Five soldiers killed amid clashes in eastern Ukraine

Five Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 39 others were wounded during clashes that broke out on Monday between government forces and pro-Russian separatist militias, Ukrainian presidential advisor Yury Biryukov said on Thursday.

The Ukrainian authorities accused the separatists of launching a large-scale offensive on Wednesday at dawn against Marinka and Krasnohorivka, towns located 19 km west of Donetsk, the main pro-Russian stronghold, Efe news agency reported.

Tense silence fell over Marinka and Krasnohorivka on Thursday morning, as no fighting was reported since Wednesday night.

The Ukrainian military command, meanwhile, denounced renewed ceasefire violations in other areas near the demilitarised separation line between the rebels and the government forces.

Monday's clashes were the heaviest since the Ukrainian troops left the strategic town of Debaltsevo in mid-February, a day after the bilateral truce was signed in Belarusian capital Minsk, with Germany, France and Russia meditating.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has blamed Russia for instigating rebels in Donetsk to launch a new offensive following a fresh round of the peace talks that began in Minsk on Tuesday.