Two soldiers killed, 11 wounded in east Ukraine clashes

Ukraine has blamed pro-Russia forces in its east for the killing of two soldiers, saying heavy weaponry is being used against its troops on the frontlines.

“As a result of fighting, two Ukrainian servicemen were killed and another eight were wounded,” Ukrainian military spokesman, Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, said on Saturday, adding that militants have used 82- and 120-millimeter caliber mortars to hit military positions near the city of Donetsk.

Under a peace agreement reached last year, the use of heavy weaponry on the frontlines is prohibited so that calm can be restored to volatile areas in eastern Ukraine. Both Kiev and militants have accused each other of breaching the terms of the deal, which was also signed by Russia, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on February 12, 2015.

Motuzyanyk, who was briefing reporters on the developments in war-torn east, said the government-held town of Avdiivka, located about 10 km north of Donetsk, came under fire over the past 24 hours, adding there were almost no quiet areas on the frontline.

He said another three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in a blast caused by an unidentified explosive device.

According to the United Nations, more than 9,000 people have been killed and over 20,000 injured since the violence erupted in east Ukraine over 23 months ago.

SS