire was established.

A senior commander of independence-seeking insurgents Eduard Basurin said that the situation in the conflict area "remains relatively calm," accusing the Ukrainian army of violating the truce 49 times in the last 24 hours.

Basurin said one rebel soldier was severely wounded in a "targeted attack" carried out by the government forces in Donetsk region in the past day.

A fresh round of truce has begun in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, as the conflicting parties agreed to cease the hostilities, allowing children quietly go to school.

The conflict that erupted in mid-April 2014 has claimed more than 9,500 lives and injured some 22,000 others. Endit