Ukraine accuses pro-Russian separatists of violating ceasefire

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday violated a ceasefire with government forces, killing one soldier and wounding another soldier, the Ukrainian military said. The rebel forces opened fire with a grenade launcher on troops in the Krasnohorivka area in Donetsk region and with small arms near Prychepylivka village in Luhansk area, the military said in a statement. The simmering conflict between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed rebels has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday violated a ceasefire with government forces, killing one soldier and wounding another soldier, the Ukrainian military said.

The rebel forces opened fire with a grenade launcher on troops in the Krasnohorivka area in Donetsk region and with small arms near Prychepylivka village in Luhansk area, the military said in a statement. Rebel officials were unavailable for comments.

The Ukrainian military said the attack indicated the pro-Russian forces wanted to disrupt an agreement reached by the two sides and OSCE negotiators for a full ceasefire from July 27. The simmering conflict between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed rebels has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014. Major combat ended with a truce agreed in the Belarus capital Minsk in 2015, but sporadic clashes still regularly kill civilians, Ukrainian soldiers and separatists.