KIEV, Ukraine
At least three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two others were injured Saturday in a mine explosion in eastern Ukraine, where clashes with pro-Russian separatists continued despite a cease-fire signed Feb. 12, an official statement said.
The incident was reported in a statement issued by Ukraine’s Counterterrorism Center, according to which, separatists violated the cease-fire at least 14 times in the last 24 hours.
Despite the cease-fire, tensions remain high near the Donetsk airport and near the villages of Avdiyivka and Opitnoe in Donetsk.
A previous cease-fire, which was agreed on Sep. 5, collapsed and the second cease-fire agreement came after a meeting between leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany on Feb. 12 in the Belarusian capital of Minsk.
Ukrainian and European leaders have accused Russia of supporting the conflict by providing arms and ammunition to the separatists, while Russia says the U.S. and EU have deliberately destabilized Ukraine to expand the West's military presence in Eastern Europe through NATO.
More than 6,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists since last April, according to the UN.
