Ukraine denounces escalation of pro-Russian separatist attacks

The Ukrainian military command on Monday denounced the intensification of pro-Russian attacks along the line of separation of forces in eastern Ukraine, in direct violation of the ceasefire agreed upon barely three months ago.

"The situation is tense, day and night," Efe news agency quoted the daily statement issued by the headquarters of the Ukrainian force deployed in the conflict zone as saying.

According to the Ukrainian military, in the last 24 hours, separatist militias have attacked various positions around Donetsk and Lugansk, the main strongholds of the pro-Russian separatists.

The statement added that in addition to those mortar and heavy artillery attacks, banned by the Minsk peace agreements, ceasefire violations also occurred in Mariupol, in the south of the Donetsk region.

"The criminals have punished Shirokino almost continuously with mortar fire and heavy artillery," according to the military's Facebook post.

In turn, the leadership of the militia in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic accused Kiev's government forces of violating the ceasefire with the use of heavy artillery a total of 43 times.

Neither the Ukrainian leadership nor the rebels reported casualties among the civilian population.

According to data provided by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the conflict in the east of the country has left nearly 7,000 civilians and 1,800 soldiers dead since the crisis erupted in April 2014.