Fierce fighting is continuing in eastern Ukraine, hours before a ceasefire is due to come into force at midnight (22:00 GMT).A police chief said the strategic town of Debaltseve was suffering a ferocious bombardment by pro-Russian rebels.
Renewed fighting is also reported near the southern port city of Mariupol. Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Ukraine tweeted recent satellite images that he said showed Russian artillery near the strategic town
of Debaltseve. Geoffrey Pyatt also said on Twitter that Russian units along the border were preparing a large shipment of supplies to separatist fighters. He said that the rebels were now better armed than some Nato countries.
Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of sending troops and weapons to help the separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions – a claim the Kremlin vehemently denies. “The militants are destroying Debaltseve,” Donetsk region police chief Vyacheslav Abroskin was quoted as saying on the censort.net website. “The shelling of residential areas and civilian buildings continue. The city is on fire. There has been a direct hit from Grads (rockets)
on the city police station.” In Mariupol, reports said pro-Russian rebels were using artillery and tanks to attack nearby villages. The port city lies between rebel-held eastern areas and the southern Crimea peninsula, which Russia annexed last March. Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Petro Mekhed said the rebels wanted to “raise their flag” over Debaltseve and Mariupol before the ceasefire kicked in. Ukraine’s military said on Saturday morning that seven service personnel had been killed and 23 wounded over the past 24 hours. “Ahead of midnight rebels are trying to complete tactically important plans to enlarge the territory under their control,” Ukrainian government spokesman Andriy Lysenko said. The BBC’s David Stern in Kiev says that as the clock ticks down to the ceasefire, fears are rising that it won’t be observed. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned that the peace deal struck
in the Belarusian capital Minsk on Thursday was in “great danger”. He accused Russia of “significantly increasing” its offensive. In another development, the self-proclaimed separatist Luhansk People’s Republic said it had started to withdraw heavy weapons from the front lines in accordance with the Minsk deal, Russia’s Tass news agency reported. The report could not be verified. The presidents of France, Russia and Ukraine as well as the German chancellor – who together struck the Minsk agreement – are due to discuss the latest developments by phone before the truce takes effect. Mr Poroshenko also says he will be speaking to US President Barack Obama during the day.
A previous ceasefire agreement signed in Minsk last September failed to take hold. The UN Security Council will also meet in emergency session on Sunday. In another development, a consignment of armoured vehicles from the UK has been delivered to Ukraine by a private company, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. It said they were out-of-service, unarmed vehicles and were not lethal equipment. Pro-Russian rebels signed the peace agreement but key issues remain to be settled, including the situation in Debaltseve. European leaders have warned Russia that it could face additional sanctions if the agreement is not respected. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the deal offered “a glimmer of hope”, but warned: “It is very important that words are followed by actions.” Officials say more than 5,400 people have been killed since the conflict began, but the UN believes the actual death toll to be much higher. – BBC News
