Ukraine says could suspend arms withdrawals from east after rebel attacks

Ukraine says could suspend arms withdrawals from east after rebel attacks The Ukrainian government will stop withdrawing light weapons from the frontline of its war against separatists in the east if the pro-Russian rebels continue to violate a ceasefire, a senior security official said on Wednesday. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists in Ukraine’s eastern […]

Ukraine says could suspend arms withdrawals from east after rebel attacks

The Ukrainian government will stop withdrawing light weapons from the frontline of its war against separatists in the east if the pro-Russian rebels continue to violate a ceasefire, a senior security official said on Wednesday.

Fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions has killed more than 8,000 people since it started in mid-April 2014.

A ceasefire has broadly held since September, but both sides accuse each other of an increase in violations.

Oleksander Turchynov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said there had been nine ceasefire violations by the rebels in the past 24 hours alone.

“But unlike the previous provocations, the fire was targeted and of high intensity, resulting in five soldiers being wounded,” Turchynov said in a statement.