New ceasefire comes into effect in eastern Ukraine

Kiev, Dec 9 (IANS/EFE) A new truce between the Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian separatists of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk came into effect in eastern Ukraine Tuesday.

A spokesman for the separatist militias told a Russian news agency that no armed clashes had been reported since the ceasefire began.

The truce, which came into force at 7 a.m. GMT, was agreed to last week with the mediation of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

"At the initiative of the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, all positions of the Operation Terrorism forces (as the Ukrainian authorities call the campaign against the separatists) has imposed a ceasefire," said the Ukrainian military command on its Facebook page.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak announced late Monday that the country's armed forces were prepared to stop fighting.

The previous ceasefire agreed to in September did not halt hostilities which have claimed the lives of more than 4,300 people and caused thousands of refugees to flee the fighting.

--IANS/EFE

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