Ukrainian authorities said four soldiers had been killed in fighting Russia-backed separatists, some of the worst violence in weeks in war-torn eastern Ukraine. Kyiv military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk and Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said the clashes occurred January 29 near Avdiyivka, a town north of the regional center Donetsk.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Weekday Magazine. </s> KIEV (Reuters) - The number of Ukrainian soldiers killed in an offensive by pro-Russian separatists over the past two days has risen to seven, Ukraine’s military said on Monday, in the deadliest outbreak of fighting in the east of the country since mid-December.

The clashes between Ukraine’s military and the pro-Russian separatists coincide with U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for better relations with Moscow that has alarmed Kiev while the conflict in its eastern region remains unresolved.

The rebels began attacking government positions in the eastern frontline town of Avdiyivka on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said. Five soldiers were killed and nine wounded on Sunday and two more were killed on Monday, they said.

“The situation in the Avdiyivka industrial zone is challenging. The enemy continues to fire at our positions with heavy artillery and mortars,” Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told a regular daily briefing.

The separatist website DAN said on Monday shelling by Ukrainian troops had killed one female civilian and wounded three others in the rebel-held town of Makiyivka, south of Avdiyivka. The reports could not be independently verified.

On Sunday the separatists said one of their fighters had been killed during heavy Ukrainian shelling of their positions.

Both sides accuse the other of violating a two-year-old ceasefire deal on a near-daily basis.

Close to 10,000 people have been killed since fighting between Ukrainian troops and rebels seeking independence from Kiev first erupted in April 2014.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was due to discuss the state of the conflict on Monday in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who helped broker the Minsk ceasefire deal.

Ukraine and NATO accuse the Kremlin of supporting the rebels with troops and weapons, which it denies. The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia over the conflict, as well as for its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.

Ukraine is anxious that international resolve to hold Russia to account may waver following the election of Trump, who has spoken of possibly lifting sanctions against Moscow.

Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday and the two men agreed to try to rebuild strained ties and to cooperate in Syria. </s> Ukrainian authorities say eight military personnel have been captured by Russia-backed fighters in the eastern region of Donetsk.

 

 Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operations (OOS) in the country's east said in a statement that the soldiers were captured on May 22.

 

 "According to preliminary information, early in the morning today, eight military personnel of Ukraine's armed forces from the OOS took a wrong turn while moving aboard a truck near the town of Novotroyitske and found themselves in temporarily occupied territory, where they were captured by fighters of the Russian Federation's armed forces," the OOS statement said.

 

 The Ukrainian military frequently refers to Russia-backed separatist forces who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as "fighters of the Russian Federation's armed forces."

It also says that many regular Russian soldiers have fought in the conflict there, a claim that Moscow denies despite what Kyiv and NATO say is incontrovertible evidence.

 

 Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said earlier in the day that three soldiers were wounded in five cease-fire violations by Russia-backed forces over the previous 24 hours.

 

 The separatists in turn accused government forces of violating the cease-fire twice since May 21.

 

 Some 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since April 2014, when Russia encouraged separatism following the downfall of Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

 

 Cease-fire deals announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict -- have contributed to a decrease in fighting but have failed to hold.

 

 A new cease-fire agreement was reached on March 8, but both sides have accused each other of repeated violations since then.

 

 The conflict in the region known as the Donbas is one of the challenges facing President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was inaugurated on May 20. </s> Kyiv says four Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in the latest clashes with Russia-backed separatists in the country's east.

 

 The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the pro-Russia separatists opened fire at Ukrainian military positions in the Donetsk region on July 6, using grenade-launchers, machine guns, and assault rifles.

 

 "We say with sadness that, as a result of the enemy's attacks today, according to the information in our possession, four of our heroes sustained injuries, to which they succumbed," the statement says.

 

 Since April 2014, more than 13,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian forces and the separatists, who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

 

 A new cease-fire agreement was supposed to go into effect on July 22 in accordance with an agreement reached in Minsk on July 17 by Ukrainian and Russian envoys as well as members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

 

 But the sides have been accusing each other of violating the agreement since then.

 

 Cease-fire road maps announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict -- have contributed to a decrease in fighting but have failed to hold. </s> Ukraine says five of its soldiers have been killed and nine wounded in some of the worst fighting in eastern Ukraine in weeks.

An offensive by Russia-backed separatists resulted in intensified fighting on January 29 in areas outside the separatist-held stronghold of Donetsk, west of Luhansk, and north of the government-controlled port city of Mariupol, the military said.

It also accused the separatists of using Grad (Hail) multiple grenade launchers.

The toll included four servicemen whose deaths were reported on January 29, when Ukraine’s army said it had repelled an attack by separatists near the town of Avdiyivka, north of Donetsk.

The separatists reported heavy shelling of their positions in the area, with one of their fighters and one civilian killed.

The conflict between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists has killed more than 9,750 civilians and combatants in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.

The latest clashes came ahead of talks between President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on January 30.

The two are due to discuss the stalled peace process in Ukraine and Kyiv’s efforts to move closer to the EU.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and Interfax </s> Four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a grenade attack in the war-torn east of the country on Tuesday, Kiev said, the highest daily casualty toll over the past two weeks.

The troops died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack near the village of Pavlopil close to the Kiev-controlled port city of Mariupol, said Oleksandr Danylyuk, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the incident an attempt to "undermine" Ukraine's efforts toward peace and called on France, Germany and Russia to "meet as quickly as possible to resume negotiations".

"We will not cease to work toward ending hostilities or leave any attack on our soldiers unanswered," Zelensky wrote on his Facebook page.

Tuesday's casualties were the highest daily toll since a truce went into force on July 21 -- the latest attempt to ease hostilities between Ukraine forces and pro-Russian separatists.

In a separate attack, Moscow-backed separatists fired at the positions of the Ukrainian army near the village of Bogdanivka located south of the Donetsk rebel stronghold, military spokesman Dmytro Gutsulyak said.

Separatists used an infantry fighting vehicle, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns, he said.

Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists, who carved out two "people's republics" in eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, have fought since April 2014, after the annexation of Crimea.

Some 13,000 people have been killed in the violence that Kiev blames on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow has denied claims it has funneled troops and arms across the border.

A series of truce agreements, brokered by France and Germany, have helped dampen hostilities but sporadic and sometimes serious clashes continue. </s> Four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a grenade attack in the war-torn east of the country on Tuesday, Kiev said, the highest daily casualty toll over the past two weeks.

The troops died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack near the village of Pavlopil close to the Kiev-controlled port city of Mariupol, said Oleksandr Danylyuk, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

Tuesday's casualties were the highest daily toll since a truce went into force on July 21 - the latest attempt to ease hostilities between Ukraine forces and pro-Russian separatists.

"This crude violation of the truce agreements will not go unnoticed," Danylyuk said on his Facebook page.

In a separate attack, Moscow-backed separatists after midnight fired at the positions of the Ukrainian army near the village of Bogdanivka located south of the Donetsk rebel stronghold, military spokesman Dmytro Gutsulyak said.

Separatists used an infantry fighting vehicle, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns, he said.

Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists, who carved out two "people's republics" in eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, have fought since April 2014, after the annexation of Crimea.

Some 13,000 people have been killed in the violence that Kiev blames on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow has denied the claims it has funnelled troops and arms across the border despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

A series of truce agreements have helped significantly dampen the hostilities although sporadic clashes continue. </s> Pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government have been waging a war for over four years in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Kremlin denies that regular Russian servicemen take part in the conflict.

A Russian journalist has been hospitalized in war-torn eastern Ukraine after coming under fire alongside a pro-Russian separatist who was killed in the shelling.

In Ukraine, Russia Wants Political Control, Not Territory (Op-ed)

Igor Uklein, a sound engineer at Russia’s VGTRK state-owned media company, was with local rebel commander Oleg “Mamai” Mamiyev near the town of Avdiivka when both were hit by shelling, the company reported Friday.

Mamiyev died from injuries while Uklein was diagnosed with partial hearing loss, the company said on its Vesti.ru news website.

A third crew member was also slightly injured, VGTRK war correspondent Alexander Sladkov was quoted as saying.

“The guys are in normal condition,” Sladkov said.

Mamiyev will be buried in his native North Ossetia, VGTRK reported. </s> Kyiv says four Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in the latest clashes with Russia-backed separatists in the country's east.



The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the pro-Russia separatists opened fire at Ukrainian military positions in the Donetsk region on August 6, using grenade-launchers, machine guns, and assault rifles.

"We say with sadness that, as a result of the enemy's attacks today, according to the information in our possession, four of our heroes sustained injuries, to which they succumbed," the statement said.

It was the highest daily casualty toll in the Ukrainian conflict since a truce was agreed nearly three weeks ago.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the incident an attempt to "undermine" Ukraine's efforts toward peace, and called on France, Germany, and Russia to "meet as quickly as possible to resume negotiations."

Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia are part of the so-called Normandy format for talks aimed at putting an end to fighting between Ukrainian forces and the separatists who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Zelenskiy wrote on his Facebook page that Kyiv "will not cease to work toward ending hostilities or leave any attack on our soldiers unanswered."

Since April 2014, more than 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict.



A new cease-fire agreement was supposed to go into effect on July 22 in accordance with an agreement reached in Minsk on July 17 by Ukrainian and Russian envoys as well as members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).



But the sides have been accusing each other of violating the agreement since then.



Cease-fire road maps announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict -- have contributed to a decrease in fighting but have failed to hold.

With reporting by AP
The Ukrainian military says seven soldiers have been killed by pro-Russian separatists since Sunday. The separatists report over 5 days of artillery attacks on them by the Ukrainian side.