Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pledged to keep pursuing a peace deal with Russia, despite a deadly flare-up in fighting between government troops and Moscow-led militants in his country's eastern Donbas region.
Ukraine’s military said one soldier was killed, three were injured and two concussed in an exchange of heavy artillery, mortar and gunfire in the early hours of Tuesday. A spokesman for separatist forces said four of their fighters had been killed and four injured in the battle, which each side accused the other of starting.
They were some of the fiercest clashes since Mr Zelenskiy met Russian president Vladimir Putin for the first time in December, for talks brokered by the leaders of France and Germany to end almost six years of fighting that have killed about 14,000 people and displaced more than 1.5 million.
“This is not just a cynical provocation ... it is an attempt to disrupt the peace process in Donbas, which had started to move forward with small but resolute steps,” Mr Zelenskiy said.
"Our course towards ending the war and our commitment to international agreements remain unchanged – as does our determination to repel any military aggression towards Ukraine. "
Mr Zelenskiy, who was a comedian before entering politics last year, convened Ukraine’s national security and defence council for a briefing on developments in Donbas.
“We have a powerful army. Provocations happen. The army responded strongly. The situation is under full control,” he said after the meeting. “We are certain that this provocation will not change our course, because only with a strong army is it possible to sit at the negotiating table.”
The Kremlin said it was aware of the fighting but did not comment further.
Prisoner exchanges
In recent months Mr Zelenskiy and Mr Putin agreed on prisoner exchanges and the withdrawal of forces from several sections of the frontline, and Kiev is keen to maintain momentum with further small confidence-building measures.
Mr Zelenskiy has called for another round of “Normandy format” talks involving Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in April, but Moscow is pressing Kiev hard to implement unfavourable framework peace deals agreed in Minsk.
“We are deeply concerned by today’s reports of escalation of the conflict in the Donbas and urgently call on Russia to uphold its Minsk and Normandy commitments,” the US embassy in Kiev stated on Twitter.
The second Minsk agreement was signed on February 12th, 2015, but Russian and separatist forces continued to rout Ukrainian troops at the town of Debaltseve until they finally withdrew from the strategic transport hub five years ago today.
Mr Zelenskiy said that by attacking on Tuesday’s anniversary, the separatists sought to “press on the Debaltseve wound, which will never fully heal”.
Petro Poroshenko, who signed the Minsk agreements under huge pressure and was trounced in presidential elections by Mr Zelenskiy last spring, is prominent among Ukrainians who fear the inexperienced leader will make disastrous concessions to Russia.
“This is the kind of peace that Putin is prepared to offer Ukraine,” Mr Poroshenko said of Tuesday’s fighting. “I urge you again: do not trust Putin!”
