The photographer said he saw five bodies near the village of Karlivka northwest of Donetsk, four of them apparently rebels and the fifth possibly from a volunteer force attached to the military.
Fighting in the east has witnessed a bloody resurgence ahead of Sunday's presidential election that the pro-Russian insurgents have vowed to disrupt.
Yesterday, attacks by separatist gunmen in the rebel-held regions of Donetsk and Lugansk killed a total of 18 soldiers, according to a new toll provided by a military spokesman.