Ukraine soldiers killed in rebel firing

Monday brought the largest number of casualty figures in over two weeks for the Ukrainian army. Kyiv's military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the pro-Russian separatists were firing heavy weapons banned under a peace deal. He said the situation in the rebel-held areas of Donetsk was most tense.

"Fighting with occasional tank and artillery fire goes on round-the-clock," he said in a briefing.

According to the pro-Russian separatists, at least 22 civilians and rebel fighters have died and 29 wounded in attacks from Kyiv's soldiers. The rebels also accused Kyiv of using heavy weapons, prohibited by the Minsk agreement. 29 Ukraine servicemen were killed and 175 wounded in rebel firing this July, Reuters news agency reported.

Peace talks to begin

News of the dead soldiers comes amid a scheduled meeting between Kyiv officials, Russia and rebel leaders on Monday - the so-called "contact group" - under the mediation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Monday's talks are expected to focus on both sides withdrawing smaller weapons from a 30-kilometer-wide buffer zone that separates rebel territory in Ukraine's east from Kyiv's land. The group will also discuss further measures in implementing the Minsk ceasefire deal that was signed earlier this year in February, but has often been violated since then.

More than 6,800 people have died and at least 1.4 million left homeless in the war following the ouster of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the annexation of Crimea by Russia in early 2014. Pro-Russian rebels have, since then, claimed an area of eastern Ukraine as their independent republic.

Western countries have accused Moscow of providing the rebels with heavy weapons and even imposed sanctions as punishment. Russia has denied the charge.

mg/jil (AFP, Reuters)